When DIIA first published this report on aerial surveillance during 2010, that unpronounceable volcano in Iceland had just erupted under a glacier sending a massive cloud of debris, dust and silicone 30,000 feet into the jet stream. The entire airspace of the United Kingdom was closed and throughout half of northern Europe, respective air traffic controls grounded all flights. Effectively - ‘Those Magnificent Men (& Women) in their Flying Machines’ abruptly came down to earth and turned most major airports into overcrowded parking bays.

Photo above: NASA's Terra satellite flew over the volcano the following day at 11:35 UTC (7:35 a.m. EDT) on April 15, 2010, and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS instrument onboard Terra captured a visible image of the ash plume from Eyjafjallajokull Volcano.

Not even the devastating acts of terrorism carried out in the U.S on 9/11, other attacks in London & Madrid, or well organized industrial action within the aviation industry had ever achieved in Europe what Mother Nature accomplished that month in one unexpected, violently explosive demonstration of her power. Of course, just to add emphasis to that power, the final month of 2010 saw blizzard conditions and further chaos as heavy snow blanketed the country and once again aviation ground to a sub-zero halt.

Such events as volcanic eruptions or blinding snow storms should remind all governments that it is essential to have the ability to immediately deploy either fixed wing or rotary aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAV’s) that are capable of surveillance operations and data collection in environmentally and challenging locations.

With any volcanic eruption comes danger: possible devastation for nearby communities, their livestock and crops. There is also a very real danger to aircraft – military, passenger & cargo, search & rescue and those being used to gather scientific intelligence of the event in question. Volcanic ash particles are very fine and once they reach high altitudes they fan out over a huge area. It can take days or weeks for the winds to clear them. The last major eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland was in 1821. It spewed ash for two years!

Aircraft engines don’t do slithers of glass and in-flight sandblasting. Volcanic ash isn't soft like wood ash. It is actually very fine pieces of rock that having been sucked into an aircraft engine’s intake – then heat up under very high temperatures and melt into glass. Eventually this unseen threat builds up in the machinery and "chokes" the engines to death". In 1982, a British Airways 747 flew into a cloud of volcanic ash in the middle of the night following an eruption of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia. The 747 was en route from England to New Zealand when all four engines failed. The reason for the failure was not apparent to the crew or ground control. Although suddenly dropping thousands of feet, the pilots managed to glide far enough to exit the ash cloud and all engines were thankfully restarted: although one failed again soon after. When the pilots eventually made their emergency landing, they were looking out through a fogged up windscreen: the ash had caused a sandpaper effect to the cockpit windows. The ash was so gritty it removed parts of the British Airways logo across the jet. The dry electrical ash also caused the plane to develop an electrical glow, much like St Elmos fire.

In the case of a major volcanic eruption however, scientists – although well aware of the dangers such events bring - have to quickly deploy every means at their disposal to evaluate the threat and track the course, speed and content of ash clouds. It is interesting to note that following the recent Icelandic eruption and closure of British & European airspace, one comment that kept cropping up in TV broadcasts and newspapers concerned ‘the lack of aircraft available for scientific flights to gather data on the ash cloud’. One scientist in Iceland told me, “Tests are taking place but with such a large area to cover, there are not enough aircraft fitted with suitable surveillance systems available……..” Now, airlines are suggesting (from their own test flight evidence) that governments acted too quickly in imposing a blanket ban and that given additional aerial surveillance monitoring, aircraft could have been directed to fly through ‘safe’ altitudes or designated flight paths – so avoiding the resulting chaos that was inevitable following the Europe-wide ban . Requests for compensation are already in the pipeline from airlines that lost millions of dollars over a few short days.

HMS Albion – Royal Navy Assault Ship

When those tens of thousands of people were stranded across Europe during the Icelandic volcanic incident, the Royal Navy assault ship, HMS Albion, was quick to arrive in Santander, Spain to extract 450 British servicemen & women who had found themselves diverted & stranded as they returned from duty in Afghanistan. Nearly 300 lucky tourists (identified by the British Consulate as being ‘at risk’: elderly, children, those suffering from medical disorders etc) were also found places on the Navy’s mercy mission. Privately, some senior Royal Navy officers voiced the opinion that the original announcement by the current UK government that ‘Her Majesty’s Ships Ark Royal, Ocean & Albion were ‘on standby’ to steam to undisclosed ports to rescue stranded British nationals’ was purely public relations spin in the closing stages of a British general election. The result of that election heralded the arrival of a new Coalition Government comprising Conservative and Liberal Democrat members but with the new government came severe defense cuts – Ark Royal was scrapped: many other surface fleet units taken out of service. In the future, during an emergency, the sight of a White Ensign racing to the rescue will be conspicuously missing. The RN has few ships left.

