The Premier RAF display team. (Now with added outsideness!)

[McColm]

Brilliant!!
Didn't the Red Arrows use the Gnat before the Hawk?

[albeback]

At the risk of introducing inter service rivalry, may I put in a word for "Simon's Circus"  and their  FAA Sea Vixens

Put in as many words as you like!! I was privileged to see Simon's Circus perform in 1968.  Amazing to see these huge fighters put on a display that would do credit to the Arrows!. Unfortunately, I believe Lt Cmdr Simon Idiens was killed when his Phantom crashed the year after the team was disbanded?

[albeback]

Brilliant!!
Didn't the Red Arrows use the Gnat before the Hawk?

Indeed they did! And, before we had the Red Arrows, we had The Yellowjacks - also flying the Gnat!  Now I just had a crazy idea involving the new Airfix Gnat!! Anybody else fancy building 2 complete aerobatic teams!!

The old Gnat T1 was my first ever foray into kit assembling ( as opposed to building!! ). 1967 I believe!!

[Rheged]

At the risk of introducing inter service rivalry, may I put in a word for "Simon's Circus"  and their  FAA Sea Vixens

Put in as many words as you like!! I was privileged to see Simon's Circus perform in 1968.  Amazing to see these huge fighters put on a display that would do credit to the Arrows!. Unfortunately, I believe Lt Cmdr Simon Idiens was killed when his Phantom crashed the year after the team was disbanded?

I too saw  the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!

[PR19_Kit]

I too saw  the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!

Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through!  

[Rheged]

I too saw  the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!

Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through!  

That is something I would very much like to have seen!

I suppose that the FAA are so used to manoeuvring  on restricted flight decks that a whole airfield   runway that isn't doing 25 knots on a choppy sea is a  luxury for them.

[PR19_Kit]

I was 12 at the time 807 did their party trick at Farnborough in '59 and I was right on the front row on the Saturday, so I got a great view of it. The commentator told us what was going to happen, about them about to land from both ends at once, but omitted to mention the folding wing trick!

To say I was gob-smacked was an understatement! My Dad had seen it the day before and he said my face was a picture when they did it, he was looking at me at the time, watching for my reaction. 

I Googled for a piccie of them doing it, but with no joy. Bizarrely Google Images came up with a piccie of my Convair-Hawker Osprey when I was searching under '807 NAS Scimitar Farnborough'!

[NARSES2]

I too saw  the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!

Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through!  

Wouldn't be allowed now - health and safety  Just glad I grew up in the 50/60's and was allowed to enjoy myself

[TallEng]

I too saw  the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!

Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through!  

Wouldn't be allowed now - health and safety  Just glad I grew up in the 50/60's and was allowed to enjoy myself

Well I grew up in the late 60`s and managed to miss the Scimiters, Sea Vixens, Black Arrows, Blue Diamonds..........
Steam trains, most of FROG kits.....
The list could go on, but you get the Picture.
Anyway, Thanks for all the positive comments, and the interesting thread drift

Regards
  Keith   (who needs to finish a DH106 Comet C2R3)

[Taiidantomcat]

Top class 

[Pablo1965]

I like your new photos. I have taken the liberty to make this:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[PR19_Kit]

I like your new photos. I have taken the liberty to make this:

'Smoke on....GO!' 

[andrewj]

That is something I would very much like to have seen!

I suppose that the FAA are so used to manoeuvring  on restricted flight decks that a whole airfield   runway that isn't doing 25 knots on a choppy sea is a  luxury for them.

This reminds me of an old Wren cartoon, in a RAF Yearbook many years ago, shows a Phantom landing "all over the place" and two RAF controllers watching. One says to the other, "That's Flt Lt Smith, ex FAA, say's he'd have made a better job of landing if the runway hadn,t been so damn stationary".

[TallEng]

I like your new photos. I have taken the liberty to make this:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Thanks Pablo1965, that`s brilliant!   

Regards
Keith

[lancer]

I too saw  the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!

Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through!  

Which just goes to prove that SENIOR service pilots are eminentaly superior to thier Crab Air counterparts..