Elgin man proving to be critical link for UK’s anti-submarine warfare aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth

Harry Allen is a scheduler on the Boeing P-8A Poseidon team at RAF Lossiemouth, where the UK's nine maritime patrol aircrafts are based.

By Chris Cromar

September 4 2023, 7:52 pm

Harry Allen works for Boeing at RAF Lossiemouth. Image: Boeing.

An Elgin man is proving to be a critical link in coordinating training for crews who fly and operate the UK’s anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

Inspired by his father Dave who served in the Royal Air Force for 35 years, Harry Allen is a scheduler on the Boeing P-8A Poseidon team, with the country’s nine maritime patrol aircrafts being based at RAF Lossiemouth.

It comes as the Top Guns: Inside the RAF, continues to showcase the work of crews at RAF Lossiemouth.

Harry and Dave Allen standing next to each other. — Harry and his father Dave both work for Boeing at RAF Lossiemouth. Image: Boeing.

At RAF Lossiemouth, Boeing delivers and supports training for aircrew and maintenance personnel for the UK’s fleet of P-8A aircraft in the Atlantic Building, a £100 million joint investment by Boeing and the Ministry of Defence.

Mr Allen started his career at Boeing as an administration contractor on the Atlantic Building infrastructure project three years ago and is now studying a Bachelor of Honors in cyber security through the company’s Learning Together Program.

Explaining his current role, he said: “At any one time within the Atlantic Building, we could be running between four or five concurrent courses that all have different syllabuses, with lessons and equipment to schedule.

“Aircrew need to go through various conversion and recurrence training before they are cleared for frontline service.

“In the UK, Boeing has unmatched expertise designing, developing and delivering military training for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing defence platforms.

Unprecedented access has been given to RAF Lossiemouth, the UK's busiest frontline station on high alert. Get up close with the service men and women at the heart of British defence, ready to scramble at a moment's notice. #TopGunsC4 Starts Monday at 9pm. pic.twitter.com/4wGgCVTuji

— Channel 4 (@Channel4) August 17, 2023

RAF Lossiemouth – ‘global impact’

“Any change to the course or equipment can have a knock-on effect that needs coordination and rescheduling, which is essentially my role.”

Mr Allen adds: “To see the crews out on a search and rescue or exercise and knowing our team provided the time, equipment and training to practice these events in a simulated environment shows that the tangible efforts we put in here at Lossiemouth make a global impact.”

Top Guns: Inside the RAF is available to watch online HERE.

Inside look at RAF Lossiemouth