Data gathering in an uncertain world

Satellites are of course essential in providing warnings of approaching ash clouds and these days – in our high tech surveillance world – continually transmit images, communication and raw data on everything from the track of a tornado or hurricane (and that’s weather – not planes), the spread of flood water, earthquake damage, local weather conditions – even the temperature of our oceans.

Photo above: US / Mexico border / Photo left: African Village /

Photo below left: Terrorists in Bagdad with RPG

However, satellites don’t solve every surveillance requirement and multi-role aircraft (both fixed wing and rotary) plus UAV’s are also essential in collecting additional data on natural disasters and information on a variety of other threats and incidents: warning of possible terrorist attacks or infiltration, the activities of people traffickers, gun and drug runners, the impending danger of pirates – in fact a whole range of border and blue sea surveillance that also includes search & rescue operations, scientific research, oil & gas pipeline checks and aerial survey projects.

There are aircraft that can be operated by a pilot (onboard) or be deployed as an unmanned ‘optionally piloted vehicle’ (OPV): directed by a pilot/controller from a ground station, another aircraft or from on board a ship at sea. Other ‘flying machines’ are purely unmanned: computer controlled aerial robots capable of high altitude flight, long duration missions and these can also be fitted with sophisticated day or night surveillance or scientific instrumentation and / or be equipped with ‘star wars’ weapon systems.

Ariel surveillance is essential in this uncertain world of ours. It allows governments, the military and law enforcement to receive high definition photos or video of border areas that cover vast areas. Illegal immigrants can be identified day or night: terrorists arriving by sea – spotted before they land on your coastal strip. Sophisticated cameras & sensors can identify a terrorist about to deploy a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) in the middle of a city or offer NGO’s on humanitarian operations a far clearer picture of the event they are dealing with. Sending an aircraft over pipelines to check for damage or having a UAV stream back data to assist traffic control in the event of an evacuation from a city is common place these days. Environmental surveillance might assist in predicting the course of a contaminated cloud following an explosion at a chemical plant. Fixed Wing / Rotary & UAV flyovers can also supply invaluable survey data for both geological & oceanographic projects.

One aircraft that is particularly efficient and cost effective when deployed as a surveillance, reconnaissance or survey asset is the DA42M: a 4-place, twin-engine general aviation aircraft produced by Diamond Aircraft in Austria. Recently, a version of the DA42M was developed as an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV). This hybrid aircraft adds an extensive suite of propriety electronics and software that retains all of the manned mission capability while also enabling the capability to conduct missions with no pilot onboard.

The OPV version of the DA42M has roughly the same payload and range performance as the MQ-1 Predator UAV, but it has several important advantages. First, it can be flown with a pilot onboard if required, which will facilitate operation in the National Airspace System of both the U.S & UK. Second, it has two engines, which gives greater reliability and safety. Third, it is easily reconfigurable so it can carry a variety of payloads. Finally, it has extremely low operating costs. This is certainly a crossover product with enormous potential in many markets.

Photo: The DA42M – Fully EASA Certified composite airframe. 8 hours endurance with full mission equipment. Capable of an 18,000ft ceiling, the DA42M is de-iced with oxygen, is fully IFR compliant and operates a fuel burn of 6 US gallons per hour (Jet A1/AVTUR). The aircraft features a nose camera (FLIR, Wescam, Zeiss) Max 55kg – A multi-purpose Belly Pod (100kg max). The DA42M is equipped with an S, L and C Microwave down link, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Maritime Search Radar & AIS, BLOS satellite voice and picture transmissions, laser scanning and is ready for both military & civil communications.

