Black Arrows aerobatic team
 

I believe that my brother Frank Hegarty was a member of the Black Arrows in the 1950`s.

Can anyone confirm this for me please?

JeanB

Not Black Arrows, but:

1949: ThreeVampire F.3s of No.247 Squadron, Odiham, Flt Lt F M Hegarty, CaptGreen USAFandPilot I Harris.

1950: ThreeVampire FB.5s of No.247 Squadron, Odiham, Flt Lts R W Bunyan,T WKearton and Fg Off M Hegarty. Fg Off G H Carter (solo display pilot).

1955: FourSabre 4s of No.112 Squadron, Bruggen, Sqn Ldr F M Hegarty, Flt Lt D Heywood, Fg Off C Buttars, and possibly Fg Off R A Brown.

1956:
FourHunter F.4s of No.112 Squadron, Bruggen, "TheSkysharks".

SqnLdr F M Hegarty AFC (replaced by Flt Lt L Jones), Flt Lts K AWilliamson, P J Frame and Fg Off P Reeve.

I hope that this is of interest?

DW

for Vampiredave
 

Thanks so very much for all the info. I did actually see Frank fly in a display at Odiham in 1949 or 1950 - but did not retain in my mind which squadron he was with at the time, or which aircraft were being used.

I shall now pass this on to other members of our family - so thanks on behalf of them too.

JeanB

I am delighted that it was of interest. For some reason he appears as a Flt Lt in 1949 and as a Fg Off in 1950? If you care to email me I can send you some more information about his time as a display pilot on 112 and 247 Squadrons.

DW

Vampires, Sabres and Hunters. Lucky man.

Interesting thanks Dave. I'd never heard of the Skylarks and there are, presumably, Lee Jones (Yellow Jacks), Keith Williamson ( AOC38 when the Harriers went to Belize in 75) and Peter Frame ( OC one of the Henlow sqns in 71).

bonajet: You are correct. The 'Skysharks' team was formed in June 1956 with Hunter F 4s by Sqn Ldr Frank Hegarty, with the aim of gaining the eventual approval of the C-in-C, 2nd TAF. Frank Hegarty left the squadron in September 1956 and the new team line-up comprised Flt Lts Lee Jones, Keith Williamson, Pete Frame and Pat Reeve.

A few shows were given by the team, including as display for the Cinemascope film "What Goes On Over The Skies Of Europe", and at Bruggen for the British Ambassador. By this time the team had also started calling itself "The Skysharks", which was derived from the shark's teeth markings carried onn the squadron aircraft.

In January 1957 Pete Frame stood down with the arrival of Plt Off Norman Lamb, who had previously flown with the 43 Squadron team at Leuchars. The team's last display was at Bruggen on 8 May 1957, prior to the squadron's disbandment.

I hope that this of interest?

DW

Yes it was thanks Dave. You are a mine of information.
The Flt Lt v. Fg Off point earlier could be a drop in rank caused by change to a permanent commission? Probably too late to be a change from wartime to peacetime rank.

Black Arrows
 

Just to say that Frank was given a Permanent Commission in 1948 - so the apparent drop in rank in 1950 is incorrect. Probably simple typing error way back then!

JeanB (Frank`s sister)







P

bonajet: I was also intrigued why he dropped a rank and asked his sister, Jean, for some clarification. It appears that he was Flg Off in 1944, a Flt Lt in 1948, a Sqn Ldr in 1953 (?) and a Wg Cdr in 1960. He was, unfortunately, killed in flying accident in January 1962, as reported in an earlier thread on Meteor accidents.

.......a bureaucratic slip of the pen, perhaps?

DW