Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association, F A A O A

Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association, F A A O A Stories about the history, aircraft, ships and the people who worked and continue to work in the Fleet Air Arm.

The Fleet Air Arm Officers Association exists as a focal point for all who are professionally and socially bound together by their common interest, by vocation and expertise in Naval Aviation. It also attempts to provide a link of friendship between the serving and the retired, the young and old. We have members from virtually every part of the Royal Navy, plus members from other Services and coun

tries. What they all share and wish to maintain is the co-operative can-do spirit of the family of men and women who have the privilege to say they have served in the Fleet Air Arm. The Association is not a political pressure group but contributes to the debate, at a high level, on our national defence interests. As views can be diverse, matters represented on the website and social media are the views of their authors.

03/08/2026
02/08/2026

Royal Marines team up with South Koreans to sharpen skills needed to tackle sea-going smugglers

01/08/2026
31/07/2026
31/07/2026

Lt Cdr Woods has handed over the role of HMS Pegasus Unit Operations Officer to Lt Cdr Santrian. She has been in the RNR Air Branch Staff Office since 2006 and was the first person to hold the role of UOO within HMS Pegasus.

For 20 years, she has been a steadfast presence, a driving force behind the growth and spirit of the RNR Air Branch, and a key figure in the naming and Commissioning of HMS Pegasus itself. Her dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment have shaped the unit we know today. She leaves an extraordinary legacy and will be sorely missed by all who have served alongside her. ⚓️🫡

We warmly welcome Lt Cdr Santrian as he takes up the role.

Follow us to stay connected with HMS Pegasus, our people, and the ongoing story of the RNR Air Branch.

Royal Navy
Royal Naval Reserve
Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association, F A A O A

31/07/2026

I've recently been contacted by Emma, who is looking for information on her Grandfather Lt Cdr Thomas Cridland RN... he flew with the FAA from in the 1960s and was AWI on 738 NAS at Lossie in 1966? If anyone remembers him, please post a comment here, so she can contact you. Thank you.

28/07/2026

Just weeks after the shock news that the Wildcat AH1 would be withdrawn from service, Leonardo spoke at Farnborough International Airshow about its belief

28/07/2026
28/07/2026

The Korean War Armistice - Remembering the RNVR Air Branch

On 27th July 1953, the guns fell silent on the Korean peninsula with the signing of the Armistice Agreement. Today, HMS Pegasus marks that anniversary by remembering the contribution of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Air) Branch, a part of naval aviation whose service in Korea is often overlooked, but whose legacy continues in today’s Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch.

During the Korean War, RNVR (Air) Branch personnel served alongside regular Fleet Air Arm aircrew aboard carriers including HMS Triumph, HMS Theseus, HMS Glory, and HMS Ocean. They flew and supported front‑line aircraft such as the Sea Fury FB.11, taking part in strike missions, combat air patrols, and the demanding routine of carrier operations in a harsh theatre far from home.

By the early 1950s, the RNVR Air Branch had grown into a substantial organisation, twelve squadrons across five divisions, supplying trained pilots, observers, maintainers, and specialists at a time when the Fleet Air Arm was stretched by global commitments. Their contribution in Korea was real, practical, and essential.

Yet only a few years later, in 1957, the RNVR Air Branch was disbanded during defence reductions. For more than two decades, the Royal Navy had no reserve air branch at all. The gap left by the RNVR (A) was felt keenly by those who understood the value of trained volunteer aviators and aviation specialists.

That legacy was finally restored in 1980, with the formation of the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch, a modern successor that carries forward the spirit, professionalism, and volunteer ethos of the RNVR aviators who served in Korea. Today’s RNR Air Branch continues to support Fleet Air Arm capability across multiple disciplines. 🇬🇧🫡



Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association, F A A O A

Image: Hawker Sea Fury (Wikicommons)

28/07/2026

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SW1Y4JU

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