30 January | LECTURE | The Westland Wasp HAS1 – Its Developments and Place in History by Dr Terry Martin

Tuesday 30th January 2024 – 17:30 GMT
LIVE from MOD Boscombe Down

For our first event of 2024, we are delighted to welcome Dr Terry Martin, former RAF Wing Commander and Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, to deliver a talk on the Westland Wasp helicopter.

Terry will introduce the lecture with an explanation of how an RAF doctor became interested in the Westland Wasp and has since been flying this type for almost a quarter of a century. The main thrust of the talk will cover the helicopter’s fascinating history and how it evolved and developed in trials and in service. Reference will be made to sites all around the south and southwest which played a part in the Wasp’s life-cycle, and naturally there will be stories from those who flew Wasps on active service. The presentation will end with a short summary of Terry’s experiences keeping the history alive and the challenges of meeting the maintenance and other essential requirements that keep these old ‘paraffin budgies’ in the air. 

Speaker:

Wg Cdr (Dr) Terry Martin RAF (retd) FRAeS – Display Pilot/Owner XT787, Westland Wasp Historic Flight

Terry started his career as a Royal Air Force doctor and was fortunate to receive training in fixed wing and helicopter flying during his service career. He is a recently retired Consultant and Associate Professor in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine with extensive previous experience in Aerospace Physiology and Emergency Medicine, and he has been involved in the organisation, practice, research and teaching of military and civilian air ambulance transport since 1983.  His active service included tours in Belize, Germany and Saudi Arabia (Gulf War) as well as many other detachments around the world with some notable roles including Senior Medical Officer at the former RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough and Locum Director General of the Medical Service of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.  Terry was also one of the first doctors to work as a Trauma Registrar in the UK, with the world-leading London’s Air Ambulance service in its earliest days.

When not working in clinical medicine, Terry’s other great passion is flying and displaying his historic Westland Wasp helicopter, XT787, which has served in both the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy, and is still flying in 2024, its 57^th year after delivery to the RN in 1967.

Timings (Approximate):
17:30 – Event Opens
17:55 – Introduction & Branch Notices
18:00 – Lecture Presentation
19:00 – Q&A Session
19:15 – Event Closes

Location:
MOD Boscombe Down,
Amesbury,
Salisbury,
SP4 0JF

Visitors Welcome – you do not need to be a member of the Branch, nor a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society, to attend. Please note, due to the location, any international visitors require IVCO clearance in order to attend. This cannot be arranged by the Branch or MOD Boscombe Down and can take 21 days to process.

Are you pursuing CEng, IEng or EngTech status? Attendance at our lectures will help you meet your CPD requirements! 

If you have any comments or questions, please contact BoscombeDown@aerosociety.com.