Forget the 'Da Vinci Code'

For much of his life, Leonardo was fascinated by the phenomenon of flight, producing

many studies of the flight of birds, including his c. 1505 Codex on the Flight of Birds,

as well as plans for several flying machines, including a helicopter and a light hang glider.

Most were impractical, like his aerial screw helicopter design that could not provide lift.

However, the hang glider has been successfully constructed and demonstrated. He

even explored the realms of aerial surveillance with the use of high towers and kites.

In China, they took it one step further: condemned prisoners were tied onto the kites

to enable a ‘data stream’ of information!

Can you imagine the comments, questions and reactions of Da Vinci, if he had been able to pilot the Beechcraft King Air B200 aircraft in DO System’s fleet? This is an aircraft equipped with the latest imagery and communication systems: allowing discrete transmissions of live imagery and radar data over long distances. Many countries have concerns over threats to their borders, coastal security, shipping, sensitive infrastructure such as power stations, oil pipe lines, rigs and military installations. Those threats might come in the form of damage caused by natural disasters, direct terrorist action, pirates, and other criminal elements or simply as a result of the mass movement of economic migrants.

The Beechcraft King Air B200

Consultation & Training

DO Systems have successfully delivered complete training packages to government agencies and armed forces around the world. Their training doctrine ensures that pilots, operators and technicians receive factory approved conversions and certified training courses. DO Systems provide on-site training using operationally experienced teams from the UK to increase the effectiveness of established doctrine and procedures for Search & Rescue, oil protection, surveillance and other aerial applications. Able to deploy at short notice to anywhere in the world, the company can provide highly qualified engineers for both fixed wing and rotary aircraft.

And that, of course, is what it’s all about: the ability to supply aerial solutions in surveillance and reconnaissance, intelligence & Search & Rescue that are immediate & effective. This company will advise or provide you with the correct aircraft for your specific requirements. DO Systems offer cost effective operational methods, specialized advice, expert training and total maintenance support.

Search & Rescue

If you are a government or military force seeking to detect terrorists in training or on the move or a law enforcement agency monitoring illegal immigration, you need to know where to look, how to keep a constant track of the scenario in question. The speed and altitude of your aircraft must be matched to the capabilities of your imagery equipment. The transfer of real time data must be completed in such a way that those on the ground are not swamped by an endless stream of unlinked information that takes time to decipher and act upon. In short, the people you employ to carry out these tasks or the company that you have contracted to train your team must be experts in aviation, able to fly in various demanding conditions, able to identify the correct target, evaluate weather patterns, be able to succeed in project management, advise on risk and much more. DO Systems are specialists in surveillance, intelligence, data gathering and other aerial applications.

Unique Expertise

Towards the end of last year, I read an article by the Political Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph that showed at that time that British forces deploying to Afghanistan could not train using aerial surveillance drones because the aircraft were not licensed to fly in the UK. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff in 2009, called for more ISTAR capability in Afghanistan to give British troops better protection from roadside bombs planted by the Taliban. The disclosure increased pressure on ministers to devote more resources to the military’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) programme, the network of planes and unmanned drones that secretly spy on enemy activities.

Gen Sir Richard Dannatt: 'We need more resources in Afghanistan'

In late August 2009, Sir Richard said that British forces cannot currently operate 24-hour surveillance even on the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan. Photo: DEREK BLAIR

In 2009. the Daily Telegraph revealed a Ministry of Defence document setting out serious shortages of key surveillance personnel that threatened to undermine operations in Afghanistan. In evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee, the MoD said that the training exercises involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were limited in the UK because the Civil Aviation Authority did not permit their use in UK airspace. Air Vice-Marshal Carl Dixon, the RAF officer who was overseeing the ISTAR programme at the MoD back in 2009, told the committee: “In the UK we cannot train using Reaper, the big UAV, or Hermes 450 because they are not licensed to fly in UK airspace currently.” He said that British personnel due to deploy to Afghanistan trained using simulations of drones and the information that they provide.

“When we do the mission rehearsal exercise for the brigade, the task force going to Helmand, we have to simulate some of that feed to mitigate some of the problems, so you have got a mixture,” he said.

