Nope. We were just called "The CFS Aerobatic Team" or, mostly "you lot". We flew JP3s in standard CFS livery, but we did have a smoke kit fitted in place of the right hand bang seat. We had minimal backup, and even had students allocated on the course at Rissie who we were supposed to teach on our days off. At Paris we were based at Creil/Senlis with the Lightning team, who stole all the transport leaving us to hire local jalopies.

Memory fades, but I think the next season the team went to 5, and got the red all-over paint sceme and the name "Red Pelicans"

Dick W

As I am working on a book on the Jet Provost, I thought I had all JP teams well documented. My records show that the first JP T.3s were delivered to CFS in June 1960 and they hastily formed an aerobatic team in time for Farnborough in September and were known as "The Pelicans" from then on, until the 1963 season for which they were repainted dayglo red and became the "Red Pelicans". Would greatly appreciate names of Leaders and team members for the 1960 and '61 seasons, as well as display schedules, should you have them?

Many thanks

Adrian

Red Pelicans 1964
 

If it helps, the team in 1964 was as follows:

Sqn Ldr Paul M Worthington (Team Manager)
Flt Lt Terry E L Lloyd (Leader) 27 years old
Flt Lt Brian A Nice (No 2) 32 years
Flt Lt Bill A Langworthy (No 3) 29 years
Flt Lt Dennis F Southern (No 4) 32 years
Flt Lt H R (Bert) Lane (No 5) 41 years
Flt Lt Eric C F Tilsley (No 6) 37 years
Fg Off Bill Green (Team Engineering Officer) 25 years

Info taken from the 1964 brochure.
FZ

Thanks very much FZ. I have also got the Red Pelicans brochures for 1963 and '64, as well as material on the 1962 team. It is the 1960-61 team details that elude me.:rolleyes:

There were originally 5 pilots in the 1961 team, 4 plus one reserve. Frank Brambley was the leader - and might have led the 1960 team, memory fails me. Bruce MacDonald, Snowy McKee, McCann, the deputy leader, and me made up the rest. Snowy was a natural flyer, and flew most of the early sorties in the box but banged out on a routine flight and was injured, so we only had four for the rest of the season.

From my log book:14May, Bourges/Avord, 3Jun, Paris,17 Jun, Mildenhall,24Jun, Exeter and Bristol,6 July, Cottesmore, 10 July, Southampton (Flypast only), 15 July, Coventry, Sept 5,6,7,8,9,10 Farnborough, 11 Sept Press Day, Biggin Hill, 20/21 Oct, Cranwell.

There were others, not marked as displays in my logbook, where I was commentating and Snowy was flying.

Dick W

Re 1 FTS Linton GIN
 

No.1 FTS at Linton-on-Ouse formed a Jet Provost aerobatic team in the mid-60s called "GIN four", which became "Linton GIN" by 1969. Does anyone have any more info on this team or know the names of the three pilots that made up the initials 'GIN'? I understand there was no alcoholic connection...or at least not on duty!

The late Derek Smith used to fly in one of the JP teams - can anyone put me right on that? He suffered a mid-air collision during a display or practice and due to back injury he later found himself on helicopters, on the same course as myself.

Linton GIN Photos
 

Hi Guys,

My father flew with "Linton GIN". I have a few photos, My Mum can probably remember the names of some/most of the pilots. I'll call her & ask. We also have dads log books, so can source quite a lot of info from them ( should anyone be interested )

My fathers name was Dave Waddington. I don't think he was with "GIN" from the beginning, but he moved onto the "Blades", which he lead until he left the Royal Air Force.

Unfortunately my dad died over 20 years ago. He joined ( BEA & Then ) British Airways after leaving the RAF because he didn't want to stop flying. He died about 6hrs after landing at Manchester airport, so I suppose that's about as close as you can get without taking 120 passengers with you.

Anyway here are a couple of GIN publicity Photo's that I scanned in.

http://www.a-k-d.com/provost/GIN1.jpg


http://www.a-k-d.com/provost/GIN2.jpg




http://www.a-k-d.com/provost/YP-Blades-70.jpg


All the Best
Steve Waddington

Steve,

Thanks very much for that touching contribution and for the scans of the "Linton Gin" team. I presume those were taken in 1969, obviously over York Minster. Much appreciated.

Adrian

Couple of pics taken at Lugano Switz 24 June 1973 should remember the guys names but sorry too long ago. Somehow Poachers rings a bell.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ey/Lugano1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ey/Lugano2.jpg

Ah, John Farley of HSA fame - how nice of you to contribute those shots of the Poachers in Switzerland. That would be Sqn. Ldr. John Robinson leading the team in '73, who was ex Red Pelicans.

Come on now Adrian - all this talk of JP's and not so much as one photo from your collection *tuts* - I'm still watching for some more Varsities too!;)

Could that have been the same Dave Waddington who sent me solo in the JP4 at Acklington in 1967?

1973 Macaws.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228920274

1973 Macaws.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228920516

1973 Gemini.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228921278

1973 Gemini.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228921418

1972 Poachers.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228922318

1972 Poachers.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228922430

1972 Blades.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...g?t=1228923092