Jet Provost T.Mk.1 courses at No.2 FTS, Hullavington, 1955 - 1957

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15 years 2 months

Posts: 108

I wonder if anyone has any anecdotes about the three experimental courses carried out at No.2 FTS, Hullavington, with the Jet Provost T.Mk.1? The school ran three courses to experiment in all-through jet training to ascertain if they could achieve a saving in flying hours before the students progressed to AFTS on Vampires at Swinderby.

The three courses were: No.113 (Jet) Course, Sept 1955 - July 1956; No.120 (Jet) Course, July 1956 - Feb 1957; and No.125 (Jet) Course. This last course began training in March 1957 but was obviously not completed as the school disbanded in July 1957.

Any comments would be most welcome.

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12 years 9 months

Posts: 20

Vampiredave

My recollections of that period are rather trivial ,l I'm afraid. All I can remember of those courses, is that the students wore 'officer cadet' white hatbands despite being commissioned APO's. Also there was one student, Haig-Thomas, who was 'famous' for having been educated at Eton. It seems an odd thing to remember, I know, but it was unusual for an Eton boy to end up in the RAF. (...anyone think of any more?). Haig-Thomas was an agreeable and convivial type - I believe he ended flying Hunters at Khormaksar

A small correction to your post:

2 FTS did not disband in mid 1957. It remained at Hullavington until 18 Nov 57 when it moved to Syerston.

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16 years

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then he(H-T) is running old warden

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15 years 2 months

Posts: 108

Hi Ron,

Thank you for finding the time to respond. Tony Haig-Thomas was a member of the second course and went on to fly Hunters, Venoms and Javelins, at least according to his book, "Fall Out Roman Catholics and Jews". It is very good book and I would agree that he is an agreeable chap. I believe that he is now something to do with the Shuttleworth Trust?

The disbandment date I gave, is of course, wrong. I was looking at the date it was first mentioned in the ORB - I must change my glasses?

The last course is an anomaly, as it still recorded as being trained when the school was in the process of being run down before disbandment. It is my belief that it was absorbed by the last Piston Provost course to complete its training?

The loss of XD692 on 30 Aug 1956 is also a bit obscure: engine failure; forced landing on small airfield, 8 miles WNW of Hullavington, slid across field and hit stone wall. Where exactly is "8 Miles WNW of Hullavington"?

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24 years 2 months

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A friend of mine was on one of those courses, as were several well-known wartime Luftwaffe aces.

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15 years 2 months

Posts: 108

It would be interesting to talk to anyone who was trained on JP1s at Hullavington, as this was a period of great interest to me.

In February 1957, a group of journalists and Air Ministry photographers, etc., were invited to Hullavington to record and photograph of progress of the course and the all-through jet training programme. I have seen the subsequent articles featured in Flight, Aeroplane, etc., but I have never seen any of the photographs that were taken that day?