Yep that’s it! Based at North Weald, but never seems to go to an aviation events, so quite elusive.

Anyone ?

This is almost impossible to predict as it is expensive to fly jet warbirds like this and they have to have a really good reason to do so. If Glen Moreman is reading this, he may answer as he is closest to this scene. We are all patiently waiting for Hunter T.7, XL577/G-BXKF to fly in its “Blue Diamonds” scheme, but catching it would be just pot luck. You can spend a whole day on the approach to Kemble and only see a few spam-cans flying training, yet another day Delta Jets may fly one of the Hunters on an air test!

Yes indeed the pilot was Don Bullock, who not only carried 7 passengers but tried to roll the Invader at Biggin Hill in October 1980. There was no maintenance problem, but you DON’T attempt to roll an Invader at low-level, let alone with 7 passengers on board! Following that, the CAA ruled that only essential crew would be carried during air shows and no passengers. If anyone is found flouting this rule, they risk having their display permit withdrawn.

Albert to the rescue again! G-PROV was originally XS228 in RAF service, then was sold to the South Arabian Air Force as ‘104’ in 1967. Mike Carlton bought it for his collection and it was painted all-red in 1984. To prove it, here it is in primer, with parts painted red taken at Hurn in August 1984. I don’t believe it was ever painted blue and now flies in a pseudo ‘raspberry ripple’ scheme.

Sanity returns! It quite amazes me that Shuttleworth, who raise thousands of pounds in gate admissions keep claiming they can’t afford to repaint the Gladiator after several years in that Norwegian scheme, yet the owner of TD248 can switch paint schemes at the drop-of-a-hat! Was the repaint sponsored by someone?

XS458 was taxied last Saturday!! It was kept quiet and only close associates and friends were allowed in, so I can’t see the point either. A lot of people would pay a reasonable admission fee for a publicised taxi day, but they don’t seem interest. Such a shame that the lovely 226 OCU scheme on the port side has been repainted. I wonder if they’ll put it back on next year?

But no flaps down on the Spit. I know the Spit’s flaps are ‘on’ or ‘off’ rather than variable, but wouldn’t they have helped reduce the speed difference? Or am I off beam?

Hmm, perhaps you’re right! All I remember is that the pilots had to wrestle with the Oxford to stay in formation. One minute the engines were screaming, the next minute the stall warning alarm was going off! The weather wasn’t exactly the best and I was going up-and down like a yo-yo trying to use two cameras!!