Strikemasters in Saudi Arabia

[fradu]

Hello there,

I am currently researching the service history of a former RSAF Strikemaster - '1112'.
However I have found information to be very scarce, and was hoping that some PPRuNers could assist with a couple of queries!

As it stands, I have found out that it probably served with the King Faisal Air Academy at Riyadh from 1969 through to the 'mid-1990s'.
During 1999, 1112 had been imported into the UK with several other Strikeys.
Can anyone confirm the types' operating base and retirement year from RSAF service?

Also, I have discovered that some Strikemasters began their service lifes with 9xx serials, but these were later changed to 11xx.
Is there someone that can confirm that the i.d. changes were implemented when Saudi Arabia began to take delivery of its second delivery batch?

Kind regards, and thanks for your time chaps.

Mark Russell
Jet Provost heaven.

[OVERTALK]

Last flew it at KFAA Riyadh Base and AlKharj in April 1995 before I was shifted from 10 Sqn to 22 Sqn. In fact I flew it on the mass flypast rehearsal in January.
They were all quite knackered then and progressively getting the boron fiber patching along the mainspar.
10Sqn plowed on with the Strikeys for another two years and airframe by airframe, retiring the most knackered before switching to the newest infusion of PC-9's (which soon had lots of asbestos in the inst panel problems).
I was only there for seven years. The late Dicky Duckenfield was there for about 17 yrs and he'd know the 900 series versus 1100 series story. Think DD died in late 97. Calllsign DENDMAR on Pprune would be your next best bet (10 years plus in KFAA).
ATSB/CASA is now aware after the Tamworth double fatality that the wings are prone to falling off. However, as I recall, during my years on the Strikey it was still good for 6g.
Crap Brit airplane compared to the MB336 Macchi/Impala. But JP5 and Strikey did have lotsa poke (for the genre) and with droppers, good range for low nav instruction.

[om15]

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r163/timgibbsphotos/scan.jpg

Line up of RSAF Strikemasters at Khamis Mushayt mid 1977, visiting aircraft, with a resident Mk53 Lightning on maintenance at the far end, by the end of the year the Lightnings had moved to Tabuk and Dharan,

Best rgards,
om15