Who were the pilots in the 22 Hunter Loop at Farnborough Air Show in 1958?

[Jackonicko]

I can't even tell you where the extra 16 aircraft and pilots came from (nine were from 111, the 'Black Arrows', then the RAF's aerobatic team, led by Roger Topp)!

I guess that Pete Latham (Topp's successor) and Brian Mercer (later OC of the Blue Diamonds) may have been among them, and perhaps Bernard Noble (ex-54)......

Anyone know a better answer?

[Safeware]

Having been on the UAS with his son (seems like a lifetime ago), and having been visited there by him, I believe that Sir Patrick Hine was one of the 111 pilots.

sw

[Herod]

I believe one of the 111 pilots was "Will" Scarlet. He finished his flying career as Base Captain with AirUK at LBA in the mid 90's. Suggest this goes on the Nostalgia site, they seem to know everything there.

[Jackonicko]

Bang on!

By the Jever show on 6 June 1959, pilots included:

XF416,
XG201 F/L Hine,
XE563 F/L Kemp AFC,
XG193 F/O Clayton-Jones,
XG200 F/L Wild,
XG171 S/L Latham,
XG170 F/L Wood,
XG189,
XF430 F/L Mercer

(the names were those from the side of the aircraft and are not guaranteed to be the pilot for this show)

At some unidentified date in 1959, the team consisted of:

Blackjack Blue:
Flight Lt James M. Oakland
Flying Officer Roger E. Hymans,
Flight Lt Brian Mercer,
Flying Officer Norman Lamb,
Flying Officer Anthony Aldridge.

Blackjack Red:
Flying Officer William R. Clayton-Jones,
Flight Lt Patrick B. Hine,
Squadron Leader Peter Latham,
Flight Lt Matthew B. Kemp,
Flying Officer Marcus S. Wild
Flying Officer Stanley W. Wood,
Flight Lt Francis L.Travers-Smith,
Flight Lt Leslie A. Boyer
Flight Lt David J. M. Edmondston.

[Archimedes]

JN - nine names from the 1958 display team can be found here (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200407.html) from the Flight archive. That leaves you a mere 13 chaps light...

I'm sure that I've seen a list of all 22 names somewhere, but will have to remember where that was.


Related links:

Starts and Stripes article July 1959 (http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=36640&archive=true)

Accompanying photos (http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=37547) (including the only 2-seat F6, by the looks of things....)

[27mm]

IIRC, Les Elgey (RIP) was one of the pilots in that Loop. Les was a Hawk Sim instructor at Dhahran in the 90s when I knew him; a real gentleman and a mean Jeddah brewer.

[Ivor Fynn]

I think that John Wheeler may have been one of the pilots in the loop. He was better known as Sqn Ldr 'Whacky' Wheeler, the CGI at Cranwell in the late eightes. I may be wrong but seem to remember he was a part of the formation.

Ivor

[John Blakeley]

Jackonicko,

Pse see your PMs.

JB

[xray one]

Yes, i think 'Whacky' was there.... those who didn't have the pleasure of him as CGI missed something special, but equally scary!

I think a Flt Lt Vaughan was also there, but not sure on that one.....

[John Farley]

Jacko

You could always ask Roger for help

JF

[Non Emmett]

The information supplied by Jacko was most interesting. Just a thought: in the unlikely event that we could actually put on a display like that in this day and age, how many Squadron Leaders would you expect to see listed? There were very few in that era.

I was present and saw the display and was impressed, it was one of the first air shows I attended. The Show also included a flypast by 45 Javelins, 45 Hunters and 9 Canberras. The Vulcan and Victor were amazing. I've been attending air shows ever since but they do not quite reach the same wow factor these days.

[Fokkerwokker]

I believe Frank Grimshaw was one of the pilots on the day. I flew with him in Gulf Air

[Jackonicko]

John B, John F.

Thanks gents, will do.

