Hunter FGA Mk.9 XE597

Built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston-upon-Thames as a Hunter F6.

16/04/1956    First flew from Kingston-upon-Thames.

31/08/1956    Delivered to No.19 Maintenance Unit at St. Athan.

09/10/1956    Delivered to 66 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse.

07/11/1956    Transferred to 63 Squadron at Waterbeach, coded "A".

As an F.6, displayed at Heathrow on 21/09/1958 whilst with 63 Sqn

As an F6, displayed at Heathrow on 21/09/1958 whilst with 63 Sqn

06/05/1959    Returned to Hawker Siddeley for conversion to FGA9 standard.

22/02/1960    FGA9 conversion completed.

01/03/1960    Delivered to No.19 Maintenance Unit at St. Athan.

01/04/1960    Delivered to 208 Sqn at Stradishall, coded "G".

01/06/1960    Relocated with 208 Sqn to Eastleigh, Kenya.

Temporarily loaned to the Ministry of Aviation from 1961 to 1963.

18/03/1963    Transferred to 54 Sqn at Stradishall.

14/08/1963    Relocated with 54 Sqn to West Raynham.

04/10/1963    On returning to base at El Adem Airfield, Libya whilst participating in Exercise Triplex West. During the downwind leg and final approach, the pilot was paying particular attention to two aircraft. One, which had just taken off, and the other that had received permission to do a photographic run across the airfield at 800 feet. On finals, the pilot radioed “three greens”. Touchdown was very gentle, but the pilot had no idea that the undercarriage was unfortunately still in the raised position, until after several hundred yards the aircraft started to drift to starboard. Eventually the aircraft swung off the runway and turned through 150 degrees.

20/12/1963    To Hawker Siddeley for repairs following the CAT.4 damage described above.

06/04/1965    Delivered to 1 Sqn at West Raynham, coded "A".

As an FGA.9, serving with 1 Sqn in 1969

As an FGA9, serving with 1 Sqn in 1969

18/07/1969    Relocated with 1 Sqn to Wittering.

30/10/1969    Transferred to West Raynham Station Flight.

16/03/1970    Transferred to 229 OCU at Chivenor.

02/09/1974    229 OCU unit designation changed to TWU.

11/07/1977    Transferred to Brawdy, coded "F".

09/06/1978    Transferred to Lossiemouth as part of 2 TWU, coded "F".

14/04/1981    Transferred to 1 TWU at Brawdy, coded "F".

In 1 TWU/79 Sqn marks coded F

In 1 TWU/79 Sqn marks coded F

Painted with 79 Sqn markings as a 1 TWU "Shadow Squadron".

Remained operational at Brawdy as such until 1985.

May 1987    Issued to 1 SoTT at Halton as an instructional airframe.

June 1989    Cockpit section removed, and rest of airframe placed on the dump.

Cockpit section moved to Moreton-in-Marsh Fire School College in 1992/1993.

Cockpit section purchased by Bob Dunn, Mick Boulanger and Brian Barrett of the Wolverhampton Aviation Group, and transferred to Finstall, Bromsgrove on 19/03/2002.