XZ439
Art Nalls is doing very well, and hats off to him; shame the RN Historic Flight couldn't manage it, and last I heard even the 'FRS1' at Yeovilton Museum is a cobbled up composite of GR3 bits etc.
I presume no current / influential Admirals flew Sea Jets then.
As for showing off British Industry, sorry We Branch but it's not quite like that...
Rolls Royce refused to assist Art with his RR Pegasus engine so he's using P & W support, and Martin Baker refused to support the seat, as they were worried about lawyers ( I thought M.B's motto was " we've never had any complaints " ) ?!
So, Art has had to fit an American Stencel seat which he has been warned is a killer in certain - likely - parts of the flight envelope.
Though an ex-Marines Test Pilot, he had never been told this; " now I know why my buddies died ".
So much for UK Ltd.
As for the pitiful 'flypast', that was poor planning either by accident or design, as Harriers are not allowed over London ( single engine & poor glide ratio ); if the Illustrious had been somewhere else, off Porstmouth for instance, at least the Navy pilots in GR7 / 9's could have been involved, not so handy for the cliche cocktail parties though.