Grasshopper to Harrier

Chris Burwell

Membership: £30 yearly, £10 Virtual member (meetings streamed vis MS Teams when permitted by speaker, £5 individual event entry.

Doors open at 19:00, registration 19:10 for 19:30 lecture start

Chris Burwell’s talk will cover his career in aviation, focusing largely on his time with the RAF Harrier Force. The Harrier GR1 entered operational service in 1969, being upgraded through the GR3 in the early 70s, then into the Harrier II versions of GR5/7/9 starting 1988 before being removed from service, at no notice, as a Defence cost savings measure in 2010. Chris’s time with the Harrier spanned the years 1976-1994 and included deployments to the Northern flank of NATO in Denmark and Norway; the reinforcement of Belize in 1977; instructional duties on the Harrier Conversion Unit; a 3-year tour of duty in the NATO Central Region (West Germany); operations in the Falkland Islands (post-war); and missions into Northern Iraq in 1993 between the Gulf Wars. On his final tour of duty as a squadron commander he was tasked with the introduction of the Harrier’s night capability to the frontline in 1992-1994.

The bowls club bar will be open for refreshments during the evening, parking available on site.

CPD certificates of attendance will be endorsed for CEng, IEng or EngTech