RAF Halton Open Day 1974

Welcome, its June 1974 and today we are off to the School of Technical Training at RAF Halton for their much missed open day. I still have memories of being taken to the open day in the early 60's and walking past a line of Meteor's waiting to be axed on the way from the car park and seeing a Javelin doing aerobatics, but today is still interesting as its a rare opportunity to see some of the RAF's maintenance airframes some not usually associated with the RAF and get to grips with the M  sequence of identities. So the Zenith B is full of film and we can all squeeze into the vaguely rally prepared 1960 Mini as its only a couple of miles down the road.

                                  We start off with Canberra B(1) 8  8204M formerly  XM271

Jet Provost 3 8410M formerly  XR662. The JP3's could often be seen taxying around the airfield  for aircraft marshalling practice as well as the usual use for engineer training.

Piston Provost T1  8060M formerly WW397 like the JP3 the Provost T1's could often  be seen running round the airfield training marshaller's as well as being taken to pieces by the engineering students.

The Sea Vixen FAW2 was not usually associated with the RAF but a number turned up at Halton after they were retired by the Royal Navy and were given RAF maintenance serials ( the Navy had their own maintenance number series) here we see  8143M  the former XN691.

And finally against an impressive backdrop of Sea Vixen's is Spitfire 16 RW386, one of Halton's travelling circus of aircraft taken by road to display at various airshows in company with a JP3 and Canberra nose.

And so as the Mini roars off into the Chiltern Hills, we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

PS if you would like to feed the fish just left click some food into the pond.