Glyn Phillips' flight in a T.8 Hunter

"Glyn Phillips is a former Royal Navy Medical Officer between 1981 and 1986.
During 1981 just prior to a post on submarines, he was moved to HMS Heron. On two occasions he was lucky enough to experience flights in a FRADU T.8 Hunter, and during the second trip Glyn had his camera with him in the cockpit.
He lent me these photos for the FRADU Hunters web-site.


1. [© Glyn Phillips]	2. [© Glyn Phillips]

(1) & (2)On a snowy morning in December 1981 Glyn went for his flight in a T.8C Hunter. These photos show XL598/870 and XF357/877 awaiting their crews on the RNAS Yeovilton flight-line. Glyn would be flying in '870' for his sortie.


3. [© Glyn Phillips]	4. [© Glyn Phillips]

(3) A view of the FRADU aircraft taken over the wing of XL598/870. To the extreme left is the middle and rear of GA.11 XE685/861 with GA.11 WT809/867 visible above the drop-tanks. Glyn then climbed aboard his aircraft.
(4) Once strapped in by a member of the FRADU's ground-crew Glyn took this photo from the cockpit of XL598, showing the pilot of T.8C WV396/871 getting assistance with his straps.


5. [© Glyn Phillips]	6. [© Glyn Phillips]

(5) Taxiing out through the slush for take-off at RNAS Yeovilton. Glyn's pilot for the sortie is Ted Clowes, a well liked and respected Hunter pilot of the FRADU.
(6) A view from the edge of the threshold, waiting for the aircraft in front to take off and clear the runway.


7. [© Glyn Phillips]	8. [© Glyn Phillips]

(7) A pairs take-off with T.8C XF357/877, this image captures 877 just before rotation...
(8) ...and just after lift-off.


9. [© Glyn Phillips]	10. [© Glyn Phillips]	11. [© Glyn Phillips]

(9) (10) & (11) Three photographs taken by the securely-fastened Glyn Phillips, showing the formating T.8C XF357/877. The two T.8Cs, along with two other examples were on their way to an Royal Navy exercise taking place over the Scilly Isles.


12. [© Glyn Phillips]	13. [© Glyn Phillips]	14. [© Glyn Phillips]

(12) (13) & (14) After the sortie was completed, the aircraft flew to RAF St Mawgan for re-fuelling. The last of the three shows Glyn's aircraft on final approach to land.

15.

(15) Landing successful, Ted taxies XL598 into St Mawgan with XF357 leading the way.
A tail fin of another T.8 is clearly visible on the right hand side of the full image.

16.

(16) As the crews retired to the crew room for a well earned cup of tea the RAF ground-crew refuelled the four jets.
Once this was completed it was time to head back to Yeovilton. Glyn captured these two aircraft, GA.11 XF300/860 and WT722/873 just before they commenced their pairs take-off from a wet defrosted St Mawgan.


17. [© Glyn Phillips]	18. [© Glyn Phillips]

(17) Glyn captures a view of Cornwall just after departure from St Mawgan.
(18) A superb portrait of the Cornish coastline, such a shame that a Hunter T.8 rather spoils a great shot ;)


19. [© Glyn Phillips]	20. [© Glyn Phillips]	21. [© Glyn Phillips]

(19) On the way back to RNAS Yeovilton, XF357/877 moves back into formation, over the wonderful sight of the countryside below. Also present in the photograph are the two other FRADU Hunters featured earlier, XF300 and WT722, flying in formation beneath the clouds.
(20) WT722 and XF300 move onto the port side of XL598, allowing Glyn to take this excellent air-to-air image.
(21) Superb. Ted moves XL598 in close as the pilot of WT722 extends his air-break.

As Glyn and Ted approached Yeovilton, Ted radioed to the tower that he was breaking away to use up fuel, as RAF St Mawgan had put too much in. XL598 headed for Wincanton where Glyn was treated to some aerobatics, and a zero gravity demonstration, before Ted rejoined the Yeovilton circuit and landed, thus bringing to an end Glyn's second flight in a Hunter.

This page is dedicated to Ted Clowes upon the request of Glyn.
A real character liked and respected by all at the FRADU, Ted was tragically killed three years after Glyn's flight, in October 1984, when the Hunter he was flying crashed off the coast of Portsmouth.

NOTE: All these photographs that appear on this page are © Glyn Phillips.
If you wish to use these photos for anything other then personal use you must first get his permission.