NEW RAF TYPHOON DEMO PILOT ANNOUNCED
Royal Air Force has announced that the new Typhoon display pilot for the 2022 season will be Flight Lieutenant Adam “Paddy” O’Hare.
Flt Lt Adam O’Hare was born and grew up in Northern Ireland. His initial interest in the Royal Air Force came from seeing the numerous aircraft flying from RAF Aldergrove when he was a young boy. This encouraged him to join 2004 (Ballynahinch) Squadron Air Training Corps (ATC). Whilst in the ATC he became a Volunteer Gliding Instructor at 664 Volunteer Gliding Squadron (VGS) based at Newtownards Airfield flying the Grob 109B Vigilant Motor Glider. During his time in the ATC he was also awarded two flying scholarships which allowed him to gain his Private Pilots Licence before he even had his driving licence. The opportunities that he was afforded by the ATC and VGS gave him the drive and determination to follow his dream to become a Fighter Pilot in the Royal Air Force.
Adam joined the RAF as a direct entrant after completing his A levels and undertook Initial Officer Training at RAFC Cranwell in 2009 before beginning his flying training. Between training courses, he was able to use his previous qualifications from the ATC to hold as a Gliding Instructor for the RAF Central Gliding School based at RAF Syerston. Once he was awarded his RAF wings post Basic Fast Jet Training, he held with Bristol University Air Squadron on No. 3 Air Experience Flight at Colerne Airfield. After Advanced Fast Jet Training on the Hawk T1 at RAF Valley he was role-disposed to the Typhoon. On competition of the Operational Conversion Unit with 29 Squadron he was posted to the Front Line with 3 (Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby.
On 3 (Fighter) Squadron, Adam qualified as a multi-role pairs lead and participated in numerous overseas deployments. The highlight of his career so far was his operational flying on Operation SHADER. Here he conducted numerous missions over Iraq and Syria, working alongside coalition partners in the fight to defeat the threat posed by Daesh. He has also deployed to the Falkland Islands twice with 1435 Flt at RAF Mount Pleasant and taken part in large exercises such as Exercise Red Flag in Las Vegas USA and Exercise Magic Carpet in Oman.
Adam joined 29 Squadron in January 2021 where he is currently an A2 Instructor. Outside of display flying, he plays an active role on the Squadron teaching the next generation of Typhoon pilots how to fly the jet in a swing-role capacity conducting air to air and air to ground training missions. In addition to his instructional duties, Adam also contributes to RAF Coningsby’s primary task of defending UK sovereign airspace on Quick Reaction Alert.
Away from the RAF, Adam lives with his wife Chelsea, a Paediatric Community Nurse for the NHS, and their new-born baby girl, Sophia. They also have two cats, Khaleesi and Drogo. In his spare time Adam is a keen golfer.
