Chivenor Air Day 1968 or 1969

[The Star of Woo]

This is a real long shot, but maybe, just maybe someone will be able to help me solve a very old query. At Chivenor Air Day in either 1968 or 1969 I sat in the cockpit of a Hunter and had my photo taken, just like the kids today do in the cockpit section of Red Arrows or Typhoons or whatever, I have no idea what the serial number of 'my' hunter was. The one to my left as I was sat in the photo Hunter was XG254, which is now it Flixton Museum.

Quite simply does anyone have the number of the Hunter to the left of XG254 if you were stood in front looking at their nose cones please?

[mustang5861]

Star of Woo (great name!),

Just wondered if you have any tail code for the Hunter concerned, or whether you know if the Hunter line-up was in order of tail codes, e.g. 'A', 'B', 'C' etc?

One thing I do know: it was the RAF Chivenor NATO Air Day on 25th August 1969, so at least the year is confirmed!

[mustang5861]

CORRECTION: According to the participants lists on the 'Scramble' site, XG254 wasn't part of the line-up during the 1969 show, but it was part of the 22nd August 1970 show. There is no reference to a 1968 show; that doesn't necessarily mean there wasn't a show that year, just that they don't have a list for it.

If you want to check the 'Scramble' lists, go to www.scramble.nl and select 'Showreports' from the 'Data' dropdown list at the top of the page, then select 'United Kingdom' from the Europe section and then work down the 'Chivenor' reports. The problem is, the 1970 list has the Hunters in serial order - and I doubt very much that was how they were arranged that way in the line-up, hence my earlier question as to whether you have a tail code/tail number (as opposed to the fuselage serial) for the aircraft you are trying to identify.

Good luck!

[mustang5861]

This doesn't answer the question as to the Hunter's identity; but I can confirm that there was indeed a show at Chivenor on 3rd August 1968, and that there was a line-up of 32 Hunters from 63, 79 and 234 Sqns, which formed part of 229 OCU at the base. Given that the 'Scramble' report for the '69 show doesn't include any reference to Hunter XG254, 1968 would seem to be the show you were photographed at - unless it was the 1970 event!

[timb]

Just been looking through some old log books. I attended the 1968,1969 and 1970 Chivenor Air Shows. It wasn,t until the show on 22.8.1970 that I noted XG254 K. I photographed it [on slide] there is one in the background, if you can bare with me for a few days I will "blow it up" and find you the ID. I THINK it may be XE626 "9, which I also have on slide.

[plmc135]

There were four Hunters in the static for the 1970 show. XG254 coded K and XE626 coded 9 you have already mentioned, the other two were XE653 coded 28 and XL577 coded 82.

I think you can narrow your query down to one of the two you have not mentioned, I doubt you can remember if it was a single seat or a twin stick as the extra two are one of each.

Paul

[timb]

Just had a good look at my slides. The one you are after was / is XE653 "28" an F6, looking at them from the front, XE653 is directly to the left of XG254. Unfortunately I didn,t photograph XE653, it has been in S.Africa since 1995. So if you would like to sit in it again ??????? Hope you AND Paul enjoyed the show .

[plmc135]

The following link is a photograph of XE653 taken in the static on 22 August 1970; looks very much like it was the aircraft used for people to sit in the cockpit for a photograph judging by the ground handling gear around it.

http://www.na3t.org/air/photo/WB00096-03

Paul

[The Star of Woo]

Sorry not to have responded to anyone sooner but we've been away on holiday.

Oh my word, I never thought I'd ever, ever find out the identity of 'my' Hunter. From the bottom of my heart I thank all of you who wracked brains and obviously trawled back through journals, photo albums and goodness only knows what else to find the serial number for me. I was 8 years old at the time, it must have been an August Bank holiday treat, in fact I had two treats that day, the sit in the Hunter and my first ever flight, it was in the pleasure flight helicopter and I loved it.

The photo taken of me sitting in the cockpit that day is proudly displayed on our living room wall, I will now be able to get a photo of the actual aircraft taken from the other side and display the 'full picture' together.

Once again, thank you all a million times for solving this 44 year old mystery. Happy Christmas and Great Spotting for 2015.

[timb]

Just for the record, G-AXEJ Hughs 500 was doing pleasure frights at the show.

[The Star of Woo]

Well, what can I say. Is there no bounds to this wonderful forum. Thank you so much 'timb', I didn't have a clue what the helicopter that I went up in that day actually was, all I can remember is that I thoroughly enjoyed that flight!! I now know it was a little 'bubble helicopter'.

That day at Chivenor as a mere 8 year old started my love of all things aviation which, to this day 44 years later, is still going strong.

[spadeadam]

Just for my record, does anyone know the identity of the static Lightning F1A at the 3rd August 1968 Chivenor Airshow, it was from the TFF?

MTIA

[timb]

I can narrow it down to either XM183 or XM216, I noted both on that day, both operated by the 226 OCU. There was also a T5 present, XS458. Unfortunately in"my early days" I didn,t note if flying or static !

[spadeadam]

timb...Cheers for that