There were mounting fears at the time that limitations in British surveillance coverage in Afghanistan contributed to the deaths of service personnel in Helmand province. Commanders have admitted they were forced to “thin out” British forces around Sangin in order to launch the Panther’s Claw offensive against the Taliban to the south. Some officers believe that the reduced allocation of surveillance assets to the Panther’s Claw operation left British troops around Sangin at increased risk of IED attack.

The military are well aware of the invaluable benefits of 24/7 aerial surveillance. When you think about it (whilst remembering how many years British forces have been involved in the conflict theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan), it’s amazing that government seem to have been a little slow in utilizing the clear benefits of UAV’s and have not taken advantage (to the extent that they could have done) of fixed wing and helicopter aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. After proven successes in World War 1 and World War 2 and later theatres of conflict, you would have thought they would have learned by now. 24/7 aerial surveillance capabilities are essential to operational success for the military, intelligence services and law enforcement. Aerial photography and data collection also improves search & rescue capability, safes money in civil projects and with companies about – such as DO Systems – the whole range of assets, engineering back up and training courses are readily available. I mean, Britain was one of the first countries in the world to (a) lead in aviation and (b) explore the benefits of aerial surveillance – so it’s not surprising to find that a British company is leading the way in such aerial applications.

Knowledge of the unique aviation expertise of DO Systems is however, slowly getting though to the British corridors of power. I understand that during recent operations in the Middle East, DO Systems provided 24/7 maintenance support to the UK government. In addition to providing full maintenance services, the company also provided full peripheral support, such as hangarage and spares. New technologies, new methods, new products and systems can take quite a while to filter through to any defense department – regardless of the nation concerned. This company is well worth contacting to gain an insight into how you could enhance your surveillance capabilities. With security concerns in mind, DIIA is unable to publish a detailed report on the full range of global services offered by DO Systems.

Suffice to say –

The global mission of UK-based DO Systems is

‘to provide persistent manned and unmanned aerial surveillance in any threat environment.’

FOR FURTHER DATA ON DO SYSTEMS – CLICK THE PHOTO LINK BELOW:

The Valued Heritage of
Old Sarum Airfield

Royal Flying Corps Badge.jpg

Old Sarum Airfield

DO Systems is based at Old Sarum Airfield near Salisbury UK. The company is proud of their headquarter site and the aviation history that surrounds their operation. DO Systems values the heritage of this site and both ‘at home’ and on overseas operation is keen to promote the highest environmentally friendly aviation standards.

The site for Old Sarum Airfield was selected in 1917, to provide facilities for a training station for the rapidly expanding Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Like many others of this period, the airfield was provided with a cluster of general service sheds and a camp consisting largely of wooden buildings. It was opened in August 1917 and was briefly known at first as ‘Ford Farm’ but very soon took instead the name of the much more distinguished local fortifications.

Its first task was to act as a base for the formation of three new day bomber squadrons which would ultimately be sent across the English Channel to operate in France. The Royal Air Force (RAF) was founded on 1 April 1918, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. On the same day a new flying training unit was formed at Old Sarum to become the airfield’s principal resident unit. This was 11 Training Depot Station, whose task was the operational training of fresh aircrews. It is interesting to note that nearly 100 years later, this site still represents important developments in aviation and is still used as a hub of excellence in aircrew training by DO Systems.

The most reliable airplane in the British Royal Flying Corps in 1914 was the B.E. 2, affectionately called "The Quirk" because it was stubbornly unmaneuverable. Manufactured by the Royal Aircraft Factory, it used an RAF 8-cylinder, in-line, 90hp engine. It could lift 2100 pounds of plane, a crew of two and 224 pounds of anti-personnel bombs to a ceiling of 10,000 feet and a range of two hundred miles at a maximum sea-level speed of 72mph. Armed with only one machine gun, the crew were very vulnerable. Nevertheless, this machine carried most of the burden of photographing German trenches for the first two years of the war.

1918 to 1939

These two photos (above) – reproduced from CIA archives – show a camera being taken out of an early US aircraft: each photo was then painstakingly arranged in a mosaic for examination.

At the end of World War I, Old Sarum was one of the few airfields which were not closed down as part of the post war run-down. In 1920, 11 Training Squadron was disbanded and preparations were made to turn the station into the permanent home of the School of Army Co-operation. The School was transferred to Old Sarum from Stonehenge in January 1921 and for many years ran mixed courses for Army and Air Force personnel. The prime task was the development of efficient air/ground communication under operational conditions, principally between Army officers, including those of the newly formed armoured forces and the pilots and observers of the RAF Army Cooperation Squadrons.

