Grob G 115 The Grob G 115 is an advanced general aviation fixed - wing aircraft , primarily used for flight training . It is built in Germany by Grob Aircraft ( Grob Aerospace before January 2009 ) . The E variant with a 3 - blade variable pitch propeller is in Royal Navy and Royal Air Force service as an elementary flying trainer . 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 bearing the 180 hp engine and a 3 - bladed variable - pitch propeller . The cockpit features a broad canopy arch with good forward visibility and with side - by - side seating for pilot and student . The wings are tapered with square tips and the empennage consists of a large fin and rudder with an oblong tailplane with square tips mid - set to the fuselage . 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 Royal Navy . After its use 5 were bought by Tayside Aviation , with callsigns G - BVH _ ( C , D , E , F , G ) . There are only 6 recorded Herons in existence ; 5 operated at Tayside Aviation and one in Germany . One was reported as written off after an accident . Grob Tutor . With the retirement of the Scottish Aviation Bulldog T . 1 from Royal Air Force University Air Squadron s ( UASs ) and Air Experience Flight s ( 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 ( 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 , and carry British civilian registrations under a Private Finance Initiative ( PFI ) scheme , painted overall white with blue flashes and UK Military Aircraft roundel s . Royal Navy , Army and RAF Elementary Flying Training ( EFT ) is taught on the Grob Tutor at MOD Barkston Heath , RAF Cranwell and Wyton by the joint 1 Elementary Flying Training School with 705 Naval Air Squadron , 674 Squadron Army Air Corps squadron and several RAF reserve squadrons teaching the EFT syllabus to direct entrants and former UAS students , with students streamed according to ability : Fast Jet , Rotary Wing , Multi - Engine or non - pilot roles . 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 ( 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 . Five Tutor T1s are also operated by 727 Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm for trainee pilot grading . In 2009 some Tutor squadrons began to receive new Enhanced Avionics ( EA ) Tutors , with an updated and enhanced instrument panel , featuring a Garmin 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 . 703 Naval Air Squadron and AAC 674 at RAF Barkston Heath also operate the Tutor . Ottawa Aviation Services - 3 aircraft