Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.3A G-BWDS / XM424

Classic Flight’s silver Jet Provost was built as a T.3 at Hunting Percival’s Luton factory in 1960 and issued to the Royal Air Force as XM424.

Like so many of its type the aircraft entered service with Central Flying School (CFS) at RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire. It was initially given the fuselage code ‘R-K’ but this was later changed to ‘72’.

In 1970 XM424 flew north to RAF Finningley, Yorkshire where it spent a year flying as ‘W’ with 6FTS. The following year it moved again, this time to RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire where it became aircraft ‘46’.

The aircraft remained at Cranwell until 1974 when it was dispatched to Warton to be converted to T.3A standard with modified avionics. Work was complete in mid-1975 and XM424 was reallocated to 3FTS who were based at RAF Leeming, Yorkshire but it was soon surplus to requirements and was flown to 5MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire for storage. Work to return it to the skies began in 1982 but decisions changed and it was returned to storage until the base closed in 1983. At that point it was moved to RAF Shawbury, Shropshire for further storage but it was flown out on August 30, 1984 and allocated to 1FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire. The aircraft served as ‘30’ with 1FTS and flew with the unit until June 1986 when it was loaned to RAF St Athan in Wales as a crew ‘taxi’ for a month. It returned to 1FTS in July.

In 1992 the aircraft was selected to become the RAF Jet Provost display aircraft and was painted in a special scheme. Flown by Flt Lt Steve Howard XM424 had a busy display season and appeared at events across Europe before returning to more mundane duties in 1993.

It was soon declared surplus to requirements however and was acquired by Global Aviation at the former RAF Binbrook in September 1994. The aircraft was placed onto the UK CAA civil register as G-BWDS and was auctioned off in July 1995.

The aircraft’s new owners moved it to North Weald, Essex and re-sprayed it into a civilian blue colour scheme, similar to that worn by the RAF Hunter team 'The Blue Diamonds'. It was operated out from North Weald airfield in Essex until 2004 when it was acquired by Steve Lloyd and Phil Wright who moved it to Swansea.

During 2008 it was acquired by the Classic Flight for use as a crew trainer and display aircraft in its own right. Since then its unauthentic – but eye catching – blue scheme has been changed to the silver and yellow colour scheme used by several of the Classic Air Force aircraft.

BAC Jet Provost T.5A XW433 / G-JPRO

Classic Flight’s Jet Provost T.5A was built at the British Aircraft Corporation factory at Warton, Lancashire in 1972 as XW433 and immediately entered service with 3FTS at RAF Leeming, Yorkshire.

XW433 served at the base for five years before being reallocated to 7FTS and making the 30nm journey south (almost down the A1!) to RAF Church Fenton. It served another five years here before returning north to 7FTS at Leeming in 1982!

In 1984 it was reallocated again, this time to… 3FTS at Church Fenton! Thankfully XW433 then enjoyed a lengthy stay at its new home before it was re-assigned to the School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford, Shropshire in 1992. It stayed here for three years before departing for storage at nearby RAF Shawbury in 1995.

The Jet Provost was fast making a name for itself as a private aircraft and retired examples were quickly snapped up by owners wanting a high performance ‘toy.’ Consequently XW433 did not stay at Shawbury for long and was sold at auction to Nottinghamshire based Ruddington Aviation – who registered it with the UK CAA as G-JPRO on August 10, 1995.

‘Romeo Oscar’ remained with Ruddington Aviation for four years until it was re-registered to Edwalton Aviation on Armistice Day in 1999. It was operated with the new owners until 2007 when it was acquired by the Classic Flight and flown to Coventry. Today it flies in authentic RAF training markings and carries its original RAF serial.