On my return from miserable Munich..... :eek:

[GICASI]

http://www.111sqn.com/uploads/2/7/4/4/2744613/951729.jpg

worth a look here, just for general interest. (http://www.111sqn.com/history.html)

Regards,

GICASI

[effects]

Talking to my Dad yesterday, he marshalled out one of the 22 from Odiham, apparently Aeroplane magazine carried a cartoon by Wren which named them. By the way 56 supplied the extra non black hunters.

[fetcheveryone]

I think my late uncle was CO at Farnborough at the time and as a result of looking through his cuttings recently had a conversation with my father who flew at a couple of Farnborough airshows. He recalled that all the aircraft were dispersed to Odiham and crews lived in tents that were somewhat knit ridden. Is it the case that the number of collected aircraft was the largest of its kind in history - some 400 plus - or am I fantasizing?

[JEM60]

One of the yellow Hunters at Thunder City, Cape Town, SA is one of the aircraft that took part in the loop, or so I was told when there four years ago. Anyone who can confirm this?? Ta.

[LowObservable]

JN - You'll have the names of all 65 pilots in the loop by the time you're done here.

[philrigger]

;)

FETCHEVERYTHING


Perhaps you are alluding to the RAF Coronation Review of 1953. RAF Odiham was used to assemble the aircraft and lots of men had to sleep in the hangars.

Just a thought.

Phil

[fetcheveryone]

philrigger :ok:

This is me NOW :ugh:doh!

Soon as I saw your noble words I remembered...but that leads on to another query...

who & what flew in the flypast down the Mall at the Coronation?

[GeeRam]

Who.....that will be a long list, if such a list was ever compiled :eek:

What.....was 640 a/c comprising:-

Bristol Sycamore HC1 (x1).XD196.......First aircraft in Flypast
Airspeed Oxford 1.(x12) from Wellesbourne Mountford.
Avro Anson (x21) from Shawbury.
Avro Lincoln(x45) from Waddington ,Upwood and Hemswell.
Avro Shackleton MR1A and MR2.(x18) from St Eval and Ballykelly.
Avro Vulcan Prototype(x1) VX770
Boeing Washington.(x12) from Marham.
BP Balliol T2 (x12) from 7FTS.
Canadair Sabre F4(x24) from ?.
Canadair Sabre (x36) from RCAF.
DHC Chipmunk T10(x32) from Booker and South Cerney.
DH Vampire T10 (x12) from 23Sq
Vampire FB5 (x12) from 75 and 76SQs RAAF
DH Vampire FB5(x12) from?
DH Vampire T11(x1) from 206AFS.
DH Venom FB1(x24) from 5,11 and 266 Sqs.
English Electric Canberra (x48) from Binbrook,Hemswell and Bassingbourn .
Gloster Meteor F4(x12) from 206AFS.
Gloster Meteor (various Marks)(x192)from 1/19/41/43/54/56/63/64/65/66/74/92/222/245/247/257/263 Sqs
Gloster Meteor NF11(x36) from 29/85/141/151/264 Sqs
Gloster Javelin Prototype(x1)
Hawker Hunter F1 (x1) WT555
HP Hastings (x3) from Lyneham.
HP Victor Prototype(x1) WB771
Lockheed Neptune MR1(x5) from Kinloss.
N A Harvard IIB (x12) from Little Rissington.
Short Sunderland MR5(x3). from ?.
Supermarine Swift F1/F4 (x6) from Boscombe Down.
Vickers Varsity T1(x12) from Thorney Island and Swinderby.
Vickers Valiant 2nd Prototype.(x1) WB215
Supermarine Swift F1.(x1) WK198 ......Last aircraft in Flypast

[Warmtoast]

A bit of thread drift here, but GeeRam is referring to the the Queen's Coronation Review at Odiham whereas fetcheveryone asked:

"what flew in the flypast down the Mall at the Coronation?"

