Helicopter Instructor bags his 1000th Teaching Hour

A Royal Navy Pilot has clocked up 1000 airborne instructional hours whilst teaching trainee pilots to fly the Lynx.

Lieutenant Commander David ‘Topsy’ Turner, 39, from Sherborne Dorset reached the 1000th instructional hour milestone whilst serving as Senior Pilot on 702 Naval Air Squadron, the home of maritime Lynx Training at The Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.

Topsy joined the Navy in 1991 and originally flew the Sea King, serving in 810 and then 820 NAS until 1997. He then undertook Lynx conversion and since has served at 702 NAS, 815 NAS and the Lynx Simulator Facility. Whilst he undertook a short instructional tour at DHFS Shawbury, all of his other teaching has been on the Lynx, the majority being flown at 702 NAS where again he finds himself today. Topsy also flew for the Royal Navy Helicopter Display Team ‘The Black Cats’ in 2004-5.

Lt Cdr Turner said; “It’s a great personal achievement to reach this milestone and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach for this long”.

“Every day in the cockpit is different, and teaching always brings unexpected challenges that keep the job interesting! Ultimately, seeing people reach the front line because of your efforts is what it’s about and I still enjoy that to this day”.

Topsy will come to the end of his tour at 702 in September this year and move on to another assignment, most likely away from the cockpit. We congratulate him on reaching his 1000th instructional hour.