The Grob G 115 is a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a rotor mounted on a spinning shaft generate ...

, primarily used for

flight training Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills. Flight training can be conducted under a str ...

. It is built in Germany by Grob Aircraft ( Grob Aerospace before January 2009). The E variant with a 3-blade variable pitch

propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...

is in service with the Finnish Air Force, the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and Army Air Corps for Flying Grading (a pre-EFT flying course) and in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

as part of No. 6 Flying Training School (6 FTS) which provides flying to both University Air Squadrons and Air Experience Flights to Cadets of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. As of 2020, the Tutor is still being used by the RAF for some Elementary Flying Training (3FTS) but is due to be phased out in favour of its replacement, the more advanced Prefect T1.

Design

The aircraft is constructed of carbon composite materials. The main fuselage and each wing spar is a single piece. It has a fixed (sprung steel) tricycle undercarriage with spatted wheels, a short nose housing the piston engine, and a 3-bladed variable-pitch propeller. The aircraft was re-certified in 2013 with a new MT Propeller following issues with the previous design. The inverted oil system was also redesigned to improve lubrication during

aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...

. The cockpit features a broad canopy arch and spine. Forward visibility is good. The side-by-side seats are fixed, and pilot seating is adjusted with cushions as well as a rudder bar adjuster. The wings are tapered with square tips, and the empennage consists of a large fin and rudder, with an oblong

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lift (force), lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters ...

with square tips mid-set to the

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

The initial Grob G 115 and G 115A models had an upright fin and rudder, and were mainly sold to civilian aeroplane clubs in Germany, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The aircraft is capable of basic aerobatic manoeuvres (limited to +6G and −3G).

Grob 115D2 (Heron)

The Grob Heron was first bought by the

. After its use, five were bought by Tayside Aviation. There are only six recorded Herons in existence; two (to be sold) operated by Tayside Aviation, three privately owned, and one in Germany. One was reported as written off after an accident.

Grob 115E (Tutor)

With the retirement of the Scottish Aviation Bulldog T1 from

University Air Squadrons (UASs) and Air Experience Flights (AEFs), a new system was put in place for the provision of the UAS and AEF flying tasks. Aircraft were to be owned and operated by private industry, contracted to the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

(MoD). The aircraft chosen for this task was the Grob 115E, designated Tutor T1 by the MoD. The Tutor fleet is owned and maintained by a civilian company,

Babcock International Babcock International Group plc is a British aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services company based in London, England. It specialises in managing complex assets and infrastructure. Although the company has civil contracts, its main b ...

, and carries British civilian registrations under a

Private Finance Initiative The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 1992 ...

(PFI) scheme, painted overall white with blue flashes and UK military aircraft roundels. Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force Elementary Flying Training (EFT), where students streamed according to ability: Fast Jet, Rotary Wing, Multi-Engine or non-pilot roles, was previously taught on the Grob Tutor at

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the RAF Colleg ...

and RAF Barkston Heath by the joint 3 Flying Training School, with 703 Naval Air Squadron, 674 Squadron Army Air Corps, and 57 RAF Reserve Squadron, before being replaced in 2018 by the more advanced turboprop trainer, the Grob G120TP Prefect. Some 3FTS EFT training for various pipelines still continues on the Tutor on 16 Squadron at RAF Wittering. Until 2005, the Tutor was used by UASs to provide EFT to university students, many sponsored by the RAF. From 2006, UAS students are no longer taught EFT; they follow an unassessed flying syllabus similar to EFT, but with only a 36 hour course and the possibility of progression to more advanced training on merit. The Tutor is also used by AEFs to provide flying experience for cadets of the

Air Training Corps The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British Youth organisations in the United Kingdom, volunteer youth organisation; aligned to, and fostering the knowledge and learning of military values, primarily focusing on military aviation. Part of the ...

(ATC) and Combined Cadet Force (CCF), replacing the Bulldog in these roles at the turn of the century. The final AEF to receive the Tutor was 10 AEF, based at RAF Woodvale in Merseyside, in 2001. 10 AEF was incidentally also the last AEF to receive the Bulldog in 1996, replacing the Chipmunk T10. Five Tutor T1s are also operated by 727 Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

(FAA) for trainee pilot grading at RNAS Yeovilton. In 2009, some Tutor squadrons began to receive new Enhanced Avionics (EA) Tutors, with an updated and enhanced instrument panel, featuring a

Garmin Garmin Ltd. is an American multinational technology company based in Olathe, Kansas. The company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communication, sensor-based, and information ...