GeeRam's figures are right about the Odiham event. Further details here:

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/CompositionoftheFly-past.jpg

The coronation fly-past on 2nd June in front of Buckingham Palace was a different affair entirely. It consisted of 168 fighters (144 R.A.F. Meteors and 24 R.C.A.F. Sabres). In those days Buckinham Palace fly-pasts flew from south to north past the palace, rather than as they do now from east to west down the Mall.

The route was over the Thames Estuary to Canterbury, the feeding-in point for the the various wings. From Canterbury, south to Dungeness, on to Hastings Pier continuing to Bexhill where the formations turned north towards Biggin Hill and then over south London to fly past the front of the palace.

[Union Jack]

Well done, Warmtoast - What a roll call of distinguished aviators, not to mention DSOs and DFCs!:ok:

Jack

[GeeRam]

Sorry about the thread creep, speed reading induced blonde moment :\

Yes indeed, a fine list of aviators and gongs galore. Just look at the hallowed TP names at the bottom, Brian Trubshaw, Roly Falk, Bill Waterton, Neville Duke and Mike Lithgow.

Interesting to see at least three prominent Battle of Britain pilots leading the Meteor formations too, Dennis Cowley-Milling, Bobby Oxspring and the irrepressible Paddy Barthropp.

[fetcheveryone]

I apologise for the thread creep.

However, the knowledge out there is inredible and I've now got some questions for my father about both events and if any are relevent i'll log it here.

[Romeo Oscar Golf]

Who.....that will be a long list, if such a list was ever compiledJust to maintain the "creep", the list of all who flew in the Coronation review has been published in Eric Bucklow's book, one which took him a very long time to compile, much of it during his time at Warton as a TP.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/roghead/img019.jpg

[pendrifter]

I remember as a kid, seeing the 22 Loop on TV (B&W then!) Must have been on BBC who always covered Farnborough live.
For years I've wondered if there is film or video etc of the event.
Any info someone.

[Dundiggin']

When I was an ATC cadet at 457 Sqn Farnborough in '59 - '60, we had a summer camp at Swinderby when it had Vampires (what a bloody wonderful noise half the night every night!) anyway, we had air exp Chipmunk flying as was the 'norm' and I flew with a Sqn Ldr Chas Bowyer who was in the 22 Hunter loop at Farnborough. In fact, he said he was leading the 2nd flt from Odiham for that week. Because I was showing so much interest, the 20min flight extended to 45mins and included a 'hammerhead' :uhoh: which led to the Chipmunk having to be checked out before the next flight.
All the 'yoof of the day' round my neck of the woods in Fleet were well impressed with the Farnborough Airshow esp with the Black Arrows and we witnessed the display on several occasions during that week. I remember sending off for an Information Pack from 111 Sqn and I received an A4 poster with a photo of the 22 Hunter loop in the centre surrounded by photos and names of all the pilots who were in the loop.
Is it too much to hope that one of these posters still exists???

[ACW418]

Is it possible that one of the pilots was Pete Jennings. He was one of our instructors on JP's at Syerston in 1963 and he had been on 111 in the not too distant past. Had a yellow bonedome (everyone elses was silver) which he claimed was the 111 bonedome colour.

ACW

[huntaluvva]

JEM60

The Hunter that you saw in SA would be XE653, which Keith Hartley delivered from Exeter to Cape Town in the mid nineties.

It was an original 111 Squadron machine; after a long career at Chivenor and Brawdy it was retired to Scampton as a GI airframe. While at Scampton it was repainted gloss black, and it was still in those colours when it was sold to Thunder City. I believe that it was resprayed yellow for a TV advertising campaign.

HTH

[kenparry]

Dundiggin:

Sqn Ldr Chas Bowyer who was in the 22 Hunter loop at Farnborough

Chas Boyer, not Bowyer. He was at Leeming a few years later when I went through the JP course there. Sadly, he was in one of the front seats, I believe, of a Cathay Pacific Convair 880 (990?) that was blown up by a bomb on board, somewhere in the Far East, about late 1960s.

