No. 51 Squadron RAF
Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Number 51 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Since 2014 it has operated the Boeing RC-135W Airseeker R.1, more commonly referred to as the Rivet Joint, from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.
Quick Facts Active, Country ...
No. 51 Squadron RAF | |
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Active | 15 May 1916 – 1 April 1918 (RFC) 1 April 1918 – 13 June 1919 (RAF) 5 March 1937 – 30 October 1950 21 August 1958 – present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Type | Flying squadron |
Role | Signals intelligence |
Size | Three aircraft |
Part of | No. 1 Group |
Home station | RAF Waddington |
Nickname(s) | 'York's own squadron' |
Motto(s) | Swift and Sure[1] |
Aircraft | Boeing RC-135W Airseeker |
Battle honours |
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Insignia | |
Squadron badge heraldry | A goose volant, chosen as a play on the word 'Anson', the aircraft which the squadron was flying when the badge was being designed, as 'Anser' is the Latin word for Goose, and it was felt that a heavy wild fowl was appropriate for a bomber squadron. Approved by King George VI in December 1937. |
Squadron codes | UT (Aug 1939 – Sep 1939) MH (Sep 1939 – May 1945) LK (? – Jan 1944) ('C' Flt which became 578 Sqn) C6 (Jan 1944 – May 1945) ('C' Flt) TB (May 1945 – Dec 1949) MH (Dec 1949 – Oct 1950) |
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It had previously flown the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1 from 1974 until 2011.[2] Following the Nimrod's retirement, crews from No. 51 Squadron trained alongside the United States Air Force on the RC-135W Rivet Joint, which was being acquired by the RAF under the Airseeker project.[3][4][5]