"JET PROVOST HEAVEN"


THE JET PROVOST DISPLAY TEAMS

The type quickly demonstrated that it was well suited to being the mount of an aerobatics display team, and history today shows that there have been more RAF aerobatics teams operating the "JP" then any other type. There have also been some civilian-operated teams formed more recently, that based their displays on their RAF counterparts.

A list of the Jet Provost teams are listed below, in descending order of the year of formation.
 

The Central Flying School (CFS)

1958 season
The era of the Jet Provost aerobatic teams begun as early as 1958, when the Central Flying School based at RAF Little Rissington formed a 4-ship team of Jet Provost T.1s, known simply as 'The Sparrows'.
The unit had previously flown 4 Hunting-Percival Piston Provosts and had just received re-equipped with the Jet Provost the previous year.

1959 season
The CFS put up a two ship team for the 1959 season, known as 'The Redskins'.

1960-62 seasonsDuring the latter part of 1959 deliveries CFS received the first six Jet Provost T.3s and the T.1s were slowly phased out of service, and as a result the existing Redskins team was disbanded. However the unit formed a new 4-ship team in preparation for the 1960 season, called "The CFS Aerobatic Team". Its aircraft had no special markings applied, but wore the standard silver and orange day-glo training colours of the day.
The team continued until halfway through the 1962 airshow season, at the same time the T.4 Jet Provost was beginning to arrive on strength.

1962-64 seasons
Halfway through the 1962 season the team re-equipped with four Jet Provost T.4s and a smoke system was also fitted to each of the display aircraft.
The "Red Pelicans" team was born, and they performed at shows up and down the country, including the annual SBAC show Farnborough in September 1962.

The 1963 season saw the team extended to six aircraft under the leadership of Flt Lt Ian Bashall, and the aircraft in a new colour scheme.
Their standard training colours were replaced by a overall dayglo-red scheme, and the Red Pelicans performed at displays in Belgium and France as well as across venues in the UK. At the end of the season the RAF decided that the "Red Pelicans" should continue as the official Royal Air Force aerobatic team for the 1964 airshow season, replacing the RAF 56 Sqn. "Firebirds" Lightning team in the role, which could no longer be spared for display purposes.

The 1964 Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team was captained by Flt Lt T.E.I. Lloyd, who took the six-ship team to participate in shows in Belgium, France, Netherlands and Norway in addition to their UK display commitments. During the latter part of the season the team gave co-ordinated displays with the RAF's first Gnat-equipped team, the "Yellowjacks" from No 4 FTS at Valley, and the team again appeared at SBAC Farnborough in September 1964. The bright lemon yellow aeroplanes complemented the red Jet Provosts well, and the Gnat soon started to earn a reputation for being a superb aerobatic mount. As a result of this the type was chosen as equipment for the 1965 RAF Aerobatic Team - the "Red Arrows".

1965-73 seasons
With the newly-formed Red Arrows in place as the RAF's premier aerobatic team, the Red Pelicans subsequently trimmed down to four aircraft without a smoke system facility, and were all re-painted into a post-box-red scheme.
The 4-ship team continued to participate in shows across the UK for the next five seasons.

In spring 1970 the team re-equipped with the last variant of the Jet Provost delivered, the T.5. They continued for a further four seasons before the team disbanded permanently at the end of the 1973 season, bringing the curtain down on 15 years of CFS Jet Provost teams.


No.6 Flying Training School (6FTS)

1962-1966 seasons
During the 1960s and 1970s all the RAF's Colleges and Flying Training Schools had their own "JP" aerobatics team.
One of the less known and publicised display teams was flown by 6FTS. They flew a team for five seasons and it was unofficially christened the "Cocks O'the North" before being disbanded in 1966.
If anyone has any information on this team please e-mail me!


No.1 Flying Training School (1FTS)

1963-69 seasons
Based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, 1FTS formed the "Gin-Four" in 1963, flying four Jet Provost T Mk 4s. The team continued to fly displays for the next six years under this name, but in 1969, the team's last season it was renamed "Linton GIN". The name "GIN" originates from the initials of three of its founder members, and the alcoholic drink! At the end of the 1969 season the team disbanded.

1970-1973 seasons
When 1 FTS re-equipped with the Mk 5 Jet Provost, pilots of the Unit formed a new team, christened "The Blades". They flew four aircraft in standard training colours, augmented by a large white Rose of York surmounted by two crossed swords on the engine intakes.
A small change to the markings was made for the 1972 season, when the white rose gave way to a large yellow sword painted vertically on the rudder.
The 1973 paint scheme retained the normal red and white training markings, but with the top of the fuselage and fin painted dark blue. The team lasted only until June 1973, when it disbanded.


The College of Air Warfare (CAW)

1965-1967 seasons
The College of Air Warfare, based at RAF Manby, formed a Jet Provost team in 1965, called "The Magistrates" with the name originated from the initials "JP".
The team flew at displays for three seasons until it was renamed following the end of the 1967 season.

