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One of the four
Jet-Provosts of The Macaws. Well... Hear about a Macaws pilot
John "BJ" Adlington... He began career at RAF Hamble
and converted to Jet Provost, Gnat and Hunter.
In the early seventies he was successively part of The Macaws and The
Swords aerobatic teams, all two flying Jet Provosts, the first
from RAF Manby, the second from RAF Leeming...
After a tour with the Royal Navy where John "BJ" flew
De Havilland Sea-Vixen, he came back to Royal Air Force and
converted to Phantom in RAF Germany...
It was not enough... He joined the maritime force and flew Avro
Shackletons from Irish and Malta bases...
Probably tired with low and slow flights he went to Binbrook for
conversion on English-Electic/BAC Lightning , becoming in the mid
eighties the official RAF display pilot on this type...and Commanding Officer of N° 11 Squadron.
It was not an end when he did his last flight as RAF officer at
Cranfield during 1988, this ultime sortie being also the last
official flight of the Lightning in the Royal Air Force...
And the story continues because he converted on the BAe Hawk in
1989 as QFI...and now is flying for KLM UK as an instructor captain
on Fokker 50s... and belongs, nostalgy, nostalgy, to the "Classic
Fighters" in Belgium where aircraft such Hawker Hunters are
restaured and flown...
Their site is at http://www.classicfighters.com/Contact/index.htm. Its not a publicity, just because I
belong to the completely mad world of aircraft enthusiasts and
you find quite interesting links about Air Shows and aerobatic
teams etc...
Did you imagine about what a "Macaw" could be capable...???