[RETDPI]

Perhaps I'm getting confused these days .
I seem to recall meeting a "Mack" Kemp , retired Hunter pilot from 111 and running a pub near Fulham Bridge (The Black Bull ?) in the late 60's
:confused:

[JEM60]

HUNTALUVA/
Many thanks. I suspect we shall see it advertising on some World Cup TV shots next year I hope. They
showed both the single and two-seat aircraft during the cricket Test Series a few years ago. Adverts for a telephone company IIRC. Cheers. John.

[Nimman]

Jacko
Just browsing through some old mags and found a letter in the Aircraft Illustrated February 1984 page 86 which gives the picture of the loop and names and ac nos and also refers to the Oct 83 Aircraft Illustrated where there is an article on the "Treble One Looping Record" by Adrian Balch.
Hope this info is of use.

[jackwood]

Hi all Dave Wood here. My father, Terry Wood is Stanley 'Timber' Woods cousin! I've been in the RAF myself 21 years now and the topic of my 2nd Cousins involvement in the Black Arrows has fascinated me since childhood.
My Father and I are thrilled that this topic is still discussed all these years later!
Could anyone confirm that Stanley was and still is a member of a world record breaking team?

Thanks all.

Dave Wood.

[Two-Tone-Blue]

Another possible name for the Blacks is Chris Strong ... later OC 20 Sqn in Singapore and last met when running AFOps in Main Building during Gulf War I.

Sorry to hear about Les Elgey [also 20 Sqn Tengah]. He was OC C Flt when they operated a handful of Single Pioneers for FAC work. I have a photo of Les on Gemas jungle strip presenting a young fg off with his Op Tankard for the Single Pin [some lad called Pete Squire - what ever happened to him?]. Oh, and Peter Latham was the Stn Cdr at the time.

[26er]

Two Tone

Chris Strong flew with 92- Blue Diamonds. Last seen alive and very well last Oct. Much into RC model a/c.

And I seem to remember that the whole purpose of the 22 was because the PAF had done 20 in Sabres.

[RETDPI]

PAF allegedly being the first Air Force to Loop a squadron of Jet fighters.

[Two-Tone-Blue]

26er ... thanks for that. I remembered Chris had been in one of the Teams.

Bloody Hell - an he's still going!! Good for him!! It must be that moustache ... please remind me to grow one!

[Capt Kremin]

From the 111Sqn Authorisation sheet, the complete list of names.

I asked 111Sqn and they graciously did the search of the archives and replied.

4 Sep 1958 '22 ship Blackjack formation aeros
as briefed' 1405-1445

XG194 Sqn Ldr Topp
XG170 Flt Lt Oakford
XG200 Fg Off Wild
XF515 Flt Lt Brindle 43 Sqn
XG201 Flt Lt Hine
XG171 Flt Lt Hebler
XF511 Flt Lt Old
XE653 Flt Lt Kemp
XG203 Fg Off Smith R
XG189 Flt Lt Smith B
XF416 Flt Lt Bargilon
XF424 Fg Off Hymans 43 Sqn
XE616 Fg Off Jennings 1 Sqn
XG190 Flt Lt Swart
XE656 Fg Off Lamb 65 Sqn
XE584 Flt Lt Garett 1 Sqn
XF437 Fg Off Jones C
XJ687 Flt Lt Boyer 66 Sqn
XG266 Flt Lt Smith 66 Sqn
XG160 Flt Lt Thurlew
XF506 Fg Off Aldridge 1 Sqn (still had 263 Sqn insignia)
XG191 Flt LtEdmonton 19 Sqn

[Capt Kremin]

I should add that these names were copied off a 50 year old hand written authorisation sheet so the names may not be completely accurate, however this thread should serve to refine the list admirably.