Hi David - saw you had been in touch with the RAFForum, hope you get a result. Another 'incident' on 20 Squadron was when 'F' for Foxtrot, XG293, came out of the hangar after a 9 month refit and was taken up for an air test by Flt. Lt. Pete Martin. His final pass was to fly upside down over the runway at zero feet but, unfortunately, his engine cut so he was in a bit of trouble. He righted the plane and tried to bring it back round on to the runway but was heading for the 'Gin Palace' so decided that he had to get out. He was over 20 Sqdn line, about 200 feet, when he banged out. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, his canopy came off then his seat came out as he was shot into the air. The aircraft came down just off the start of the runway and he was coming down on top of the burning wreck when he pulled one of his 'strings' and guided to the side. Myself and a colleague had got there in the Sqdn landrover as he came down. An armourer, Jeff Phipps, got there first and when Flt Lt. Martin landed he took off his 'chute then his Mae West and handed it to Jeff who said, "But Sir......!" to which Pete Martin answered, "Sorry, can't stop, this kite is U/S". Apparrently he was in the air again within the hour in the the two seater. This happened on the 21st April 1964. There was a plaque put up for him behind the line huts which read; ' Within 200 yds of this spot, Flt Lt. P. Martin, pranged an Aston Martin DB6, a Harley Davidson motorbike and a Hawker Hunter aircraft'.
How can I upload a .jpeg image as I have one of the said aircraft mentioned?
John M.