Airwork Services - Overseas Activities

Overseas Activities

Airwork operated the British Civil Air Training Mission to Saudi Arabia from 1947 to 1949, based in Taif, Saudi Arabia. This was a flying school with 3 Tiger Moth and 1 Anson Aircraft.

Following the creation of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman Air Force (SMOAF) in March 1959, Airwork was appointed to provide maintenance and technical support. The new air force initially consisted of Scottish Aviation Pioneer CC1, Hunting Provost T.Mk.52 and DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. Growing problems with civil unrest and insurgency, primarily in the Dhofar region, during the late 1960s led to the expansion of the SMOAF. Initially this was through the formation of a squadron of BAC 167 Strikemaster T.Mk.82 aircraft and also through acquisitions of the C-47 Dakota, DHC-4 Caribou, Shorts Skyvan, BN-2A-21 Defender, Vickers Viscount, BAC One-Eleven and Vickers VC10 types of aircraft.

The conditions in which Airwork staff had to work were some of the most challenging in the world with shade temperatures of over 40°C commonplace and cockpit temperatures on the ground often exceeding an unbearable 80°C. Existing working practices had to be radically amended accordingly. Airwork’s support role in Oman was further cemented in the late 1970s by the arrival of over thirty Hawker Hunters. Two squadrons of SEPECAT Jaguars followed further expanding the capability of the Sultanate of Oman Air Force (SOAF), the name of which had been adopted in 1970. During the early 1980s three C-130H Hercules transport aircraft were ordered. In 1990, the SOAF was renamed to become the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). Four new BAE Hawk 103s and twelve Hawk 203s were delivered in 1993.

In addition to providing aircraft maintenance and airfield communications support services to SOAF\RAFO, Airwork was also involved in providing radio and radar support to the Oman Navy and ground radio for the Oman Army. Spares provisioning and personal recruitment were provided from Airwork’s UK headquarters at Hurn and the nearby Supplies Division in Ferndown.

The success of the Omani partnership led to Airwork securing similar support contracts in other countries. In Saudi Arabia Airwork was contracted between 1966 and 1973 to provide servicing and training for the Saudi’s English Electric Lightnings, Hunters, BAC Strikemasters and Cessna 172s. Airwork also provided a similar service in Aden (later South Yemen) and to the Kuwaiti and Jordanian air forces. In Africa, Airwork developed a support presence in Nigeria, Sudan and Zimbabwe with aircraft from these countries also being overhauled at Hurn.

During the 1960s Airwork carried out delivery flights of a number of Fairey Gannets to Indonesia. A large number of aircraft were also handled at Hurn during this time prior to delivery for the Abu Dhabi Air Force (Caribou and Islander), Ghana (Shorts Skyvan), Qatar Police (Gazelle helicopter), the Singapore Air Force (BAC Strikemaster), South Arabian Air Force (Bell 47G and Dakotas) and the Sudan Air Force (Jet Provost). The supply of spares and equipment from Hurn was central to activities with Britannia, CL-44 and Douglas DC-6 freighter aircraft being frequently used.