"JET PROVOST HEAVEN"


KNOWN JET PROVOST T.5 SURVIVORS
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BAC JET PROVOST T.5A XW355 ("XW354"/G-JPTV)
 
   
Jet Provost T.5 XW355 was built at Warton and delivered to the RAF during late 1970. At the time of writing exact details of its service career in Training Command is unclear but it is known that it served for at least 10 years with the Royal Air Force College at RAF Cranwell during the late 1970's and early 1980's as '20'. Its last service posting was a brief period with 3FTS, also based at RAF Cranwell before being formally retired from service. It carried out its last flight in October 1988 when it was flown to RAF Shawbury for storage. It remained here for five years until being put up for auction in July 1993 at Phillips, where it was hammered down for £8,000.

Colin Allen of Downbird UK acquired XW355, and the aircraft was moved to Tatenhill Aerodrome in Staffordshire during the early months of 1995. Its stay in Staffordshire was brief as it was sold to Bo Johansson, who moved it to Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire. It arrived by road in August 1995 and it was stored as the owner made arrangements to move it to a workshop where restoration could begin.
In May 1996 it was roaded to a location in Rugby, Warwickshire and Bo began work to return 355 to the air. He placed the aircraft on the civilian register as G-JPTV and had the aircraft repainted into a civilian blue and yellow colour scheme, the colours of Bo's home country, Sweden.

Sadly Bo Johansson passed away and the Jet Provost was put up for sale by his estate. It was bought by the Seagull Formation group and they put the finishing touches to Bo's fine restoration, and G-JPTV flew again in 1998 its first time in private hands and its first flight in almost 10 years. The jet was based originally based at North Weald, but later at Cranfield where the resident Kennet Aviation maintained it on Seagull's behalf. During 2002 Kennet moved their facilities to North Weald and G-JPTV soon joined them for its second stay on the Essex airfield.

In April 2003 Gerald Williams of Gower Jets acquired XW355, and he ferried it to its new home at Swansea the following month. It was rubbed down by the team in preparation for a repaint into a new military colour scheme. In June 2003 the repaint was finished and G-JPTV emerged as 'XW354', a former lead aircraft of the RAF aerobatics team "The Poachers".
The aircraft made its airshow debut at Kemble's Classic Jet airshow and after several static appearances at various shows Gerald made his debut JP display at the Kemble's At Home Day during September.

During December 2003 XW355 was sold to Stewart Davies, and following time spent based at Sandtoft and Humberside Airport, it now lives with T.4 XR673 at RAF Church Fenton.

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