Post-Korean War

After completing his tour in Korea, Harbison was once again flying the F-86 as commander of No. 67 Squadron

No. 67 Squadron RAF

The name No. 67 Squadron has been used by the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force for two quite different units.-World War I:During the First World War, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps — formed at Point Cook in January 1916, — was referred to by British authorities from...

 of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force

RAF Second Tactical Air Force

The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...

 at RAF Wildenrath

RAF Wildenrath

The former Royal Air Force Station Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force military airbase which opened on 15 January 1952. Wildenrath was the first of four 'Clutch' stations built for the RAF in Germany during the early 1950s...

 in West Germany. In 1956, he returned home to attend the Army Staff College

Staff College, Camberley

Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...

 at Camberley, Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

. In 1957, Harbison was assigned to air defence operations in the Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

 and then served a tour as the commanding officer of the all-weather No. 29 Squadron RAF

No. 29 Squadron RAF

No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...

 flying Gloster Javelin

Gloster Javelin

The Gloster Javelin was an "all-weather" interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s...

s.

Harbison then attended Joint Services Staff College

Joint Service Defence College

The Joint Service Defence College was a training academy for British military personnel in the period from 1983 to 1997. It has now been amalgamated into the Joint Services Command and Staff College.-History:...

 at Latimer, Buckinghamshire

Latimer, Buckinghamshire

Latimer is a village and civil parish that sits on the border between Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, in England. The parish forms part of the Buckinghamshire district of Chiltern. Latimer parish includes the villages of Latimer, Ley Hill and Tyler's Hill.Latimer was originally joined with the...

. Following graduation, Harbison served in eastern Scotland as commander of RAF Leuchars

RAF Leuchars

RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...

, the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. He then attended the Canadian National Defence College

Royal Military College of Canada

The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...

 in Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

 followed by a tour as Group Captain Operations at RAF Fighter Command

RAF Fighter Command

RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...

 headquarters. Promoted to air commodore

Air Commodore

Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...

 in 1969, Harbison served as the director of operations of the National Air Traffic Services

National Air Traffic Services

NATS Ltd. is the main air navigation service provider in the United Kingdom. It provides en-route air traffic control services to flights within the UK Flight Information Regions and the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area, and provides air traffic control services to fifteen UK airports and Gibraltar...

 in London. He returned to the United States in 1972 as air attaché

Air attaché

An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of a diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer.An air attaché typically represents the chief of his home air force in the foreign country where he serves. The day-to-day responsibilities include maintaining contacts...

 at the British Embassy, Washington, D.C.

Harbison was promoted to air vice marshal in January 1975 and shortly thereafter appointed commander of No. 11 Group RAF

No. 11 Group RAF

No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...

 responsible for the air defence of the United Kingdom. No. 11 Group was the successor to RAF Fighter Command which had defended London and the south-east of England against attacks by the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

 during the Battle of Britain. At the end of his tour, Harbison retired from the Royal Air Force.

Later years

After retiring from the RAF on 31 March 1977, Harbison joined British Aerospace

British Aerospace

British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...

 (BAe) and returned to the United States as vice president of their Government Programs Office in Washington, D.C. He continued working as a consultant for the company after retiring from BAe. Nearly fifty years after its original publication, Harbison's report found new life as a training guide included in the computer game, MiG Alley

MiG Alley (video game)

MiG Alley is a combat flight simulator game developed by Rowan Software and published by Empire Interactive in 1999. It is a historical simulation which focuses on early jet fighter combat in the Korean War - specifically, the so-called MiG Alley in northwestern North Korea, for which the game is...

. Impressed by the mix of technical and tactical analysis that applied just as much to a 1999 flight simulation as to real jet combat in 1952, one reviewer described Harbison's report as, "the best game strategy guide I’ve ever read." Harbison has remained active in the aviation community after his second retirement, attending reunions and speaking at symposiums including:

• The Jet Age: Korea, Vietnam, Cold War — A panel of four war veterans (Gen. Hal Hornburg
  Hal M. Hornburg
  General Hal M. Hornburg was a four star U.S. Air Force general and commander, Air Combat Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and Air Component Commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command and U.S. Northern Command.General Hornburg entered the Air Force in 1968 as a graduate...
  
  , Air Vice Marshal Paddy Harbison of the Royal Air Force, Maj. Gen. James McInerny and Lt. Col. Tom Hanton) discuss the challenges and triumphs of air power over the years. The event was held on June 14, 2007 at the Pentagon
  The Pentagon
  The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
  
   Conference Center to commorate Air Force's 60th anniversary.
• Third No. 118 Squadron Reunion — Members of No. 118 Squadron RAF meet for their 3rd reunion on 8 May 2009 in Coventry
  Coventry
  Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
  
  .

As of 2011, Harbison and his wife, Helen, live in the town of Falls Church, Virginia

Falls Church, Virginia

The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...

. They have two sons.

Honours

In 1953, Harbison was awarded the United States' Air Medal

Air Medal

The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...

 for service as a fighter pilot in Korea. In the 1955 Queen's Birthday Honours

Queen's Birthday Honours

The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...

, Harbison was awarded the Air Force Cross

Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)

The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...

 while serving as the commander of No. 67 Squadron RAF in Germany. In the 1965 Birthday Honours, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and in the 1977 New Year Honours

New Year Honours

The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...

, Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).

External links

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