Nothing to set the world alight photographically, however in response to the request, a few down at the Crowne Plaza Hotel/former Liverpool Airport apron earlier tonight on a breezy, cold and damp evening. Simply used the automatic settings, hand held leaning against buildings etc having left the tripod behind. The results are rather lighter than the scene to the naked eye, must learn how to use the manual settings on my Canon to make the best of low light situations.

Jon H, could not see the blue glow from underneath, but the on/off tail beacon and wing tip lights working well.

Beside the Jetstream 41 is the nose section of G-ORAL. I did not venture over into the darker corner for the Prince G-AMLZ, HS.748 G-BEJD or indeed swing the camera around for Britannia G-ANCF knowing the results would not be fantastic.

Something I’ve been meaning to try and photograph for a while are the ‘fairy’ lights drapped around Dragon Rapide ‘G-AJCL’. Photos not as effective as the effect is by naked eye. A pity that the flat tyres always make the Rapide look rather more unlooked after than she is.

Due to weight and awkwardness to carry and erect, I very, very rarely use my tripod anywhere other than at home with the head used inverted to copy from books, documents, maps.

However, in my camera bag I keep a good sized dollop of blu-tack. Very useful on handrails, display boards, pillars, door frames etc to partially secure the camera – not just in aviation museums, but in churches, cathedrals and for outdoor night shots too. Have tried a fist-sized bean-bag with reasonable success, but dropped it somewhere and returned to blu-tack (kept in a screw of its waxed-type paper) in an old 35mm plastic film container.

Yes, I have been shouted at – but usually for leaning on a wall or pillar, not use of the camera!

I had no problem at Tangmere – but I was only attempting to take photos in the crowded space inside. Got stonewalled once at Hendon, hand held, when I requested permission to stray a couple of feet off the pedestrian pathway to get a clearer shot.

Only place in the UK that I’ve been told not not to take aviation photos (apart from inside factories, and occasional private hangar – which is fair enough) is at Hooton Park! But that is a case of thread cross-over.

Actually three “Red Arrows” schemes, or variations, when flying Gnats.

1964 yellow overall as “Yellowjacks”, otherwise normal RAF markings, swept version of fin-flash (upright on dayglo/silver and dayglo/grey schemed aircraft).

Once scarlet as the “Red Arrows” then:

1966 overall scarlet, including fin with a normal sized swept red-white-blue fin flash.

1968-1977, similar but with white ‘lightning’ flash on nose and full tricolour fin with small Union Jack on the central white section.

1978-79, similar but white flash on nose modified in shape and incorporated wording ‘Royal Air Force’ in white as part of the flash.

This information is from colour scheme side views in Paul Jackson’s Gnat monograph published by Aviation News circa 1979. Team name not carried on the aircraft.

Been following this thread as a matter of interest and note the references to the Merseyside Group of Aviation Enthusiasts and the early ‘Wrecks and Relics’ editions. I have a near complete collection of their ‘Merseyside Aeronews’ and ‘Flypast’ magazines,and while looking through researching another topic noticed a visit report to Minworth Metals. No photos in the days of Gestenter reproduction, but the aircraft seen may be of interest in view of the posts above regarding a Prentice.

A trip report to the National Air Races 12th July 1958 seems to have called-in at Minworth Metals and Seighford on the way home. Noted at Minworth Metals:

VW278 Meteor F.4 ex 611 Sqn
VW416 Meteor T.7 ex L/610 ex F/56 Sqn
VW428 Meteor T,7
WA655 Meteor T.7
7132M Meteor F.8, No.64 Sqn badge
7364M Prentice, from Kirkham
VS652 Prentice – Vendair’s G-APIF
WB435 Firefly Mk.5
WD916 Firefly Mk.6
XF930 Balliol T.2
TF960 Sea Fury
WA487 Attacker F.1
WZ278 Attacker FB.2
WK121 Canberra

This puts VS562/(G-APIF) at Minworth earlier than the speculation in earlier posts.

Todays North West Air News website and forum is a direct descendant of the late 50s Merseyside groups. It worries me that while information related 50 years ago can still be found, albeit in a quite obscure source -will todays information on the web now still be available for research in 2060? Against that uncertainty though is a desire to digitise the back-issues and so make them available to a wider research audience in the near future.

This topic has just ‘popped-up’ on another forum, and quickly linked to this thread. However there is fresh information regarding five of the ‘extras’ from “Blue Max”, 4 x Tiger Moths and a Stampe that found their way back to the UK in December 1965.

http://www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=history&thread=8220

In the following month’s issue of the enthusiast magazine found a very different, and somewhat longer, list for the 13.6.92 open day, along with an editor’s apology for the previous incomplete report. This includes mention and registrations of the 16 Phantoms provided by 56 & 74 Sqdns. The Phantoms in the flying display were engaged in the Queen’s Birthday flypast and overflew en route back to Wattisham.

Sorry Dazza, seems I was initially wrong to doubt, but can supply the information you require.

At last found my copy of Paul Jackson’s mini monograph ‘Hawker Siddeley Gnat F.1 & T.1’ published by Alan Hall/Aviation News, I suspect around 1979.

There were 105 Folland Gnat T.Mk.1 built for the R.A.F. and operationally all served with either No.4 F.T.S. at RAF Valley or the C.F.S.

However XM691 was the first to be built (Constructors Number FL.501), and was the first of an initial production order for 14 aircraft to Contract 15434 (often refered to as a pre-production batch, although a number served with the CFS and later 4 FTS).

XM691 First flown 31st August 1959. The nose shape was different to later aircraft. Initially silver with yellow T-bands scheme.

XM691 was used for trials by Folland/Hawker Siddeley at Chilbolton and the A&AEE at Boscombe Down, before being withdrawn from use at HSA Dunsfold in 1964. XM691 did not operate with any R.A.F. training units, being purely used for test and development purposes. Paul Jackson states that it was ultimately scrapped in 1968 – clearly at that time the information provided here regarding film use and parts donation was not known about.

Adds little to the earlier posts I know, but confirms information regarding the flying career of the aircraft.

Regretably I know nothing of Elmdon 6/63. My earliest Air Britain UK movements mag is Jan ’64, although oddly I was looking at some 1965 Air Pictorials for sale (at Hooton Park 610 Sqdn Association) at the weekend, but don’t think they went back to 1963 either.

Do ‘Airstrip’ and MCAS go back that far, and if so anyone got mags from that period to see what the airport movements covered for June 63? Or, indeed anyone able to dig back into Air Britain’s movements mag for the period?

Just for fun, late May/early June 1963 enthusiasts recorded the following visitors of interest at Blackpool/Squires Gate:

22/5/63 G-ASDJ Cessna 320A B.U.A., Gatwick-Ronaldsway
24/5/63 G-ARYU Cessna 320 Wilmot Breeden, Ringwasy-Halfpenny Green
31/5/63 PH-CGF Convair Cv-340, KLM, Brussels-Amsterdam
01/6/63 G-ALRY P.54 Prince, Huntings, from Crosby-on-Eden
01/6/63 G-AIYR Dragon Rapide, Huntings, from Crosby-on-Eden, night stopped
04/6/63 PH-MAB Dakota, Martins Air Charter, f&t Rotterdam
05/6/63 EI-AMY Colt, Communications Systems Ltd, f&t Dublin
09/6/63 G-ARCS Auster D.6/180, f&t Halfpenny Green, with G-ARRD, G-AIJR & G-ARBS.