Team Lossie have bid a fond farewell to Squadron Leader Mitchell, who has retired after 42 years of service to the Royal Air Force.
Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Mitchell first arrived at RAF Lossiemouth in 1998 as the flight commander of 617 Squadron and returned to ‘Team Lossie’ in 2019 as 6 Squadron’s Mentor. Beginning his career as a navigator, he has worked with various aircraft and hundreds of personnel across multiple countries, with a large list of achievements coming from his years of service and dedication.
We sat down and spoke to him about his career:
What was the moment you realised you wanted to join the RAF?
“I never really wanted to fly. I was going to join the Army, but my grandfather persuaded me to join a ‘civilised’ fighting force, so I elected to join the RAF and become an officer in the RAF Regiment. Whilst at Cranwell, I was persuaded to become a navigator and never looked back."
Looking back, was your career everything you hoped it would be?
“42 years has passed in a flash. I have no regrets about my time in the RAF, and I am taking with me lots of lifelong friends and a string of fantastic memories.”
What is a moment that will stay with you forever?
“Too numerous to mention but the top 6 [would be]:
1. Airborne on the first night of the Gulf War with the JP 233 weapon system
2. Meeting General Norman Schwarzkopf
3. Meeting HM Queen on multiple occasions and other members of the Royal family at various stages throughout my career.
4. Taking part in the Queen’s Birthday Flypast in Jun 2006 in formation with the Red Arrows.
5. Retiring the Canberra from RAF Service in 2006
6. Taking part in the march past at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.”
Any advice for up-and-coming aircrew?
“To take advantage of all the opportunities that Service life offers but to ensure that they strike an appropriate work/life balance and use their leave entitlement every year.”
What’s next for you?
“Full retirement. I’ll take a couple of months off and then maybe look for a volunteer role somewhere.”
Sqn Ldr Mitchell begun his service in 1982 with Initial Officer Training at RAF Cranwell. In May 1985, following navigator training at RAF Finningley, he began his journey as a navigator with 100 Sqn at RAF Wyton.
He retrained for the Tornado GR1 in 1988, after more than 1000 hours of flying with the Canberra, and his career led him to various roles conducting tests and trials for the GR1 and GR4, Nuclear QRA, and working abroad in South Africa and the USA.
In 2006, he saw the retirement of the Canberra from active duty, where he was the last in a line of 332 Canberra Squadron Commanders.
Upon his return to RAF Lossiemouth in 2019, Sqn Ldr Mitchell dedicated his spare time to building the relationship between his Squadron and the MacRobert Trust. This dedication to the RAF's history has seen the setup of a dedicated heritage space, "The MacRobert Room" in 6 Squadron's building and memorabilia donated from the Trust to the Squadron for archival purposes.
The access to this history on station acts as an important reminder of why we fly and fight, and ensures the stories of Lady MacRobert and her sons, and the valiant pilots who flew the MacRobert's purchased aircraft, are never forgotten.
We are glad that he returned to Lossiemouth to end his lengthy and admirable career on a high. The current serving personnel of 6 Squadron, and Team Lossie as a whole, have benefitted from his sharing of years of knowledge and experience.
All of us at Team Lossie thank Sqn Ldr Mitchell for his years of dedication and service to his country, and, although he will be sorely missed around the station, we hope he enjoys some well-earned free time with his family and friends.
