Hi Hunty, re John Aldington. Do you hve contact details for him? Trying to track down old mates on CFS at Manby 1966 - 1970 which include John.

Thanks

Ernie Banfield was also a solo display pilot at Manby 1967'ish. Always remember those days fondly

Hi, from a few posts on this thread I think some of you may have come across my Dad. Fly Lt Ernie Banfield QFI at Manby 1966 -1971. I'm trying to track down other pilot instructors in my Dads time as QFI at Manby [& in the Macaws] as Dad has passed and a few I am in touch with are joining us in Cornwall in May to say a farewell to Dad.

I'm in touch with a few . As they are coming to Cornwall tthe thinking is this may be an opportunity to have a mini Manby re-union the night before Dad's gathering.

I wondered if you had any contact details for people that might help?
Fingers crossed
Donna

I was at Headley Court with John Aldington in '73 or '74. IIRC he had slipped off an icy wing of a JP and badly broken his leg....... small world innit.

Small world indeed. John Aldington had a room in the Mess at RAF Manby just round the corner from mine, and I recall his broken leg accident which I think was the winter of 1972/1973. About that time I travelled from Manby to Cranwell to return some ceremonial swords, and took the opportunity to visit John at Nocton Hall, where he was initially treated for his injury.

Presumably Nocton Hall, or did you go under cover of darkness ? :O

Thank you Dave, duly edited. :O

It was the beginning of the 1973 season, I believe it was spilt fuel on the wing that John slipped on. I was number 3 that year and we continued the season as a 3 ship.
The following year we had moved to RAF Leeming and switched to MK 5’s and renamed The Swords. John flew number 2.

Formation teams
 

Just stumbled across the JP aerobatic teams and though I was never involved I was around the JP world from 63 -64 (Stood) and again 73-76 as a Strukky and recognised many of the names and faces. What surprises me that there is no mention of the Yellowjacks Were they strictly Gnats?

Yes, Yellowjacks were Gnat - the predecessors of the Red Arrows

Macaws out of Manby, early 1970's

See posts #1/2/3/9/19/34/35/61/88/90/92/103.

Hello Gentlemen, I have just stumbled across this thread while doing some research on the YellowJacks and Red Arrows….the reason being that I have purchased and am restoring to flight Folland Gnat XR987, originally a YellowJack aircraft and then for 15 years she served with the Red Arrows. I believe Flt Lt Eric Tilsey was her first pilot with the Reds. If anyone is in touch with him perhaps he might be interested in this project? The airplane is now in New Zealand as I purchased her a few years ago in Florida. Please get in touch if you are interested, I have a facebook page and am starting a YouTube channel to document her rebuild which is going well to date.

Kind regards
Nosey


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a7b61b1d3.jpeg

I'm in the middle of writing a book provisionally titled 'Display Team Boys' and have made contact with various people involved with several teams - do feel free to message me.
Best wishes, Charlotte

https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/for...?f=18&t=225474 ... photo 13 will be of interest!

... and they were ...XP620 Jet Provost
XP629 Jet Provost
XR647 Jet Provost
XS210 Jet Provost

Great pic. Were you there at the show?

If you're referring to me and my post/link to some photos from 1968 ... sorry, I wasn't there. I remember seeing those photos posted on a forum and thought that they would be of interest here.