A ‘Special Duty Flight’ was formed here in about 1926 to work with the Experimental Gas School at Porton Down, not far away. This used a handful of aircraft including a Bristol Fighter, a Dart and a Horsley, but was transferred to Netheravon in 1928. In April 1924, 16 Squadron was reformed at Old Sarum for cooperation with Army units in Southern Command. Initially equipped with Bristol Fighters, it subsequently received the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas, in January 1931 and Audaxs in December 1933.

With these types it took part in exercises all over southern England. In June 1938 it became the first unit to equip with the Westland Lysander. The mid-1930s saw the beginning of the RAF expansion scheme, where many First World War airfield sites were inspected to see if they would be suitable for the new permanent stations which were planned due to the increased threat to Britain from Nazi Germany. Old Sarum Airfield was identified as being suitable for becoming a permanent station, and the period between 1934 and 1937 saw the development of new domestic, administrative and technical buildings. This development saw the increase in the area of the airfield occupied by station buildings from 7.5 ha (19 acres) to roughly 22 ha (54 acres). The flying field remained the same size.

Three other operational squadrons were based at the airfield for varying periods between 1935 and 1939. First of these was another army cooperation unit, 13 Squadron, whose Audaxes were based here from May 1935. Next came the Hawker Hinds of a new light bomber squadron – 107 – which stayed here until 1937. The third unit, 59 Squadron, was actually formed here in June 1937 and was a brand new army cooperation unit specially intended to carry out night reconnaissance, using Hawker Hector aircraft. Subsequently it was decided to replace these with comparatively high performance Bristol Blenheims and in May 1939 the squadron transferred to Andover to make the transition.

World War II

At the outbreak of war the appearance of RAF Old Sarum had changed little. Its line of hangars still looked out onto the grass flying field, while the old Roman road still formed the northern border of the airfield. The squadron continued to be primarily engaged in training and developing ground support techniques, including the spraying of poison gas, although this was never actually used. In February the 16 Squadron left for France via Hawkinge and its place was taken by the first two Canadian flying units to arrive in Britain – 110 and 112 Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Squadrons. The final operational unit to be based here during this period was 225 Squadron (RAF), another Lysander equipped unit. This took the place of 110 RCAF Squadron on 9 June 1940 and with the growing threat of a Nazi invasion of the Britain, it was engaged in patrolling the south coast for enemy landings.

Photo below: Royal Canadian Air Force Spitfire WW2

In 1939, the establishment of aircraft was increased to serve the expanding School of Army Cooperation. In February 1940 a new ‘D’ Flight was formed within the School for artillery spotting duties. It was out-stationed at Larkhill to be close to the Royal Artillery camp there and served as the nucleus from which all future Air Observation Post (AOP) units originated.

During the Battle of Britain, as losses mounted, the shortage of fighter pilots became so desperate that a number of army cooperation trainees were selected at Old Sarum and immediately sent to Hurricane and Spitfire training units. During the massive campaign of enemy attacks on RAF airfields in the summer and autumn of 1940, Old Sarum escaped lightly but during the night of 11/12 May 1941 one hangar was burnt out in an air raid and two aircraft were destroyed.

During the first two years of war, it became clear that higher performance aircraft were needed and so a small number of Hurricanes and Harvards joined the unit in early 1941 and they were soon followed by a flight of Tomahawks. Because of the limitations of the landing ground at Old Sarum, a larger satellite was prepared at Oatlands Hill, some 5 mi (8.0 km) away to the north-west. Oatlands Hill was equipped with only basic flying facilities and most of the maintenance work had still to be undertaken at Old Sarum but henceforth all higher performance aircraft would carry out their training programmes at Oatlands Hill.

