Fleet Air Arm Patch 705 Naval Air Squadron NAS Crest RN Helicopter School Sharks a

Fleet Air Arm FAA Patch Royal Navy 705 Naval Air Squadron NAS RN Helicopter School Sharks Display Team Gazelle Helicopters 1975 RNAS Culdrose Uniform removed Embroidered applique on wool on black shadow backing 118mm by 90mm four and one half inches by three and one half inches.

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Squadron History 1947 2016

705 Naval Air Squadron was reactivated in May 1947 at RNAS Gosport equipped with Sikorsky R4 Hoverfly helicopters transferred from 771 Naval Air Squadrons Hoverfly element tasked as as a fleet requirements unit to evaluate naval use of helicopters and carried out the first helicopter deck landing on a Royal Navy ship HMS Vanguard on 1 February 1947. The Squadron received a Westland Sikorsky WS 51 Dragonfly helicopter on loan in 1949 and converted to the Dragonfly helicopter in December 1949 conducting experimental ship landings aboard RFA Fort Duquesne A229 in January and February 1951 and carried out basic flying training of Royal Naval helicopter pilots and advanced specialist training. 705 NAS added Sikorsky S 55 helicopters to its fleet in November 1952 with British built Whirlwind HAR 1s and Hiller HT 1s arriving in 1953. The Squadron deployed five Dragonfly helicopters to the Netherlands on 1 February 1953 to assist with relief in response severe flooding.

705 NAS provided basic helicopter pilot training to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh with the Hiller HT1 followed by SAR training on the S 55 during 1955 and officially became the RN Helicopter Training Squadron in November 1955 relocating to RNAS Lee on Solent. The Squadron relocated to RNAS Culdrose in January 1958 and received Hiller HT 2 helicopters in 1962.

Gazelle HT 2 helicopters were received between March 1974 and March 1975 and the Whirlwind HAR 1s were phased out. The Squadrons remaining thirteen Hiller HT 2 undertook a final flypast at the end of March 1975 before flying on to RNAY Wroughton for disposal. The Squadrons Instructors formed the Sharks helicopter display team with the Gazelles in 1975 displaying with six helicopters for two seasons until 1977 when reduced to four Gazelles following a serious practice flight crash claimed three pilots. The Sharks began displaying as a pair when the full team was not available and reduced fully to a pair from the 1990 season. Budgetary cuts led to the Sharks disbanding in 1992 but 705 NAS continued to provide a pair of Gazelles known simply as the Gazelle Pair for displays up to completion of the 1996 season with 705 Naval Air Squadron disbanding in April 1997 and Gazelle helicopters retired from RN service.

705 Naval Air Squadron was reactivated in April 1997 at RAF Shawbury as part of the Defense Helicopter Flying School DHFS equipped with the Eurocopter Squirrel HT Mk 1 helicopters providing the advanced element of basic helicopter flying training for all three services as well as pilots from foreign and Commonwealth countries including instrument flying navigation night flying and search and rescue techniques.

In addition to the flying training 705 NAS provides a naval focus for naval officers operating within an otherwise joint service and civilian run DHFS.

This patch dates from the 1970s.