Howard Floyd – Base Camp Logistics Manager
Born October 1952, Folkstone, Kent
As a youngster moved around a great deal due to his Father frequently changing jobs. Educated at Saltash Grammar School, Cornwall and Alleynes’ Grammar School, Stevenage before training as a teacher at Bingley College of Education. It was at Bingley College that he further developed his love for the outdoors, qualifying as a PE and Outdoor Pursuits Teacher in 1974. He gained numerous outdoor qualifications while at college including Mountain Leadership, Senior Instructor British Canoe Union and Cave Leadership. He also further developed his rock climbing skills climbing “stupid routes” with several regular climbing partners, including Pete Livesey.
He taught Physical Education and Outdoor Pursuits at a Secondary School in Halewood, Liverpool from 1974 and at the same time was the Senior Instructor at a very popular Canoeing, Climbing and Caving Club in the North Cheshire area. During this period he gained coaching qualifications in Football, Squash, Rugby League, Gymnastics, Basketball, Volleyball and Life Saving.
In 1979 Howard made a decision that was to change his direction completely. He applied for a Commission into the Royal Army Educational Corps and found himself at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in September of that year and then as an Education Officer and Troop Commander at the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Artillery in Bramcote, Nuneaton in 1980. This two year tour included numerous periods of Adventurous Training with Junior Soldiers throughout the UK climbing and canoeing.
After a successful application to become an Army Pilot he attended the Army Pilots Course in 1982 and gained his Wings in 1983 as a Gazelle Aircraft Commander. He was posted to 4 Regiment Army Air Corps, Detmold, Germany where he served as a Flight Commander, Squadron Training Officer and Squadron Second in Command which included deployments to Denmark, Canada, France, the Pyrenees and an Op Tour in Northern Ireland. Also during this time he ran the Army Air Corps Ski Hut in Bavaria spending 4 months per year for 2 years teaching soldiers to ski.
In 1985 he was posted to the United States of America as the British Exchange Officer with the 6th Air Cavalry Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas. He qualified on the UH1 Huey and the AH1 Cobra becoming a Cobra Platoon Leader with 5/17 Squadron. Lady Luck was smiling as this Unit was selected to be the fielding unit for the Apache Helicopter in the US Army and he became the first non-American to fly the AH-64A Apache in Jan 1987. He went on to fly the aircraft for 2 years becoming a Troop Commander and then, on promotion the Battalion S3 with responsibility for the training of the entire Apache Battalion of 20 Apache, 5 Black Hawk and 16 Kiowa aircraft.
After his US tour in 1989 he completed his Qualified Helicopter Instructors (QHI) Course and became a Flying Instructor at the School of Army Aviation in Hampshire and upgraded to A2 QHI category in1992. He Commanded a Flight and then Commanded 670 Squadron before moving to a dreaded Staff appointment in the Directorate of Army Aviation in 1993. Again Lady Luck was smiling as the appointment was as the Staff Officer responsible for the assessment of the training submissions of all the contenders for the UK Attack Helicopter Competition. A fantastic job at the hub of the future of the Army Air Corps.
After this tour he was posted back to flying duties and completed a Lynx conversion and another period in Northern Ireland before moving to Army Flying Standards as a Flying Examiner. He further upgraded in 1998 and became one of the few Army Instructors to achieve A1 QHI category. With the introduction of the AH1 Apache to the Army he became the first qualified instructor/examiner on the aircraft in 1999 and the Senior Flying Standards Officer for the Army. In June 2000 he had the honour of flying the first UK Apache into the home of the Army Air Corps, Middle Wallop. He served for just over 11 years as an examiner including over 8 years on the Central Flying School Examination Team for overseas nations flying in Jordan and Sri Lanka on numerous occasions to examine their helicopter instructors. In his last year of service he flew 15 different types of helicopter in 5 different countries.
During his military career he continued to enjoy his love of the outdoors, regularly skiing on Army and personal ski trips, climbing and hill walking as often as possible and re-kindling his love of the big mountains by participating in expeditions to Austria, Norway, Peru, France and Switzerland as the Expedition Base Camp Manager but still participating and still climbing.
Howard retired from the Army in 2008 after almost 30 years of service and 4500 flying hours and is now employed by Aviation Training International Limited (ATIL) as a Flight Simulator Instructor teaching young, aspiring Apache Pilots in the Apache Full Mission Simulator at the Army Aviation Centre, Middle Wallop, Hampshire. He is married to Debbie and has recently celebrated his 25th Wedding Anniversary. They have 2 boys; both climb, mountaineer, ski, surf and dive; the younger boy is just about to be Commissioned from Sandhurst into the Army Air Corps.
He wanted to participate in Everest4Heroes to give something back to those soldiers who have not had Lady Luck smile on them as much as she smiled on him. During his time flying he has picked up, dropped off, fetched and carried thousands of soldiers doing very dangerous things and has the utmost admiration for how they go about their business in a professional, caring and dedicated manner. This is his way of saying thank you for making his time as an Officer in the British Army such a rewarding experience that can never be diminished.