GNS 430W GPS system, digital HSI, and digital engine instruments. These aircraft are the same as the standard Tutors, with the exception of an extra VHF aerial for the new GPS system and the cockpit modifications.

Operators

; *Flight Training Perth — 3 aircraft *Royal Aero Club of Western Australia — 3 aircraft *Flight Training Adelaide – 2 aircraft *Australian Flying School – 8 aircraft * China Southern West Australian Flying College – 38 aircraft (closed 2021, aircraft auctioned off.) *Airspeed Flight School – 4 aircraft ; * Bangladesh Air Force - 3 aircraft. ; *Ostende Aviation college – 3 aircraft *Aeroclub Keiheuvel – 1 aircraft ; * Ottawa Aviation Services – 3 aircraft * Journey Air, Windsor Ontario - 1 aircraft ; * Egyptian Air Force – 74 aircraft ; * Finnish Air Force – 28 aircraft, bought from UK stocks ; * Kenyan Air Force – 3 aircraft ; * Norwegian Aviation College – 4 aircraft ; *Aeronautical Web Academy – 6 aircraft ; * United Arab Emirates Air Force – 12 aircraft ; *

– 89 aircraft ** No. 3 Flying Training School RAF –

*** No. 16 Squadron RAF – RAF Wittering ** No. 6 Flying Training School RAF –

*** University of Birmingham Air Squadron – RAF Cosford *** Bristol University Air Squadron – MoD Boscombe Down *** Cambridge University Air Squadron – RAF Wittering *** East Midlands Universities Air Squadron –

*** East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron – Leuchars Station *** Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron – Glasgow Airport *** Liverpool University Air Squadron – RAF Woodvale *** University of London Air Squadron – RAF Wittering *** Manchester and Salford Universities Air Squadron – RAF Woodvale *** Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron – RAF Leeming *** Northern Ireland Universities Air Squadron – Aldergrove Flying Station ***

Oxford University Air Squadron The Oxford University Air Squadron, abbreviated Oxford UAS, or OUAS, formed on 11th October 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Oxford and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. OUAS is one of fif ...

– RAF Benson *** Southampton University Air Squadron – MoD Boscombe Down *** Universities of Wales Air Squadron – MoD St Athan *** Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron – RAF Linton-on-Ouse *** No. 1 Air Experience Flight RAF – MoD St Athan *** No. 2 Air Experience Flight RAF – MoD Boscombe Down *** No. 3 Air Experience Flight RAF – Colerne Airfield *** No. 4 Air Experience Flight RAF – Glasgow Airport *** No. 5 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Wittering *** No. 6 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Benson *** No. 7 Air Experience Flight RAF –

*** No. 8 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Cosford *** No. 9 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Linton-on-Ouse *** No. 10 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Woodvale *** No. 11 Air Experience Flight RAF – RAF Leeming *** No. 12 Air Experience Flight RAF – Leuchars Station *** No. 13 Air Experience Flight RAF – Aldergrove Flying Station *

- 5 aircraft ** 727 NAS – RNAS Yeovilton - used for Flying Grading *

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

- withdrawn from service **Army Flying Grading School, Middle Wallop * Almat Aviation - withdrawn from service * Lancashire Aero Club * Tayside Aviation – withdrawn from service *Air Midwest - 1 aircraft, call sign G-GPSI, leased through Swift Air

Specifications (G 115E)

Incidents and accidents

*On 29 June 2004, an RAF Tutor (G-BYXJ) lost a propeller blade and its canopy in flight. The aircraft was landed unpowered in a field, where damage was also sustained to the undercarriage. Subsequent investigation revealed cracking in the propeller blade roots across the fleet, which was grounded for modifications. No-one was injured in the incident. *On 11 February 2009, two RAF Tutors (G-BYUT and G-BYVN) operating air experience flights from RAF St Athan collided in mid-air. All four occupants were killed, an RAF pilot and a female Air Training Corps cadet in each aircraft. The two cadets killed were cousins aged 13 and 14, both were members of 1004 (Pontypridd) Squadron Air Training Corps. *In June 2009, a Grob Tutor (G-BYXR) collided in mid-air with a civilian glider (G-CKHT). The two people in the Grob Tutor were killed. The glider pilot parachuted and survived.

References

Flight Global – Grob Tutor propeller issues * *

External links

G115 page on the Grob Aircraft website

The RAF Tutor page
— by Today's Pilot
2013 AAIB Propeller report
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