In August 1941, the first full AOP squadron was formed. This was 651 Squadron and it was equipped with Taylorcrafts, flown by specially trained army pilots. They were frequently detached to Larkhill to train with the gunners there and, in the following spring the squadron joined Army manoeuvres, thus establishing the practice of sending small detachments of aircraft to improvised advanced landing grounds ‘in the field’. The advances in size and performance of aircraft types from Lysander to the Tomahawk prompted a reorganisation and the Training Wing was redesignated 41 Operational Training Unit. The development and teaching of methods of artillery reconnaissance were undertaken here from 1942. However, these activities required a permanent runway instead of a flying field, and so 41 OTU was transferred out in 1942. It was replaced by a new Fleet Air Arm Squadron, developing tactical reconnaissance. In 1942 Old Sarum became the principal base for the training of AOP with three new squadrons and 43 OTU moved from Larkhill to Old Sarum. While it was engaged in training new pilots, the facilities at Old Sarum continued to be used for the formation of new Auster squadrons. 655 Squadron formed in December 1942 for Southern Command, and took part in the huge ‘Spartan’ exercise in East Anglia in July 1943 which tested the efficiency of Army co-operation squadrons under mobile conditions, and was effectively a rehearsal for the invasion and liberation of North-West Europe. This led to the formation of Tactical Air Forces (TAF), which were created as replacements for RAF Army Cooperation Command.

1944 marked the end of a period of major expansion in the AOP squadrons and the spare hangar space at Old Sarum Airfield was used by 3505 Servicing Unit, which maintained numerous aircraft operating in small and scattered detachments to provide practice facilities for Anti-Aircraft and Searchlight sites. Plans for the D-Day landings were well advanced by early 1944 and included the requisition of all of the facilities at Old Sarum to form part of the 2nd TAF Concentration Area. This was, in effect, the hinterland and supply location of the many ports and embarkation points of the ships and landing craft of the invasion forces. All flying training was terminated and 43 OTU left the station entirely. Thousands of ground personnel and virtually all RAF motor transport vehicles destined for Normandy passed through Old Sarum in the D-Day period making it an integral part in the organisational structure of the D-Day landings. Seven large tented camps were set up in the countryside around the airfield and a force of over a thousand fitters was established to undertake the waterproofing of the 25,000 invasion vehicles. A large part of the airfield was used to assemble the long lines of trucks and other vehicles and the station hangars were pressed into service as the principal workshops.

As D-Day arrived, there were no less than 34 aircraft at Old Sarum Airfield from three different squadrons (658, 659 and 662) waiting to be called forward. Ground support units, ranging from Sector Headquarters and Signals Wings to Servicing Parties and Repair Units continued to pass through until the flow finally ceased in November. The School of Army Cooperation had been reformed at Old Sarum in June 1943 and was subsequently retitled the RAF School of Army Cooperation. In 1944 it was reorganised as the School of Air Support. It was established with its own small fleet of aircraft. The experiences of war had highlighted the importance of inter service cooperation as never before and increasingly personnel from all three services became based at Old Sarum.

Post World War II

In May 1947, the School was re-designated the School of Land/Air Warfare, training Air Force, Army and Navy officers. In 1956, in recognition of its importance and longevity, RAF Old Sarum was honoured by being given the Freedom of the City of Salisbury. At about the same time, the station also became the home of the Army Air Transport Training and Development Centre. One new aspect of post war aviation, which was of interest to all three services, was the widespread use of helicopters. Accordingly, on 1 June 1961, the RAF element of the Helicopter Development Unit (HDU) was formed at Old Sarum, with a handful of early helicopter prototypes, Sycamores and Whirlwinds, to explore their military potential. In 1965 a new Joint Helicopter Development Unit (JHDU) was formed at Old Sarum and it immediately absorbed the former HDU, which became a section entitled 'Short Range Transport Development Unit'. In 1963 622 (Volunteer) Gliding School became based at Old Sarum and the School was amalgamated with the Amphibious Warfare School from Poole in Dorset to form the Joint Warfare Establishment, being equipped with a few Whirlwinds and Wessexes.

The final change was the amalgamation of Army Air Transport Development and the JHDU in 1968 to become the Joint Air Transport Establishment (JATE). In December 1971 Old Sarum ceased as an RAF base, although it served with the Army until 1979.

Photos below: Today – Old Sarum Airfield hosts the headquarter hub for DO Systems a company able to deploy sophisticated aircraft, highly qualified pilots & engineers, a wide range of imagery instruments and space age hangars.

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