23 years and 3,000 flying hours: Former Chichester student retires from RAF after childhood dream career

Sqn Ldr Jean-Claude Guertin’s fascination with flying was evident at an early age in his artwork and writing while he was a pupil at Bosham County Primary School, where he wrote that he wanted to be an RAF pilot.

Jean-Claude’s grandfathers both served in the military – his maternal grandfather in the Royal Navy on Arctic Convoys and during D-Day Landings.

Jean-Claude and his twin brother Dominic joined the RAF section of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) of Chichester High School for Boys (CHSB) in 1988 and his early introduction to flying came in July 1990 in a de Havilland Chipmunk.

When he first joined the CCF Tim Peake was the senior cadet, and former Red Arrow pilot Michael Child was a junior cadet when he left the CCF.

Jean-Claude said he was grateful for the opportunity the Cadets at Chichester High School afforded him, and thanked Tony Forrest Flt Lt RAF VRT Commanding Officer Chichester High School for all his efforts in giving his students the best experiences and opportunities at such an important time in their lives.

After leaving the CCF Jean-Claude’s initial approach to the RAF was unsuccessful, so he decided to study physics at Brunel University.

While studying at Brunel, he gained a place as an Officer Cadet with the University of London Air Squadron, which provided flying training and a taste of service life at RAF Benson.

He applied to the RAF again while studying and was appointed to a Permanent Commission on October 5, 1997 – graduating from officer training at RAF College Cranwell.

Jean-Claude logged 3,100 flying hours during his career with the RAF, starting on the Scottish Aviation Bulldog in Elementary Flying Training and the Short Tucano in Basic Fast Jet Training, before advanced flying and weapons training on the Hawk T1.

After conversion to the Tornado F3, he was posted to his first squadron, 111(F) Sqn at RAF Leuchars, in 2001, as a fighter pilot, where the squadron was part of Britain’s and NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA).

In April 2004, Jean-Claude became an Instructor Pilot with the NATO Flying Training programme based at the Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.

He became a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) and taught student pilots the Tactical Weapons Phase of fast jet training to seven partner nations involved in the programme.

He returned to 111(F) Squadron at RAF Leuchars in 2007 and was also deployed to take part in Exercise RED FLAG in the USA, the largest aerial combat exercise in the world.

Jean-Claude was chosen to go on a NATO exchange tour with the Royal Netherlands Air Force, flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which involved 15 months of Dutch language training and five months of F-16 transition training at 162nd Fighter Wing Tucson, Arizona, USA. The F-16 had featured in his boyhood flying dream after he had seen the 1986 film Iron Eagle.

In January 2011, he joined 322 Squadron, Royal Netherlands Air Force, at Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands.

Returning to the UK in 2014, Jean-Claude was posted to RAF Coningsby, as a QFI with 29 Squadron RAF, an Operational Conversion Unit, flying the Typhoon, and in 2016 he was chosen to be part of the lead team in the buildup of the RAF’s first 5th Generation Fighter capability, the Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning.

He crossed the Atlantic again to convert to the F-35B with VMFAT-501 Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron, at the Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, USA, where he remained as an Instructor Pilot until returning to the UK in 2019.

Jean-Claude was appointed Officer Commanding Standards and Evaluation (STANEVAL) for the UK Lightning Force in April 2019, assisting the Force Commander in the setting up and maintenance of standards across the Lightning Force.

During his RAF career Jean-Claude was chosen to lead fly pasts on state occasions, take part in Guards of Honour, and took part in the National Celebrations at Westminster Abbey in 2015 to mark the 75th RAF Battle of Britain Service of Remembrance.

Jean-Claude is set to continue his career in aviation as a simulator instructor for BAE Systems, where he will help train pilots on the F-35B.

Ray Carter, who worked with the Chichester High School CCF, said: “All at Chichester High School, Chichester High School for Boys, students and staff, past and present, feel immensely proud of his achievements, and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

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