Late 60's color film of Coventry Air Day… Shackleton, Lightning, Carvair….

Seeing that Carvair taxi made my day….

Tillerman.

Pete – have you got Javascript disabled anywhere in your settings?

I can’t get it to play on my computer, help.

Having looked at the film and looked at the photos that I took at that time I would say I’m pretty certain that this is the 1965 Coventry Air Display (& King’s Cup Air Race) which was held on 21 August that year.

The problem is that many of those mid-sixties displays were very similar in terms of the aircraft that showed up (a bit like today really!!)

If it was 1965 then the Hurricane was G-AMAU flown by Bill Bedford, the Hart was there too that year, whether the fact that it is not in the film is significant I don’t know!

Sorry Brian, but the Yellowjacks were ALLOCATED nine Gnats, but only ever flew with FIVE of them, as the reliability of the type had not been tested and they thought they would need the spares. I think you’ll find this is 1965 – the first season for the Red Arrows, who flew 7 aircraft for the first two seasons, but always took along a spare, so that could account for the 8th Gnat.
Indeed the last season the “Red Pelicans” flew all-dayglo Jet Provosts was 1964, but the aircraft were still around in 1965 painted overall dayglo. Think you’ll find the “Patrouille de France” were at that show also, with Fouga Magisters.

Doing a bit of research over lunchtime and I stand to be corrected.

‘Flt Lt Lee Jones formed a Gnat aerobatics team at No 4 FTS RAF Valley in 1964 with 5 aircraft. They became known as the ‘Yellowjacks’ because of the radio call sign adopted by the team. Not the colour. Air Commodore Bird-Willson, commandant of the CFS, did not like the name and the team were know for a short time as ‘Daffodil Patrol’. Being an even worse name it was soon changed back to the ‘Yellowjacks’. As there were a lot of unofficial aerobatic display teams in the RAF, it was decided in 1964 to have one team to represent the RAF and Flt Lt Jones was given the job. Apparently by this time the gnats had been painted red so that the ‘Yellowjacks’ name could not be used. The name ‘Red Arrows’ came about when Flt Lt Jones was asked to give the team a name. ‘Red’ for the colour and ‘Arrows’ after the ‘Black Arrows’ which Flt Lt Jones had been a member of.’

Brian

…
Indeed the last season the “Red Pelicans” flew all-dayglo Jet Provosts was 1964, but the aircraft were still around in 1965 painted overall dayglo. Think you’ll find the “Patrouille de France” were at that show also, with Fouga Magisters.

Thanks Albert – that was so blindingly obvious I missed it (nothing new there then!).

Now, would the REAL owner of the film please step forward……………

Having watched it again I still stick by the ones that come towards you and bank awayto left or right are Yellow and the team was formed at RAF Valley in 1964 with 9 Gnats painted yellow for high visability. Serial Nos XR540, WR 986 XR 987 and XR 991 to 96.

I counted 8 aircraft so can’t be reds then. 😀 😀 😀

Brian

Sorry Brian, but the Yellowjacks were ALLOCATED nine Gnats, but only ever flew with FIVE of them, as the reliability of the type had not been tested and they thought they would need the spares. I think you’ll find this is 1965 – the first season for the Red Arrows, who flew 7 aircraft for the first two seasons, but always took along a spare, so that could account for the 8th Gnat.
Indeed the last season the “Red Pelicans” flew all-dayglo Jet Provosts was 1964, but the aircraft were still around in 1965 painted overall dayglo. Think you’ll find the “Patrouille de France” were at that show also, with Fouga Magisters.

Yellow……… :confused: 😮

As I recall the Yellowjacks only flew a 5-ship, and anyway they looked very red to me :confused:

Has to be 1968 or later as the Reds flew a 7-ship in the first 2 seasons.

Great bit of film, I wonder if the Hurricane was LF from the BBMF or one of Bill Bedford’s famous displays flying ‘Last of the Many’..?

Having watched it again I still stick by the ones that come towards you and bank awayto left or right are Yellow and the team was formed at RAF Valley in 1964 with 9 Gnats painted yellow for high visability. Serial Nos XR540, WR 986 XR 987 and XR 991 to 96.

I counted 8 aircraft so can’t be reds then. 😀 😀 😀

Brian

Very nice piece of film (waves of nostalgia!!!) I would have been there too. I think it is mid 1960s – the Kings Cup left Baginton in 1966 (after a number of years being held there) and was held at Nottingham in ’67 & ’68.

Percy Blamire that Consul mentions was a very keen racer in his Gemini and always used race number “80”. He was a local garage owner and had one false leg.

Roger Smith.

I would have guessed that the film is 1966 at the very latest. The British United scheme on the Carvair is definitely the early 1960s scheme. They changed in the mid 1960s to the “biscuit/blue” hockey stick style BUA scheme.

Belting bit of colour footage that! Bit early for me as I would have been about four at the time (didn’t start going to air shows and the like until about 1975 with me Dad), assuming it’s the late 60s. However, the quick glimpse of the bright red JP – would that be in the Pelican’s colour scheme? If it is, that would make it the early 1960s. The Red Pelicans displayed during the 1962-64 seasons, the dayglo red being introduced in 1963. During this time, they became the ‘Official’ RAF display team, taking over from the Firebirds (56 Sqn Lightnings, for the 1964 season) and latterly, the mantle passed to the newly-formed Red Arrows and their Gnats for 1965.

Makes you wonder how many more of these splendid little bits of nostalgia are knocking around in lofts, garages and attics across the land! I wish we’d had an 8mm cine camera (16mm would have been too expensive!).

brilliant stuff! where did you find the film?

The Gnats are Yellow so that would make them ‘The Yellowjacks’ and they only flew for one season, I stand to be corrected though, in 1964 then became ‘The Red Arrows’.

Brian

Yellow……… :confused: 😮

As I recall the Yellowjacks only flew a 5-ship, and anyway they looked very red to me :confused:

Has to be 1968 or later as the Reds flew a 7-ship in the first 2 seasons.

Great bit of film, I wonder if the Hurricane was LF from the BBMF or one of Bill Bedford’s famous displays flying ‘Last of the Many’..?

A real find! What memories this brings back – I recall regularly attending the Coventry Air Pageant and Air Races. The film shows amongst others the Hawk Speed Six, Percy Blamire’s Gemini G-ALZG, Spitfire G-AIDN, Mr Spillers Cessna 180 (G-ASIT I think) …such a typical mix from those days when shows were less commercial, restrictions were fewer and the word warbird was yet to become a popular term. Even without sound it’s very evocative – thanks for sharing!

The Gnats are Yellow so that would make them ‘The Yellowjacks’ and they only flew for one season, I stand to be corrected though, in 1964 then became ‘The Red Arrows’.

Brian

Superb great find shame there was no sound

Southend Airshow 2005 is here, some are famaly shots aircraft include Aerostars, Harrier, Utt Butt x4, Extras, Black Cats, 757, Brightlling Jets, Typhoon, 11mins

Southend Airshow

Southend Airshow 2006 Including Tornado, Sea King, Twin Pin, Sally B, Hirricane, Mustangs, Utt Butt x4, Harrier, Sea Vixen & Chinook.

Southend 2006

Another 2006Another 2006 filmed from some distance

is it possible to download these videos?