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
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