Well bugger me with a fishfork!
60th anniversary!
My first RAF logbook includes the following entry:
20 July 1976 Hunter F6A XJ634 Self - Hunter 25th anniversary flypast (escorting Neville Duke) 0:50
There were 4 x F6A flown by Tim Webb, Geoff Steggell, 'Puddy'Catt and myself; the T7 flew up from Dunsfold flown by Wg Cdr Neal and Neville Duke - we met it and escorted into Brawdy in a 5-ship vic, then out to initials and back in for the break. My thanks to whoever it was who had sufficient confidence that I wouldn't cock it up completely that I was allowed to be #3 in a 5-ship flat turn.....
The press, however, were more interested in getting piccies of the Meteor F8 and one of the 'Strikemouse' JP4s in camouflage parked next to each other. We didn't make the news either as the Americans had just landed something on Mars, IIRC!
'They' thought at the time that we should keep quiet about having aircraft in service for 25 years......
