The Royal Air Force

Michael Napier joined the RAF in 1978 as a university cadet and studied aeronautical engineering at the Imperial College, London. After qualifying as a fast jet pilot in 1985, he was posted to RAF Bruggen in Germany where he spent two tours flying Tornado GR1s. He then enjoyed a short spell as a tactics instructor, flying Hawks at the Tactical Weapons Unit at RAF Chivenor in Devon, before returning to Bruggen – and the Tornado GR1 – as a Flight Commander. His military flying career encompassed both the Cold War and operations over Iraq after the Gulf War. After completing two tours as a headquarters staff officer, he left the RAF in 1997 and joined British Airways. He has over 15,000 hours’ flying experience and lives in the UK. Michael has written a number of articles for aviation magazines including Aircraft Illustrated, Flypast, Aeroplane Monthly and Cross & Cockade. He has also appeared on BBC radio and television and BFBS radio. He is the author of four books: Winged Crusaders: The Exploits of 14 Squadron RFC & RAF 1915-1945, Blue Diamonds: The Exploits of 14 Squadron RAF 1945-2015, Tornado Over the Tigris: Recollections of a Fast Jet Pilot and Gloster Javelin: an Operational History.

Chapter 1 – 1918-28
Formation & Early Years; WW1 operations – Western Front (including Independent Air Force and Home Defence), Italy, Greece (Salonika), Palestine, Mesopotamia; Russia 1918–20; Somaliland (Force Z) 1919–20
Air Control – Aden, Iraq, Palestine, TransJordan, Sudan, India; India (including ‘Pink’s War’ 1925); Shanghai Defence Force 1927; Kabul Rescue 1928

Chapter 2 – 1928-1938
Re-armament & Expansion; Air Control – Aden, Iraq, Palestine, TransJordan, Sudan, India; Long-Range Flights 1933, 1938; High-Altitude Flights 1936;Schneider Trophy 1929-31; Empire Air Days; Radar; Fighter Command; Bomber Command; Coastal Command (including Fleet Air Arm)

Chapter 3 – 1938-1948
Second World War; 1940 – France, Norway, Eritrea, Battle of Britain; 1941 – Egypt & Mediterranean (-1944), Far East (-1945); Day bomber ops, Fighter sweeps, Coastal Ops (Bay of Biscay, Norway); Bomber Offensive
Bomber ops over Balkans & Central Europe from Italy; Photo-Recce; Air-Sea Rescue; RAF Regiment; Java 1947

Chapter 4 – 1948-58
Beginnings of Cold War & End of Empire; Berlin Airlift 1948; Malaya 1948–58; Korea 1950–53 (including RAF pilots fly with USAF); Kenya Mau Mau 1952–56; Suez 1956; Cyprus EOKA 1956–60; V- Bombers; Operation Grapple H-Bombs 1956–58;NATO/ 2 TAF Germany; RAuxAF

Chapter 5 – 1958-68
Cold War; Thor IRBM 1958–63; V-Force Blue Steel 1963–70; Air-to-Air refuelling; Earthquake relief Morocco 1960; Famine Relief Kenya & Somalia 1961–62; Hurricane relief Honduras 1961; Kuwait Crisis 1961
Berlin Crisis 1961;Indonesia Confrontation 1963–66; Cyprus 1964; Rhodesia UDI/Zambia 1965; Torrey Canyon 1967

Chapter 6 – 1968-78
Re-equipment; RAF Germany; Humanitarian relief – East Pakistan 1971, Nicaragua 1972, Nepal (Op Khana Cascade) 1973; Belize 1971 Harrier Force (-93);Northern Ireland – Op Banner (Helicopter Force) 1972–2002
Interceptions of Soviet aircraft in UK airspace; Exercises – RED FLAG 1977;SAR helicopters?
Chapter 7 – 1978-88
Last Days of the Cold War; Falkland War Op Corporate 1982; Lebanon Op Pulsator 1983; Famine Relief; Ethiopia (Op Bushel 1984–85); Rhodesia/Zimbabwe 1979/80; Gibraltar; Falkland Air Defence

Chapter 8 – 1988-98
Back to Operations; End of Cold War 1988; Gulf War Op Granby 1991;Op Warden Northern Iraq 1991–2001
Op Jural/Bolton Southern Iraq 1991–2001; Op Desert Fox Iraq 1998; Bosnia 1993–98; Zaire (Canberra PR) 1996; RAF Regiment in Cambodia (UN)

Chapter 9 – 1998-2008
Continued Operations; Kosovo Op Engadine 1999; Iraq Op Jural/Warden/Bolton/Resinate; Sierra Leone Op Palliser 2000;Gulf War 2 – Op Telic 2003–11; Afghanistan – Op Herrick 2002–14; Air Defence of Falklands

Chapter 10 – 2008-2018
Iraq - Op Telic -2011;Afghanistan – Op Herrick -2014 ;Libya – Op Ellamy 2011; Iraq/Syria – Op Shader 2014–present; Baltic Air Policing