'I just love the jets': Story behind Culdrose civil servant's Hawk jet tattoo

It's fair to say that Linda Jacobsen really, really likes the Royal Navy's Hawk jets.

So much so that she's had a large image of one of the sleek, black fighters tattooed across her forearm.

Ms Jacobsen, 59, works as a civil servant at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, which is home to 736 Naval Air Squadron and its fleet of Hawk aircraft.

"I just love the jets," said Ms Jacobsen. "I always have. I've had various jobs here and I used to be a cleaner and work in the control tower, that was just perfect. Although I am not in the tower anymore, I still get to see them. They're so noisy, cute and fast. I love them."

Ms Jacobsen, who lives between Helston and Falmouth, got in touch with tattooist Seth Thomas from Penryn to realise her dream. After carefully examining photographs, he spent four hours creating the incredibly detailed tattoo.

The Hawk flies alongside a smaller tattoo on her left arm, that of a Second World War Short Stirling bomber, which was the same type flown during the war by her father Bill Warren.

She said she has always loved jets and believes it is because she grew up next to an airfield in Buckinghamshire.

Ms Jacobsen added:

"Everyone thinks I am crazy but then they know I am crazy about the Hawks. Even my mum thinks I am crazy.

"I saw one of the lieutenant commanders I know, from one of the helicopter squadrons, the other day and he said: 'what's that?' pointing at my tattoo. He said he hoped I had a Merlin helicopter tattoo somewhere too – but, I can't say I have. It has to be the Hawks. As soon as I saw them, I just fell in love with them."

The navy's 736 Naval Air Squadron use the Hawks for training. The jets pretend to be hostile aircraft or incoming missiles attacking Royal Navy and NATO ships. They also pretend to be the enemy in aerial engagements, testing the abilities of fighter controllers to coordinate the fast-moving battlespace in real time.

Click here to see more from RNAS Culdrose.

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