RAF Shawbury appoints new station commander

Group Captain Chuck Norris has officially taken command of RAF Shawbury.

He has replaced the outgoing Station Commander, Group Captain Jason Appleton.

Group Captain Norris joined the RAF in 1988. As a support helicopter pilot, he has completed tours on the Wessex and Chinook in Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and the Falkland Islands.

As an A2 qualified helicopter instructor, he completed a tour at the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury flying the Squirrel and was also the training officer on 18(Bomber) Squadron, flying Chinooks.

Promoted to squadron leader in 2002, he commanded D Flight, 202 Squadron flying the Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth on search and rescue duties in the UK, also deploying to the Falkland Islands to command 78 Squadron at Mount Pleasant Airfield in 2004. He has amassed over 4,500 flying hours.

Staff tours followed at Headquarters 2 Group at RAF High Wycombe as the staff officer responsible for search and rescue, followed by a move to MoD and the directorate of joint capability.

Promoted to wing commander in 2007, he was posted to 6 (UK) Division and deployed to Afghanistan before attending the UK advanced command and staff course at Shrivenham in 2008.

He was then posted to RAF Benson as the deputy Puma and Merlin force commander, where he qualified and instructed on the Puma helicopter.

A posting to the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood followed in December 2010, where has was responsible for contingency planning for all areas apart from Afghanistan and the Gulf region.

In August 2016, he took command of the Defence Helicopter Flying School which provides initial helicopter flying training for aircrew of the three services and foreign and Commonwealth countries.

Group Captain Norris said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed as station commander during RAF Shawbury’s centenary year and to also command the Defence Helicopter Flying School and the Defence College of Airspace Control.

"Both training schools deliver world-leading training and we are fortunate to be supported by our partners and by the community in Shropshire and beyond.

"I very much look forward to the next few years here at RAF Shawbury as we bring into service the Juno and Jupiter helicopters which will enhance our output and capability as we transition to the Military Flying Training System."