Jonathan Djanogly MP visited Royal Air Force Wyton on Friday 27 November. He was shown around the redevelopment site and 57 (Reserve) Squadron by the Station Commander, Group Captain Colin Smith. Jonathan Djanogly MP was able to see first hand the work taking place on the redevelopment of RAF Wyton and said ‘I was very pleased to hear that this exciting new project is fully on course and was very impressed with what I saw. This is really going to be a very impressive facility which is providing a lot of jobs now and will ensure a high level of investment by the MOD on an ongoing basis for the future. I am of course delighted that Wyton is to retain its status as a military base, not least given the close historic ties that the community has had with the RAF.’ He then toured 57 (Reserve) Squadron and had the opportunity to meet Squadron Leader Paul Watkins Officer Commanding 57 (Reserve) Squadron and discuss the important role carried out by the team who train pilots on the Tutor Aircraft – a familiar site to those in the local area. Squadron Leader Paul Watkins said: ‘We take Initial Officer training graduates, who are to a large extent student pilots with absolutely no previous flying experience, and then train them to a point where they can then be developed to fill the requirement of the Royal Air Force's Fast-jet, Helicopter and multi-engine fleets. This is fundamental to the future health of the Royal Air Force's front-line operations.’ Jonathan Djanogly said: ‘It was very good to meet with 57 Squadron and discuss not only RAF training and development, but also the interaction of flying training with the demands of the local community’. 57 (Reserve) Sqn is one of only three sqns in the country equipped to train pilots in the early stages of their training who may go on to fly aircraft like the Merlin Helicopters out on operations, the C17 Globe master transporting equipment and troops, and may even be a Red Arrow’s pilot one day. Photo: Jonathan Djanogly with Station Commander, Group Captain Colin Smith at RAF Wyton.