The Green Parrots
Excellent photo Savoia - good find!
I was lucky enough to spend 2 years based at Lee flying the Green Parrots from 73-75.
At the start they were XS450 and XT770. XT772 replaced XS450 in May 74.
Tasks were varied but often out of Battersea with various Admirals or Cabinet Ministers. Destinations from Isles of Scilly to Scotland, though Naval establishments and Ships obviously predominated. Lord Mountbatten was a regular passenger and never failed to send a short thank you note.
Unusually for the RN we flew with Comms Guy left hand seat to handle the Decca and our lavish avionics suite of ARC52 with VHF frequencies instead of the usual PTR 170 UHF of normal MkVs. We also carried a Wren Hostess in the back to look after our passengers who sat in the unusual comfort of a Club seating layout complete with table. The fact our Wrens wore stockings was a regular Flight Safety issue but was easily rebuffed by saying that I wasn't prepared to ask Admiral's wives to remove their tights, so our girls should keep their stockings, though silk would perhaps be better than nylon!
In addition to our bread and butter tasks we used to pick up miscellaneous jobs. Photographing the Harrier landing on HMS Fearless off Greenwich; Air Day displays; Red Devil Para Drops; odd electronic trials; in fact anything that couldn't be laid at anyone else's door!
The position carried the additional bonuses of being Self Authorising, much to the consternation of some Commanders Air and that any visits by the Trappers (Standards Flight) invariably consisted of us taking them on a London Heli Route famil to see the sights instead of the usual GFP/IF ordeal.
A fantastic job, excellent memories and a few good stories for the bar!