RAF Jet Provost Aerobatic Teams

Hello Sean, please remember me to Jim he was a good friend of mine at RAF Manby, ask him if he remembers the Tele dinghy swap. Robbie Paxman user ropax

It is quite believable that people could obtain access to aircraft parked on the far side. As I remember it, the boundary at Halfpenny Green consisted of a typical country hedge with an occasional farm gate. The most secure area would be have been in the vicinity of the control tower.

That is quite an interesting comment about the Red Pelicans at Halfpenny Green as I went with the team there in 1968. We landed in the morning and parked on the far side, displayed in the afternoon and returned to Little Rissington just before the show ended. My abiding memory of the show was that some eager spectators managed to get in to the area where the aircraft were parked up and several of us were sent over to prevent them from crawling over the aircraft!

There is not much mention of the Red Pelicans here, despite the title, so in an attempt to introduce a little bit of controversy:
I remember one display at Halfpenny Green when the Red Pelicans in their Jet Provosts landed at the airfield at took off again subsequently to carry out their display. So What you may say. As I think was pointed out by a magazine at the time, Halfpenny Green was strictly forbidden by Planning restrictions to operate jets. It is not clear therefore why the JPs were allowed to land. Any comments?

Hello Seanmd3, the next time you see my friend Jim can you give him my kind regards i have wondered a long time about his whereabouts for a long time, i even looked for him in Wickhambreux in Kent but probably move on a long time ago, my name is Robbie and flew a time or two with Jim at RAF Manby, I am ex Airwork Services and I live in Lincolshire, ask him if he remembers hitting the bone dome so that it would go on my head.
if you get a chance to read this perhaps you could send me a reply.

ropax

I was a member of the “Cranwell Poachers” Groundcrew during the last two seasons 1975-76. The 1975 team was as below.

Team Leader – Sqn Ldr Peter Curtin
No 2 – Flt Lt Eddie Danks
No 3 – Flt Lt Martin Stoner
No 4 – Flt Lt Dave Webley
Team Manager – Flt Lt David Norris

For the 1976 season the No 2 position and Team Manager changed, sorry but I cannot recall the names. Team Manager was a young Flying Officer (Ken ?) who rose very quickly through the ranks when he went to the Phantom world. I usually flew with Dave Webley or Martin Stoner.

My name is George Dobie if any of the team see this and wonder who wrote it.

Phil Boreham replaced Eddie Danks

exmpa

So you must be familiar with these then? F/O Ken Claxton is the name you were trying to remember and George is in the ground crew photo bottom left

Remember a Squadron Leader Ken Claxton on 92 Squadron (Phantoms) in the mid 1980’s. Looks like the chap in the picture (+ moustache). Nice guy as I recall.

Mike

Thanks for replying . Any one with info on when XS 177 flew with the other MACAWS , how long she was in the team would be appreciated.

You probably already know this but Ian Starnes’ Chester-based JP4, XR654 is an ex-Macaws machine as the “parrot” was intact under the later paint scheme and came to light during a re-paint some years ago.

You could almost have a Macaws reunion, there are that many ex-team machines still around! Why not team the surviving pilots up with their old mounts?

Anon.

Although this thread seemed to drop away some time ago . I thought i might revive it with an update on XS 177. I have just aquired this old beauty . Plan to have it back in the MACAWS Colours for Static Display.

The best of luck with her, i have shed a few drops of blood over her whilst she was at Meg. You know that she has 1 Vole kill to her credit from when she was blown over in high winds.

Although this thread seemed to drop away some time ago . I thought i might revive it with an update on XS 177. I have just aquired this old beauty . Plan to have it back in the MACAWS Colours for Static Display.

XS180 was at Halton for years, then onto St Athan in 1993.
Next stop was Lyneham in early 1996 when it was used for crash rescue training, but returned to St Athan in 2000 so I suspect Lindy Lad is correct.

LL

What happened to the rest of XS180, the usual UK serials site doesn’t give any clues ?

Paul
XS186 CREW

Macaws… told you I needed to check. Thanks Albert….:o

As far as I am aware, the rest of XS180 was killed off at St Athan. I hope someone else knows for sure.

XS180

LL

What happened to the rest of XS180, the usual UK serials site doesn’t give any clues ?

Paul
XS186 CREW

XS180’s port wing survives… but little else. She was in a display team at some point (Swords?… I’ll have to check my history of her next week.)

XS180 was with the Macaws in 1971.The Swords operated JPT5s

XS180’s port wing survives… but little else. She was in a display team at some point (Swords?… I’ll have to check my history of her next week.)