Rare Macaws JP Picture.Munich 1971 ?

Hi All,

it’s been a while since this thread was active so I’m hoping I can gain a response. 
Im trying to find the pilot that flew me as an air cadet back in 1969. The aircraft was XP672 of the Manby Macaws. Looking at photos on this site it could have been Peter Diggance as he seems to have the correct build for the lovely guy that flew me. It was a memorable flight in many ways but one was that having been given control of the aircraft I tried a loop and lost it somewhere over the top putting us in a vertical dive. My pilot pulled us out and I remember tapped my helmet vigoursly telling me what I’d done wrong. I’ve never fallen out of a loop since! While swaggering across the apron afterwards dangling our helmets he debriefed me saying that’s the fastest he’d ever been in a JP. We were at ( or beyond?) the design limits for the aircraft. He also said I should apply to be an RAF pilot. We need more chaps like you he said, not many would have attempted what I did on their first flight in a jet!  

Of course XP672 is still around in a Welsh museum having been at Bruntingthorpe for many years doing engine runs down the runway prior to which it was on the civvi register and still flying for many years. It was: is in a grey military scheme but I’ve always thought it should go back into the Macaws scheme and be a true historical example of its past. I’ve got some photos to follow ( if I can find them !)

There is an old video on you tube, come up if you type in Manby Macaws and XP672 is in the opening shot

Evening, I actually had the pleasure of working for the RAF photographer who took this photo doing some construction work on his house, he is in his early 90’s now I think!! , it was in munich around the 70’s and was the Macaws, he had a copy of the photo in his house which he had received as a gift from his commanding officers for getting such a brilliant photograph of them in action and couldn’t talk about it enough to me which I was happy to listen, he actually got in trouble for taking the shot as he was told to stay above a certain altitude and take photos but he actually convinced the pilot to bring him down and managed to grab this, it is a beautiful photograph and I am sure the gentleman who took it would be over the moon to see so many people talking about it on here

Apologies for resurrecting this tread but can anyone provide details of when XS177 flew with the team, does anyone have any pictures showing her in the team colours and finally does anyone have any film of a macaws display? Many thanks!

XS177 was with CATCS at Shawbury in 1971,so must have joined CAW after that. All my pics of the 1972 team do not include XS177, so it must have been with them for their last season – 1973.

Apologies for resurrecting this tread but can anyone provide details of when XS177 flew with the team, does anyone have any pictures showing her in the team colours and finally does anyone have any film of a macaws display? Many thanks!

Many thanks

Hello,
Just came across this site,but my dad is Peter Diggance, who flew with the Macaws for 3 three years,maybe I can help clear any questions,
cheers, Paul

Paul,

If your father is still around, and I hope he is, I would be highly grateful if you could pass on to him the following:

In 1972/73 I was 14 and an “air enthusiast”. I wrote to all of the RAF’s display teams asking for information for, I think, a school project. All replied with publicity material, all were kind enough to have one of the pilots send me a personal note of one form or another, but your father wrote me 2 sides of foolscap, by hand, to explain the finer points of station keeping during formation aerobatics. It was a wonderful gesture, and the fact it occurred some 40 years ago and I still remember it shows how much I appreciated it. It might be he was bored that day and had nothing better to do!, but I doubt it. He took time out to encourage a youngster, so I’d like to say how grateful I am to him, and how much I appreciated his effort. By the way, he won’t remember it, but I do.

Air Commodore Roger Topp was the other who went above and beyond the call of duty at that time. He sent me a personal letter from Munich, where he was working at NAMMA, to explain the finer points of the 22 aircraft loop.

Those were the days of gentlemen, sadly not so many left today.

Brian Thompson

Hello all.Well i have been away from the forum for quite some time now, the reasons for which i will mention later.
I can’t beleive the number of fantastic photographs this thread has brought out, many thanks to all who have contributed:D .To dicover that the picture that i posted was once on the front of the Times was fantastic news (if you can pardon the punn !).
The last few (16) months have been what you would term “interesting” after a routine blood test uncovered the slightly surprising fact that i had developed Chronic Leukaemia,not something you expect to find out when you are only in your 40th year!….and they told me that life was supposed to begin then !:o,and from that point to the present time life has become a little more complicated although the form of the disease i have is a slow developing type which may take years before it causes me any serious problems….we hope !;) .
Recently i have been quite busy raising money for Leukaemia Research (surprise,surprise !),and in September this year myself and a work colleague will be undertaking a very interesting driving challenge to raise money for 3 charities,including an Air Ambulance,but to avoid hijacking this thread i will post details up on a new discussion.Cheers.Andy;)

Macaws Team Members and Shows

Here is a 99% complete list of Team members. There will be a prize for finding the missing name from 1965.

One more photo attached – from the annual ‘Team Meet’ at Cranwell in 1971. Macaws are far left in ‘drab’, which we improved on in ’72 with tailored blue suits (which faded by September), and in ’73 with superb dark blue kit from the Canadian Air Force, organised by a Canadian senior officer attending the Air Warfare Course at Manby. !!

EDIT No Photo – too big @970

EDIT 2 Shrunk Photo !!

Linton Blades

Interesting to see the 1973 brochure for the blades as I have a copy of two official PR photos which are crown copyright from 1973

I have attached them as I think they should be ok to post

Adrian

Thanks for the usual very well informed feedback.
Just had it confirmed that XS186 was indeed in her silver and dayglo scheme at Leconfield on World Cup day in 66, and that she was part of the Magistrates team for that particular display, another piece of history falls into place !

Hi AR

Continuing with the Macaws theme, feedback from another forum is suggesting a possible trip by our XS186 to Leconfield for their 1968 show ?

