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Gate Guard Photo Quiz

Previous Pictures, Answers and Winners

Answer to the 10th January 1998 Quiz

Cor blimey! I'm in a state of shock - only one correct answer for this one! A hearty well done to Paul Gold for knowing that this lovely little Percival Provost T1 (XF844/70) was on the gate at Bruntingthorpe for a period of time during 1997. Shame on the rest of you as it proves none of you were at the Rolling Thunder show in July! I don't know what happened to Paul Osborne as he was standing next to me when I took this shot! Most of the incorrect answers were for RAF training stations such as Swinderby and Linton-on-Ouse.

Answer to the 10th December 1997 Quiz

Yet another gorgeous aeroplane...a de Havilland DH106 Comet C2 (serial XK699); guarding the gate at RAF Lyneham.

I took this shot in July 1997 while in the area for the RIAT at Fairford. I wish the Comet was positioned nearer the road, but I guess having such a wonderful aeroplane on display may be too distracting for drivers!

This month's stars are Paul Crawley, Roger Steele, Mike Tighe, B.Condon, Mark Curran and Mark Bewick who had a headstart on the rest of you because he used to be stationed at Lyneham! I was surprised that there were no more correct answers; but then again when was the last public airshow at Lyneham?! Incorrect answers included Cosford, Filton and of course Hatfield.

Answer to the 13th November 1997 Quiz

What a gorgeous aeroplane! Ah yes, this lovingly restored BAC Lightning F3 in Lightning Training Flight markings graces the road next to the terminal building at Teeside Airport (the one time RAF Middleton Saint George and former Lightning base). I took this shot in September 1997 on the way up to the airshow at RAF Leuchars. The only complaint has to be that damn fence!

Unsurprisingly I'm not the only person who adores Lightnings and it shows in the number of correct answers this month! Congratulations to Damien Burke, Paul Crawley, Dave Charles, David Snowden, Rick Kent and Kevin Minett.

Answer to the 14th October 1997 Quiz

Gate Guard duties at Bruntingthorpe are shared by this ex Danish Air Force Hawker Hunter F51 and another aircraft which I'm not going to mention in case I decide to use it in a future quiz :)

Damien Burke did send me the serial of the Hunter but like a muppet i've deleted his email! It's currently marked as XF324/D in a special 92 Squadron, Royal Air Force colour scheme very similar to that worn by a Phantom FGR2 and Hawk T1 in recent years. Rick Kent informs me it is the colour scheme worn by the unit's Hunters when they formed the Blue Diamonds aerobatic team for the 1961-1962 season (between the Black Arrows of 111 Squadron and the Lightning F1s of the Tigers of 74 Squadron. As good as the Red Arrows are, I'd sure prefer to see a diamond-nine of Lightnings...

I took the picture above at the Rolling Thunder show in July which anyone with a love of old jets big and small simply must visit!

Honours this month go to Paul Gold, Damien Burke and John Corbally.

Answer to the 20th September 1997 Quiz

RAF North Luffenham is guarded by this Armstrong-Whitworth Meteor NF14, serial WS776, coded K. It was photographed here back in 1990 when I was in the area for that year's Families' Day at nearby RAF Cottesmore. It is still there, as confirmed by Gill Hands who saw it whilst she was on holiday there this year...she couldn't remember whether it was "North" or "South" Luffenham though so I'm not sure we can call her a winner this month :)

I thought this was going to be difficult but quite a few of you got it correct: Damien Burke, Garry Lakin, Mark Davey and Paul Crawley. Congratualtions to them and to Gill!

The most common incorrect answer was the RAF Hospital at Ely which was in times past also guarded by a nightfigher Meteor.

Answer to the 10th August 1997 Quiz

RAF Cranwell was guarded by De Havilland Vampire T11, serial XD542 (marked as XD429), back in 1990 when I took this picture. It was moved up to RAF Edzell to guard the gate there a few years back and as far as I know it is still there. I won't mention what Cranwell's new guardian is just in case I use it in a future quiz :)

Congratulations to the winners who are Frank Wielbo, Damien Burke and Mike Tighe. Bad luck to the losers whose various guesses included Swinderby (which was guarded by a similar Vampire), Yeovilton and Gutersloh.

Answer to the 16th July 1997 Quiz

RAF Halton was guarded by Hawker Hunter F6, serial XF527, back in 1993 when I took this picture. I've had a mail from John Allcock to confirm that it was still there on 19th August 1997 and indeed was having a rub-down for a new paint job! Ged Doyle confirmed that it was still there in March 2000, and Tony Heritage confirms it is still there in 2004.

Congratulations to the winners who are Paul Crawley, Mike Tighe, Simon Pouard, Damien Burke and Roger Steele. Bad luck to the losers whose various guesses included Boscombe Down, Farnborough and Cranwell.

Answer to the 10th July 1997 Quiz

Not too difficult this one, the answer is RAF Cottesmore is guarded by BAC (English Electric) Canberra PR7, serial WH791. Congratulations to the winners who are Paul Crawley and Damien Burke. Lots of you guessed at RAF Wyton, which of course was for a long time the "home" of the Canberra. I took this picture in June 1990 but WH791 was still on the gate in June 1997 when I visited the RAF Cottesmore Community Day Photocall.

Answer to the 30th June 1997 Quiz

Quite a difficult one to start off with I thought, but nonetheless two people correctly identified that RAF Kemble in Gloucestershire used to be guarded by Meteor F8 WH364. Congratulations to Simon Pouard and Frank Wielbo! Damien Burke got it on his second attempt; his first guess being Finningley which a number of other people also gave as their answer. Finningley was indeed guarded by a Meteor, but not this one!

I took the above picture back in May 1990 and RAF Kemble was vacated by the military on July 31st 1992 after being in use for a number of years by the USAF for maintenance work. It was not unusual to find a USAF C-130 or two parked around the airfield during that time. Kemble is of course now home to a wide selection of classic aircraft, particularly classic jets, and its airshows and rallies are an essential element of the current UK airshow calendar.

WH364 is a lovely example of a Meteor F8 and thankfully was not sold for scrap when the station was closed. After a few years storage locally, this Meteor returned to Kemble with one of the based historic collections and regularly makes an appearance at Kemble airshows. Mike Gilmore reports that as of October 2004 it is parked out on a dispersal near to the Britannia, and looking rather sorry for itself.

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