Exotic Javelins...

[capercaillie]

You post a few photos MrP and look at the offers you receive. It is a lovely spot though.

[Dollar99]

I believe it was PTF - Phantom Training Flight back in those days before becoming POCU.

My records show it was POCUPTF (Post OCU Phantom Training Flight). BTW, what DID happen to Javelin XA778 - burnt on the dump at Boscombe I guess?

I bow to your superior knowledge It did get shortened to PTF at some point, not sure when. It was an RAF unit formed 01/09/72 and disbanded 31/5/78. It had the only 4 carrier operable RAF Phantoms all dual control and coded U V W and X.

[Riessen2]

XT861/V at St Athan on 14 September 1974.

[bluetail]

"DAN"
The Javelin was the first jet I was let loose on in the RAF (albeit the FAW1 XA564 at Cosford when it was part of 2SofTT) I was 18 at the time and it took me two hours to try and find where to plug in the Trolley Acc. (I failed that test BTW)

I also remember seeing "897" on its last ever flight from Boscombe to Duxford, I was stationed at BZN when she came through the circuit on her way the Duxford. Very nice aircraft

(and will one of the MODs remove that blatant FFD advert please)

[BeanieMan]

Good stuff Mad Dan! Keep em coming.

(and will one of the MODs remove that blatant FFD advert please)

Done!

[Mad Dan]

Just for Bluetail - XA564 at Cosford in early 1969... I'll bet the memories come flooding back...



Hope you enjoyed that trip down memory lane, James... We must have another curry one of these days - but perhaps a tad further south than Elgin...

And here are two more Javelins that were present that day. First up, 7829M, now well cared for by the Newark Air Museum in its original identity as XH992. I don't recognise the squadron marking on this, by the way, so if anyone can add more info, go right ahead...



And XA699, also in use as an instructional tool with the SoTT at Cosford.

[bluetail]

Awesome

Not quite as I remember her, (time dulls the cells a tad) and don,t be foxed by the location of the Trolley acc either, the instructors deliberately put them in strategic places. And note the Lincoln in the background, as apprentices we weren,t allowed on that, but the Shackletons we most certainly were. There was also a Belvedere in use as well which I was let loose on IIRC, although I dont remember which one.
Excellent stuff me old mate, definately up for another Curry night though

[Kelstern45]

Hey nice Javelins.... There is still one as Gate Guardian at Staverton ..... Made just over the road from me, along with the Meteor. The site is now a Business park along with a big Tesco......Oh well sign of the times !!!!

[AMB]

Well Dan, 'colourful' those Javelins may be, but hardly 'exotic'. Now THIS is what I call 'exotic' a Singapore Air Force Javelin

When the RAF pulled out of Singapore, they left a couple of unserviceable Javelins behind for the fledgling Singapore Air Force to use as
instructional airframes. Here is 'SAFTECH 8', formerly XH793 of 60 Squadron at Seletar in September 1970. They neatly repainted the
RAF markings into those of the Singapore Air Force.

[TonyO]

Why did they have the steel matting laid down, had they run out of ramp space?

[Lumix]

Great to see these photos from Leuchars '73 and especially the Javelin. It's a pity it was in the static and never flew during the show. I've got some slides of it but they were taken with a Kodak Instamatic! That was my third Leuchars Airshow after 71 & 72 (who can remember the 2 57FIS F106's!) Would love to see some photos of that pair!

[DamienB]

Nice one Adian - never seen a shot of any of the GIA Javs before!