In Action
1 Flying Training School 
72(Reserve), 76(Reserve) and 207(Reserve) Squadrons 
RAF Linton-on-Ouse

All potential fast-jet pilots for the RAF and Royal Navy attend the Basic Fast-Jet Training (BFJT) course at 1 Flying Training School (1 FTS) at RAF Linton-on-Ouse to fly the Tucano T.1. Around 70 students each year graduate and pass on to advanced flying training. 1 FTS comprises four squadrons; 72(Reserve) and 207(Reserve) which are responsible for BFJT, the Central Flying School Tucano Squadron (CFSTS) which are tasked to train exchange pilots and to provide future instructor pilots and 76 (Reserve) or Tucano Air Navigation Squadron (TANS) which provides basic navigation training for its student pilots.
The fundamentals of low flying are taught during basic flying training on the Tucano, with low flying navigational exercises. Student pilots will have already demonstrated an ability to fly during elementary flying training on the Grob Tutor T.1 or Slingsby T67M Firefly.
The four BFJT courses are run simultaneously and comprise 120 hours of flying over the 40 weeks. Around 80 sorties are flown every day, requiring around 25 aircraft to be serviceable each morning from a total fleet of 55 aircraft.
Flying at 210 knots (389 km/h) or 3.5 miles per minute students are initially cleared down to 500 feet MSD before being cleared down to 250 feet. Students will use a stopwatch and map to navigate while visually estimating their altitude when flying at low level. Despite the recent addition to the Tucano's equipment of the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), students are expected to keep a good look out for any conflicting traffic.
Students are expected to fly solo on the 9^th sortie. By sortie 25 they are ready to be tested before being cleared for solo aerobatics. On sortie 50 students are tested on basic handling and navigation, including the more demanding low-level navigation flying at a minimum height of 500 feet (152m) MSD. Most low-level flying is conducted over the nearby Yorkshire Dales. Now, at the halfway stage student's move onto tactical flying training. This includes; formation, night, instrument and further navigational training exercises. Progressing to low-level flying at 250 feet (76m) they will use initial points (IP) for attacks on targets and fly fighting-wing formations. A final navigation test is flown on around sortie 96. This highly demanding test requires students to fly to a designated airfield at both high level and at low level for planned simulated attack on a target to within 5 seconds, before returning to base after 1¼ hours of flying. In the final ten hours of the course they are taught tactical low-level flying as a fighting pair. A final test involves flying as a fighting pair in close formation with tactical flying at low-level, it also includes landing at an unfamiliar airfield, typically Prestwick, Leuchars or Kinloss. During the return flight they start as a pair before breaking off to fly home at low-level.
On graduating and receiving their 'Wings' most students will join 208(Reserve) Squadron at RAF Valley to fly the Hawk T.1. A few students are 'creamed' off and move to the Central Flying School (CFS) to be trained as flying instructors. Of the 40 qualified flying instructors (QFI) at Linton, most have come from fast-jet squadrons, the rest have multi-engine or rotary engine experience, one or two have returned from CFS.

72(Reserve) Squadron at low level

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF205) in February 2006.
Tucano T.1 (ZF339) in August 2009 at low level in the Lake District.
Tucano T.1 (ZF244 inscribed 'Moshoeshoe') through the Lakes in August 2009.
 

76(Reserve) Squadron at low level

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF170 'MP-A' named 'The Black Prince') in February 2009. Tucano T.1 (ZF269 'MP-O' named 'Oh-De-Oh') in June 2010.

207(Reserve) Squadron at low level

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF204) through the Lakes in August 2009.

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF345) through the Lake District in September 2004.
Tucano T.1 (ZF204) in February 2006.
Tucano T.1 (ZF171) in March 2008 flying north and following the M6 motorway.
 

1 FTS Tucanos without squadron markings applied at low level

Tucano T.1 (ZF317) in the 2009 display scheme in August 2009 at low level in the Lake District.
Unfortunately this years display pilot Mike Rutland was involved in a crash in Tucano T.1 (ZF344) on March 19 at RAF Linton-on-Ouse while practising his display and his display were cancelled for the display season.
 

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF374 and ZF142) using callsigns 'Linton 13' and 'Linton 17' at low level in Wales before going on to RAF Shawbury in March 2009.

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF409) in June 2005.
Tucano T.1 (ZF349) in September 2004.
Tucano T.1 (ZF405) in September 2004.
Tucano T.1 (ZF142) which came though in a pair during a snow storm in February 2009.

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF377) in September 2004.
Tucano T.1 (ZF343) in September 2005.
Tucano T.1's (ZF144 and ZF406) in June 2005.

Left to right: Tucano T.1 (ZF409) in December 2004.
Tucano T.1 (ZF448) in September 2004.
Tucano T.1 (ZF485) in July 2004.

Tucano on Display