The Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit (FRADU), currently based at RNAS Culdrose under the new designation FSATO, forms part of the world ‘s largest civilian air force. As the Company name implies it is FRADU’s function to provide aircraft to both the Royal Navy and the RAF to carry out two important naval flying tasks, Fleet Requirements tasks and Aircraft Direction.
The former task concerns the requirement of aircraft to assist ships of the Royal Navy undergoing sea trials and to work up their crews and equipment to operational standard.
This includes FRADU’s current aircraft, Hawks and Mystere Falcons being used for radio trials, visual and radar tracking, simulated and live firing and electronic counter measures training.
FRADU’s former aircraft, namely the Hunters and Canberras did this to a very high level.
The aircraft are frequently deployed to other air stations, Yeovilton, Prestwick, even as far away as Malta.

From its establishment in RNAS Yeovilton's control tower in 1941 it has used a varied collection of aircraft types. These include Sea Venoms, Sea Vampires, Mosquitos, Sea Hornets, Sea Furies, Sea Hawks and Meteors. The Sea Furies were retired in 1962 and were replaced by the Sea Hawks.
After using Gloster Meteor TT.20s for target towing duties the company purchased a number Canberra TT.18s took over their tasks in 1970. Additional aircraft were added in the Supermarine Scimitar and Sea Vixen. The Sea Hawks lives with FRU drew to a close in 1969 and the decision to replace them with the Hawker Hunter got a welcoming reception.

The first GA.11 WV267 was delivered to Hurn on 27th March 1969.
In 1969 five Hunters served in tandem with the Scimitars and when the jets were retired the number rose to ten. Over the years the Scimitar and Sea Vixen aircraft were phased out, and replacements were brought in the form of seven Canberra T.22s, and further GA.11 and T.8 Hunters.

In the late 1970’s and 1980’s FRADU usually had a complement of 34 aircraft, comprising of twelve Hunter GA.11s, eight T.8Cs, six Canberra T.22s and TT.18s and two Canberra T.4s.
Additional Hunters were stored at Kemble. FRADU also has the distinction of formed the world’s first civilian aerobatics team under the leadership of Derek Morter.
Four Hunter GA.11s were chosen to be part of the ‘Blue Herons’, the team though was broken up in the mid 1980’s because of FRADU’s work schedule. Also in the late eighties the two Canberra T.4s and also the seven Canberra T.22s finished their lives with FRADU, with these aircraft were replaced by civilian Dassault Mystere Falcon aircraft based at Hurn Airport, headquarters of the new supporters of FRADU, Flight Refuelling Aviation Ltd. In 1992 more Mystere Falcons were brought in to replace the TT.18s and that left just the Hunters being based at Yeovilton.

In 1995 the retirement of the Hunters began with them being replaced by former RAF Hawk T1s on a one-for-one basis. The Hunters were mostly put up for auction and are now scattered across the world...