1968 season
In late 1967, the team name was changed to the "Macaws".
This name was constructed from the first letters of the Unit, MAnby College of Air Warfare. The team wore a standard silver and dayglo training colours for their first season, but for their debut season, in 1968, the display aircraft were re-sprayed into a unique colour scheme of light grey and red.

1969-1973 seasons
From 1969 the Jet Provosts adopted the now-standard red/white/grey scheme but had special team markings applied. The "Macaws" flew six basic formations, their display culminating in a "Petal Break", or flat bomb-burst towards the crowd.
During the 1971 and 1972 display seasons the team was led by Flt Lt Brian Hoskins, and he later went on to lead the RAF "Red Arrows".

The team's final season occurred in 1973, under the leadership of Flt Lt Peter Diggance, with Flt Lts. John Aldington, Mike Fox and Mick Marriot completing the 4-ship line-up. During its last month in existance the team displayed at Cottesmore, Coltishall, Little Rissington, Manby, Buchel (Germany), Frechen (Germany), Langenselbold (Germany) and finally Luxeuil (France).


No.2 Flying Training School (2FTS)

1968-1969 seasons
2FTS, based at RAF Syerston, near Nottingham operated a Jet Provost T.3 and T.4 team for two seasons, the "Vipers". The aircraft wore the standard orange dayglo and silver training colours, but with the addition of white tip tanks and fins.
The colour scheme also included special markings on the fin consisting of a snake in a triangle, forming the figure "2". The team's name came from the engine that powered the Jet Provost - the Bristol Siddeley Viper. Their routine was similar to the College of Air Warfare Jet Provost team, which was explained in more detail above.

The team was disbanded at the end of 1969, and was replaced by a 2-ship team of Chipmunks.
 


No.3 Flying Training School (3FTS)

1970-1973 seasons

For the 1970 season, 3FTS based at RAF Leeming formed a Jet Provost T Mk4 duo, named "Gemini Pair. The team flew a tight routine with the highlight of their display being the "mirror" manoeuvre. This involved the aircraft flying back-to-back at very close quarters and rolling together in this formation. The team was led by Ron Pattinson in its debut season, with Gordon flying as No 2.

In 1971, 3FTS was re-equipped with the Jet Provost Mk.5, and Ron Pattinson continued to lead the team for the display season, with Rod Sargent flying the other aeroplane. The 1972 season saw a new line-up, with John Galyer as leader and Dave Trusler as No.2. The duo was led by Flt Lt Clive "Bob" Thompson during the 1973 airshow season, with Flg Off Graham Miller as his No.2. Both these pilots were instructors at the school. At the end of the 1973 season the team was disbanded.

1974 season
Following the end of the "Gemini duo" "Bob" Thompson went on to lead 3FTS' new aerobatic team for 1974 - "The Swords." This team flew four Jet Provost T Mk 5s, and they appeared at shows across the UK, including the 1974 International Air Tattoo at Greenham Common. The team's aircraft had modified colour schemes, with a small RAF Leeming crest painted on the side of the nose, and "The Swords" was placed in small scripted writing on the engine intakes. Other changes included a blue stripe being painted from the cockpit and up to the base of the tail, where a sword was painted on the fin.

The team existed just for the one season and was disbanded at the end of 1974.
 


The Royal Air Force College (RAFC)

1965, 1968-1970 seasons
The last Jet Provost team was from the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell.
Their first JP team, consisting of four T.4 aircraft, first flew in the 1965 season as a successor to their DH Vampire team, and the team made a return to the circuit three years later for the 1968 season. The team was given the name "Cranwell Poachers", originally from a folk song titled "The Lincolnshire Poacher."
By 1969 had adopted its own markings over the now standard red, white and grey scheme. The team flew at displays until the end of the 1970 when the Unit was received its batch of T.5 Jet Provosts.

1971-1976 seasons
In 1971, the team dropped Cranwell from their name, and were known simply as "The Poachers" The team  re-equipped with the Jet Provost T Mk 5 and continued with four-aircraft displays for the next five years.

The Poachers proved to be the last Jet Provost team, and survived until the end of the 1976 airshow season. At the same the MoD ordered the termination of all JP teams as an economy measure.

Another era in Royal Air Force aerobatic team history had come to an end.


The Transair Jet Provost team

1996-1997 airshow seasons
The most recent Jet Provost team was formed three years after the JP left RAF service.
Following many conversations about the possibility of operating a civilian Jet Provost team, two pilots, Bob Thompson and Tom Moloney, decided to form a aerobatic duo.
Their display would be based on the 3FTS Gemini Pair  routines, led by Bob Thompson, flown between 1970 and 1973. Over the course of 1995 two Jet Provost T.5s, XS230 and XW422, were acquired and overhauled by Gosh That's Aviation, North Weald.
Tom also accumulated 200 hours in the Jet Provost under Bob's tuition in order to be ready for the team's debut on the airshow circuit in 1996.

Painted in ETPS colours, the team were also sponsored by the Transair Pilot Shop, Tom Moloney's personal company. As a result the ransair logo appeared on the aircraft's wing tip-tanks and tail fin.

The two-ship team went on to appear at numerous events until it was disbanded at the end of the 1997 season, in order to make way for a new display team the following season.

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