Whilst it is unheard of for XS186 to have ever worn Macaws colours, do you have any record to confirm a spare aircraft that might have attended with the official Macaws aircraft, as is sometimes noted as happening at that time(and whch has been confirmed as being a normal contingency by ex CAW pilot Pat Cunningham and Macaw pilot Peter Cowen) ?

See copy / pasted comment:

Also seen at Leconfield show in ’66 (30.7.66 – World Cup day):-

XS186 Jet Provost T.4, ’10’ CAW (issued 18.2.64).

I seem to recall she was at Lec again at the show in ’68, with the “Macaws” and in the short lived grey c/s.

Regards

Paul
XS186 CREW

Hi Paul,

In 1968 the Macaws were given their own scheme of light grey and red and I saw them perform at a couple of shows in this scheme, the spare aircraft also being in this scheme. We know that XS186 was painted grey and dayglo at this time and I have no record of them taking a non-scheme painted machine with them to any shows. Having said that, in 1966-67 the team were called “The Magistrates” and ALL the CAW JPs were silver and dayglo, so the team just flew ‘any’ 4 + 1 spare that were servicable, which could well have included XS186, which any spotters might confirm if they have their log books going back that far?

Hi AR

Continuing with the Macaws theme, feedback from another forum is suggesting a possible trip by our XS186 to Leconfield for their 1968 show ?

Whilst it is unheard of for XS186 to have ever worn Macaws colours, do you have any record to confirm a spare aircraft that might have attended with the official Macaws aircraft, as is sometimes noted as happening at that time(and whch has been confirmed as being a normal contingency by ex CAW pilot Pat Cunningham and Macaw pilot Peter Cowen) ?

See copy / pasted comment:

Also seen at Leconfield show in ’66 (30.7.66 – World Cup day):-

XS186 Jet Provost T.4, ’10’ CAW (issued 18.2.64).

I seem to recall she was at Lec again at the show in ’68, with the “Macaws” and in the short lived grey c/s.

Regards

Paul
XS186 CREW

Having looked through my slides when in the UK last, I discovered that I had at least 2 photos of JP’s in Macaws colours. For interest I’ve posted them below. Not sure where they were taken…but as my main source of location data – Albertross, perhaps will comment!

Ah yes, I recognise these shots as I also have these in my collection.
These are both in the 1968 scheme and XP686(on the left) was taken at Hatfield 13th July 1968. The other one is at Bentwaters on 11th May 1968.

Having looked through my slides when in the UK last, I discovered that I had at least 2 photos of JP’s in Macaws colours. For interest I’ve posted them below. Not sure where they were taken…but as my main source of location data – Albertross, perhaps will comment!

Many thanks for that. BTW, is that “Miss Macorrrrrr”?:diablo:

’72 Shows

May 19,20 & 21 Biggin Hill Air Fair (photo)
May 27 Berne, Switzerland
May 28 Vergiate, Italy and Berne,CH
June 4 Beauvais, France
June 17 Harrogate and Howsham Hall, Yorks.
June 24 Bembridge, IoW and Stafford
July 3 Tollerton
July 8 Yeovilton
July 9 Harleigh Castle
July 16 Ingoldstadt, Germany
July 21 Cranwell (Team Meet)
July 23 Shobdon
July 29 Halton
Aug 4 & 5 Hull
Aug 27 Halfpenny Green
Sept 1 Kleine Brogel, Belgium
Sept 3 Kieuheuval, Belgium
Sept 12 Biggin Hill Press Day
Sept 16 Biggin Hill and Abingdon (B of B)
Sept 20 Linton-on-Ouse
Sept 24 Limoges, France
Oct 1 Teeside

Super stuff!! Incredible to think that in 71/72 there were 5 JP teams, plus the Reds, Blue Chips, Falcons, Lancaster, BBMF Spits and Hurri and all the solo displays and all those open days, the touring BoB at home day formations etc – how did we fund it all !!?? :confused:

Hi ‘Macaw 4’,

As an aerobatic teams historian,I am in contact with ‘Foxy’ regarding the Macaws in 1973, but have no information on the 1972 season. Therefore I am delighted you have posted these photos, but am unable to send you a PM for further info as you have no contact details. I would like to see a show schedule for ’72 if you have it and would appreciate a PM to discuss other Macaw matters!

Re. Munich Picture

For Pondlife and others, the photo over Munich was taken on the morning of 17th July 72, prior to returning to Manby via Wildenrath that day.We had displayed at a show sponsored by MBB at their Ingoldstadt facility the previous day, when, unknown to us, we had been instrumental in helping to persuade the German Defence Minister (who had been present) to lift a ban on formation aeros in the GAF that had been imposed a few years earlier following a major F-104 team accident !! Thereafter, getting temporary clearance into the Munich Control Zone for an hour’s photos around the Olympic complex was no great problem. Incidentally the photo was published on the front page of The Times, which was neat.

Another snap or two, perhaps……….

Wonderful photographs, thanks very much.

The above were taken during the work-up for the ’72 season. The right hand one shows Brian Hoskins and me inverted, Tony Blyth (2) and Keith Walters (3) upright. We were trying to see if it could be brought into the sequence, but it turned out to be impractical because, since there was a 30 second limit for inverted flight in the JP4, there wasn’t enough time for the wingmen to open up to allow the 2 of us to half roll and settle, for them to regain close formation, to complete a 20 second pass in front of the crowd, and then sort it all out before the engines went quiet.

The B/W break was at Strubby, and the other was at about 21,000′ (virtually the JP’s ceiling) one January morning when the minimum height for contrails was exceptionally low. A line abreast shot from that trip went into the Brochure.