Who were the pilots in the 22 Hunter Loop at Farnborough Air Show in 1958?

[Jackonicko]

I can't even tell you where the extra 16 aircraft and pilots came from (nine were from 111, the 'Black Arrows', then the RAF's aerobatic team, led by Roger Topp)!

I guess that Pete Latham (Topp's successor) and Brian Mercer (later OC of the Blue Diamonds) may have been among them, and perhaps Bernard Noble (ex-54)......

Anyone know a better answer?

[Safeware]

22 Hunters

Having been on the UAS with his son (seems like a lifetime ago), and having been visited there by him, I believe that Sir Patrick Hine was one of the 111 pilots.

sw

[Herod]

I believe one of the 111 pilots was "Will" Scarlet. He finished his flying career as Base Captain with AirUK at LBA in the mid 90's. Suggest this goes on the Nostalgia site, they seem to know everything there.

[Jackonicko]

Bang on!

By the Jever show on 6 June 1959, pilots included:

XF416,
XG201 F/L Hine,
XE563 F/L Kemp AFC,
XG193 F/O Clayton-Jones,
XG200 F/L Wild,
XG171 S/L Latham,
XG170 F/L Wood,
XG189,
XF430 F/L Mercer

(the names were those from the side of the aircraft and are not guaranteed to be the pilot for this show)

At some unidentified date in 1959, the team consisted of:

Blackjack Blue:
Flight Lt James M. Oakland
Flying Officer Roger E. Hymans,
Flight Lt Brian Mercer,
Flying Officer Norman Lamb,
Flying Officer Anthony Aldridge.

Blackjack Red:
Flying Officer William R. Clayton-Jones,
Flight Lt Patrick B. Hine,
Squadron Leader Peter Latham,
Flight Lt Matthew B. Kemp,
Flying Officer Marcus S. Wild
Flying Officer Stanley W. Wood,
Flight Lt Francis L.Travers-Smith,
Flight Lt Leslie A. Boyer
Flight Lt David J. M. Edmondston.

[Archimedes]

JN - nine names from the 1958 display team can be found here from the Flight archive. That leaves you a mere 13 chaps light...

I'm sure that I've seen a list of all 22 names somewhere, but will have to remember where that was.


Related links:

Starts and Stripes article July 1959

Accompanying photos (including the only 2-seat F6, by the looks of things....)

[27mm]

IIRC, Les Elgey (RIP) was one of the pilots in that Loop. Les was a Hawk Sim instructor at Dhahran in the 90s when I knew him; a real gentleman and a mean Jeddah brewer.

[Ivor Fynn]

I think that John Wheeler may have been one of the pilots in the loop. He was better known as Sqn Ldr 'Whacky' Wheeler, the CGI at Cranwell in the late eightes. I may be wrong but seem to remember he was a part of the formation.

Ivor

[John Blakeley]

Contact Details

Jackonicko,

Pse see your PMs.

JB

[xray one]

Yes, i think 'Whacky' was there.... those who didn't have the pleasure of him as CGI missed something special, but equally scary!

I think a Flt Lt Vaughan was also there, but not sure on that one.....

[John Farley]

Jacko

You could always ask Roger for help

JF

[Non Emmett]

The information supplied by Jacko was most interesting. Just a thought: in the unlikely event that we could actually put on a display like that in this day and age, how many Squadron Leaders would you expect to see listed? There were very few in that era.

I was present and saw the display and was impressed, it was one of the first air shows I attended. The Show also included a flypast by 45 Javelins, 45 Hunters and 9 Canberras. The Vulcan and Victor were amazing. I've been attending air shows ever since but they do not quite reach the same wow factor these days.

[Fokkerwokker]

I believe Frank Grimshaw was one of the pilots on the day. I flew with him in Gulf Air

[Jackonicko]

John B, John F.

Thanks gents, will do.

On my return from miserable Munich.....

[GICASI]

Is this the one?

worth a look here, just for general interest.

Regards,

GICASI

[effects]

Talking to my Dad yesterday, he marshalled out one of the 22 from Odiham, apparently Aeroplane magazine carried a cartoon by Wren which named them. By the way 56 supplied the extra non black hunters.

[fetcheveryone]

I think my late uncle was CO at Farnborough at the time and as a result of looking through his cuttings recently had a conversation with my father who flew at a couple of Farnborough airshows. He recalled that all the aircraft were dispersed to Odiham and crews lived in tents that were somewhat knit ridden. Is it the case that the number of collected aircraft was the largest of its kind in history - some 400 plus - or am I fantasizing?

[JEM60]

One of the yellow Hunters at Thunder City, Cape Town, SA is one of the aircraft that took part in the loop, or so I was told when there four years ago. Anyone who can confirm this?? Ta.

[LowObservable]

JN - You'll have the names of all 65 pilots in the loop by the time you're done here.

[philrigger]

FETCHEVERYTHING


Perhaps you are alluding to the RAF Coronation Review of 1953. RAF Odiham was used to assemble the aircraft and lots of men had to sleep in the hangars.

Just a thought.

Phil

[fetcheveryone]

philrigger

This is me NOW doh!

Soon as I saw your noble words I remembered...but that leads on to another query...

who & what flew in the flypast down the Mall at the Coronation?