Hunter people!
 

Okay, okay, I'm on the scrounge again!

Any former Hunter pilots or groundcrew out there? Or anyone able to point me to some?

I want to get some nice personal accounts in my Hunter book, rather than subject readers to another retread of just the Hunter's development and service history!

Any help greatly appreciated!

[email protected]

Have you tried Delta Jets at Kemble? They still operate a couple of Hunters. They are at www.deltajets.com

FRA at Bournemouth have got one as well!

I did try Delta but they don't seem interested. I'm chasing the Bournemouth (Scampton) Hunters though:)

Hunter people
 

It might be worth trying Hunter Flying, who are based at Exeter. I know there are a few pilots there who might be able to help you.

Hunty

You cannot fit an oversized bag, containing the pilots clothes for a week away, in the nosewheel bay of a T7, without a good kicking which broke his bottle of aftershave. :\

Still the pilot insisted the bag was to go in. :p


There was a T bird at Lossie which took off, and when he landed, the pilot complained that the aircraft flew strange, and there was also a fuel problem.

He looked at the aircraft and was amazed to see that he only had one underwing tank. The other underwing tank fell off just short of Duffus Castle.

The aircraft had just had a mod to the weapon system, (to disable something) which resulted in a 'sneak circuit' feed to the jettison circuit on one side, thus when undercarriage came up, tank 'fell off'.

You can, however, fit fifty crayfish tails in the sabrinas and a few Kg of very dodgy indian fireworks into the bay of a Mk 9 and take it the length of the Gulf @ about M0.9.

The crayfish tails get mashed by the airflow and the fireworks get overheated.

I know this to be true.

So you do - fantom - so you do!!!!

8 Sqn RAF Khormaksar
 

Spent a 2-year tour (736 days actually) on 8 Sqn 1964-66. Anyone other pruners out there then? Old hands may have a few good yarns. Stn Cdr was the then Gp Capt Michael Beetham. Know him now as president of 50/61 Sqns Assn. Said he remembered me (thank you, sir, you certainly tore a strip or 2 off me). Graham Williams (ret 2*) and Kip Kemble (ret 3*) both on sqn then.

ON

So, Old Ned - be you one of this motly lot? Many yarns indeed - including having the pleasure of being reprimanded by the good Gp Capt for inadvertently loosing off a 3" RP across Khormaksar's runway whilst parked on the pan - almost collecting a DH on an unsuspecting Shack about to lift off. Many, many more - for instance there was this 208 4-ship en route to Masirah from Sharjah at low level, with Wholi-mate floating along behind when ----- but that's another story!
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...dabyne/001.jpg

Back row, L to R:

Chris Hulse, Mike Flynn, Dick Wharmby, Mike(?)Garrity, Pete Sturt, Alan Dix, Kip Kemball, Andy Bell, Mal Grosse, Dai Rastall

Front row:

Graeme Williams, Tam Syme, Kiwi Hounsell

Just thought I'd add a rather evocative photo from my collection of one of the Hunters of the aerobatic team that performed at Abingdon familes day in summer of 1959.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...iesDay1959.jpg

Does anyone recall the Bruggen wing flypast in '56/'57 that ended in disarray?

Wooly Bear Gasson and I were not of the chosen few that day, and were playing tennis when the wing returned. The cloudbase was so low we had to serve underarm and we listened awe-sruck to the noise of all those bleed valves opening and closing as the wing passed overhead. Later, at Wahn, the controler was commended for the speed at which he could reload and fire green verys as the wing came in from all directions and slid to a stop.

Was anyone airborne on that trip?

Dick

:)

Linebook!!:ok:

Hunters
 

Old Ned

I have sent you a PM.

Is the guy 3rd from left, back row related to the guy on the right in the front row, or are they just extras from "Day of the Jackal?" :ok:

thawes, that Hunter shot is great - what a nostalgia rush. If only modern air shows were that much fun!

Thanks for the feedback so far - much appreciated.

Anyone out there who flew/worked on Hunters with 4FTS at Valley or 1TWU at Brawdy? Or even more obscure, 2TWU at Lossie or 45/58 Sqns at Wittering? Doesn't seem to be much information floating around about these units and their activities (apart from very general stuff).

I'd also love to find a former Black Arrows or Blue Diamonds pilot to get some info on their activities... any pointers??

Cheers!

Jindabyne

Slightly off topic (sorry Tim) but what a great photo. Just goes to show that you couldn't get a bunch of aircrew to wear the same uniform back then either. :ok: I count at least 4 different versions there......

Plus ça change...

JP
My fading recollection was that your dress of the day resuted from budget/tailor/batman/laundry/starch merchant. Footwear was either polished black/desert boots/flying boots/batman. IIRC the only attire that was sort-of-standard was mess kit - but that could vary from cheap white denim to sharkskin. Nobody gave a monkeys! I once recall returning to Aden after a spot of leave with my new, expensive Hush-Puppies ( to be worn with cavalry twills of course), only to find that batman (Ghaleb) had given them a decent coat of brown polish the morning after. Happy days.
TM - PM me with your more specifics: I have many recollections - and lots from Aden/Bahrain/Chivenor/Valley - and a few from WR.

"Hawker Hunter: Biography of a Thoroughbred" by Francis Mason is another excellent Hunter book.