The Royal Norwegian Air Force´s 333 squadron was the first P-3 operator in Europe. Five P-3B Orions were delivered to the squadron between January and March 1969 and, after a training period in the United States, Norway´s first Orion arrived at Oslo/Fornebu Airport on 10 April 1969. Today the "Saints" of 333 squadron have 28 years of experience with P-3s, and are the proud operators of four P-3C-III and two P-3N Orions. The squadron has its home base at Andøya Flystasjon in the north of Norway. The country´s large coastline and the huge area of responsibility give the relatively small P-3 fleet an enormous job, especially during the winter, when Andøy has to face a lack of daylight, and is distressed by snow storms, strong crosswinds and a runaway covered with snow and ice. But all this does not seem to bother the men and women of 333 squadron. they just continue to do their job no matter how bad the weather conditions are. Hardly any P-3 missions are canceled because of weather.

The Squadron

February 8, 1997 marked the squadron´s 55th Anniversary. Back in 1942, in the middle of World War II, a Norwegian detachment of the RAF`s 210 squadron was established, and became the forerunner of 333 squadron. The squadron received its current designation on 10 may 1943. During the war, 333 squadron operated with Catalinas as well as with Mosquito fighter-bomber. After three years of wartime operations out of Great Britain, 333 squadron moved to a liberated Norway, in May 1945, and was established at Oslo/Fornebu Airport. Remarkable operations during this period included missions flown by some German Dornier 24 aircraft with German aircrew augmented by a Norwegian officer. They flew missions in support of 333 squadron, and assisted the squadron with its move to Sola. One German crews even flew an SAR mission in search of a sinking Dutch ship!

The Squadron operated with Catalinas until 1961, when the planes were replaced by HU-16B/ASW Albatrosses. After having deployed aircraft to Andøya for several years, it became the 333´s new home base as of 15 January 1963. the Albatrosses remained in service until the "Saints" became operational with their new Orions in 1969. 333 Squadron is the only Norwegian squadron that has been continuously operational since its establishment.

The first Norwegian Wing of VP International was formed in February 1972, on the 30th Anniversary of the formation of 333 squadron. The first president was pilot Captain Hans Peter Røder, who recently retired from the Royal Norwegian Air Force as a Colonel. The total Norwegian membership is 184 persons, two of whom are female: one is TACCO and one a radar operator. At the moment the Norwegian Wing has 26 Golden Pin members, with several approaching the Golden Pin mark. Only one of the Golden Pin members is a pilot; one is TACCO, and others are system operators and flight engineers. The stability of the crew force among those categories continues, with many spending many, many years, and most of their entire careers, in the squadron. this provides for some very experienced operators. the senior Sono Operator is know approaching 15.000 hours of P-3 flying! Among the pilots, the situation is the opposite with most leaving after a few years. 333 Squadron, as well as the rest of the Royal Norwegian Air force, provides a steady stream of pilots into Scandinavian Airlines and Braathen. For navigators the situation is much the same, even if they are not recruited by the airlines. There are fever in the inventory, and they tend to move on to staff jobs.

(333 Sqn´s P3 are immediately tied down by the crew on completion of a mission)

Andøya Flystasjon

The Flystasjon(air base) is situated on the island of Andøya("øya" means island) which is part of Andøy county in the Nordland District. Andøy county consists of two islands; Andøy and Hinnøya and has approximately 6500 residents of which 3250 live in the town Andenes. Andøya Flystasjon is close to this town and shares its runway with Andenes Airport. The airport handles about six or seven domestic flights per day. The air base is the largest employer in the region and, therefore has a good relationship with the citizens of Andenes. 333 Squadron is the only squadron at Andøya. However, the air base is fully equipped with shelters and dispersal's to act as the home base for about forty fighter aircraft. As a matter of fact, it happens once a year, during the annual winter exercise, that Andøya has such large number of fighters within its fences.

333´s P-3 Operations

A regular P-3 mission out of Andøya is not much different from an average P-3 mission elsewhere in the world, but what makes it so special during the winter is that Andøya´s runway is covered with snow and ice most of the time. Together with strong crosswinds of up to 50 knots, this makes every takeoff and landing an adventure to anyone who is not used to these circumstances. Runway conditions are the worst when temperatures change from minus to plus: melting snow and ice makes the runway surface really slippery. Norwegian P-3 crews are used to these winter conditions, and hardly any mission is canceled. They can rely on their crosswind reference handbook, based on the experience of P-3 pilots since the introduction of the aircraft in 1969. However, a crew departing from Andøya under minimum weather conditions is never sure if they will land at their home base after the mission is completed. If conditions become worse, they will divert to an air base in the Southern part of Norway. So if you ever fly a P-3 out of Andøya during the winter, always bring your toothbrush!

(De-icing P3C-III #3296 at Andøya)

Orions of 333 Squadron still operates regularly over international waters north of the Kola peninsula. the Russian navy and naval air force also operate regularly in this same area on local training exercises. Visual contact between Norwegian P-3´s and Russian ships and aircraft is not uncommon: similar to the state existing with the previous Russian and Norwegian units nowadays can be described as more relaxed than at the height of the cold war, although relations between Norwegian P-3´s and Soviet units in earlier years were hardly ever tense, with the exception of one dramatic incident: in September 1987 a Norwegian P-3 collided with a Soviet Su27 Flanker after some irresponsible maneuvers by the Flanker pilot. Fortunately the P-3 was able to make a safe landing and nobody got hurt.

Until their retirement, the P-3N Orions will be kept on, in order to relive the P-3C-III fleet. the P-3Ns are conducting pilot training flights, coast guard missions and equipment test flights. At the moment P-3N #6603 is involved in the development of Radiak, a system that is meant to discover and record radioactive radiation. Radiak consists of an equipment pod(see picture below), four sensors below the aft fuselage, and a separated work station in the back of the aircraft´s cabin. All four P#CIII Orions will eventually be wired for Radiak.

Royal Norwegian Air Force 333 Squadron continues to fly daily P-3 missions with ASW still being their major task. After the dismantling of the former Soviet Union, it had been a bit quiet around the Russian submarine fleet, but Orion crews of 333 Squadron notice an increasing number of Russian submarine and surface ship movements, so keep they keep their electronic eyes and ears open. With the aircraft being modified under the UIP, Norway´s Orions will continue to patrol the seas for many years, into the next century.

(This article is written by Marco P.J. Borst, and it can be found in the Maritime Patrol Aviation/Vol.4/No.1/Sept.1997)