An armed man is not attacked
A Longbow bowstring represent Ermine Street, a historic route through the north of Lincolnshire. Its route and surrounding views greatly assisted pilots during World War I, whilst training and returning to the airfield. The arrow represents the runway itself.
Commander
Wing Commander Neill Atkins BA BSc MA MSc RAF
Wing Commander Neill Atkins assumed command of Royal Air Force Scampton in August 2020. Born in North Yorkshire and educated in Scotland, he is an Air Operations (Control) officer who commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1997, and previously served at Scampton from 2013 to 2015.
Atkins has served at Control and Reporting Centres in the UK and the Falkland Islands as well as roles on 56 (Reserve) Squadron, Defence Equipment & Support, Permanent Joint Headquarters and was the Exec Officer of Ops Wing at RAF Waddington and, most recently, he served as the Air Plans Officer in Headquarters NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Turkey. Atkins’ operational deployments have been in various locations across the Broader Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. He has previously commanded 303 Signals Unit and 34 Expeditionary Air Wing. He is a graduate of the RAF Aerosystems Course and Advanced Command and Staff College; he is married with three young children and represents the Royal Air Force in the sport of gliding.
Key dates
1943 - 617 Squadron was established for the Dambusters mission.
1956 - The runway was extended to 10,000 feet for the Vulcan bombers.
2000 - Red Arrows return to RAF Scampton after 5 years at RAFC Cranwell.
2006 - No 1 Air Control Centre deploy to Afghanistan.
2016 - RAF Scampton celebrated its centenary.
History
On 13 October 1916, Air Station Brattleby Cliff opened as a Home Defence Flight unit prior to being renamed RAF Scampton in 1918, making the Station one the RAF's oldest.
After a short hiatus the Station became home to 617 Squadron (known as the 'Dambusters') from where they flew their most famous mission - Operation CHASTISE.
Post war RAF Scampton was the home of the Vulcan bomber.
