Inside Chemring

To mark the start of a week of saluting our forces, we met with Heather Reid, Chemring’s Group HSE Improvement Lead, to hear about her time as an Aircraft Engineer in the Royal Air Force. 

What attracted you to military life?

From a very young age, I would attend air shows, annual Remembrance Day services and emergency services events in my hometown of Leicester with my family. I would also be lucky enough to see Trooping the Colour most years either stood on The Mall or on Horse guards Parade ground itself. The thing that captured me was the aircraft, though. I was in awe of aircraft, such as the Harrier and Concorde, the feats of engineering for me unknown as a youngster. I also looked at the marching parades with huge respect for those willing to serve their country.

What was your career journey in the military?

I was extremely shy as a child, and my parents took me to join the local cadet organisation. It enabled me to grow my confidence surrounded by others who were keen to learn about the military lifestyle, learning about working in a team and experiencing new activities like flying, assault courses and abseiling. 

I applied to join the RAF at the first opportunity I could (women could only join at 17.5 years old in the Propulsion trade), and on 11th July, 1995, I started my journey to basic training. From there, I had postings to RAF Leuchars in the Tornado Engine Maintenance Bay and RAF Laarbruch in Germany within the Harrier Maintenance Flight. After my time in Germany, I progressed through technical training to become a Junior Technician and onward to postings at RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering. 

I experienced operations in support of the Yugoslavian Conflict. My operational training included learning about loading aircraft with some of the very chaff products that Chemring produces today. I also undertook exercises that meant time on board HMS Illustrious, a transit through the Suez Canal and living in a tented city in Oman. 

I became one of the few and only female aircraft ground running trainers and approvers for the Squadron. As a result, I was very fortunate to regularly experience operating a Harrier aircraft at full power by myself, with nothing more than a few extremely strong safety chains holding the aircraft down!

Tell us about some of your memorable experiences

I know I have been very fortunate to experience things that I maybe didn’t realise were so special until you get to write them down. I have transited the Suez Canal on a warship. I have flown in multiple aircraft, met some amazing people, and visited some interesting places whilst on various exercises. I have to say without a doubt the most memorable experience was my flight in a Harrier. On the day of my flight, the pilot asked what aerobatics I wanted to do. Absolutely none! All I wanted to do was hover! When we came into the hover over the airfield, it was one of the most surreal experiences. The short take-off at the start of my trip flung me back into the seat due to the force of acceleration. It is one of those memories that is so hard to convey, and I have very few pictures of it. An experience I am very grateful for and I will never forget.

What did you enjoy most about military life?

The people and being able to say I served my country. The friendships I formed over my career are still going strong now. The camaraderie as a Harrier Force and being posted to Germany at only aged 18 meant that, in some ways, I was adopted into families who I remain in contact with now.  

Would you recommend Chemring as an employer to other veterans?

Yes – I see a lot of activities around the Group that show how much veterans form a part of Chemring. The Armed Forces covenant and its schemes are seen more widely now across the businesses. There is a growing number of veterans who bring various skills and experiences to the organisation.