The Flying Christmas Tree

The early days of the Jaguar in II (AC) Sqn service were a mixture of elation and frustration.   Elation at being at the Cutting Edge of introducing a new type into service; frustration at the chronic lack of spares that prevented us from maintaining serviceability at a creditable level.   (Our situation at RAF Laarbruch was one of being a satellite Jaguar station - away from the RAF Bruggen Supply Chain mainstream).  Indeed, the situation became so bad within our first few months of operation that it was decided the next new aircraft would provide a source of badly needed bits to maintain the aircraft we already had.  So it was that when XZ105 (Y) was received it was quietly parked in HAS 58 where behind closed doors it was systematically stripped of parts to keep it’s fellow Jaguars flying.   A veritable Christmas Tree.

There it sat providing a service not envisaged when the aircraft had been initially handed over to the RAF but playing a valuable role nonetheless.  (I don’t believe we got to the infamous situation whereby a sign was displayed urging "whoever takes the last bit, please sweep up the space" but it was a close-run thing!)

Clearly, this was not a sustainable function for such a thoroughbred and thankfully the spares situation improved to the extent where we were able to put more things back on this low-mileage Jaguar than we were removing.  So it was that nearly 8 months later XZ105 was once again deemed complete and a raffle was held amongst the Aircrew to decide who was to do the Air Test.  Derek Bridge "won" and we, the Ground Crew, watched with fingers crossed as he taxied away to prove our work had been successfully completed.

The accompanying picture shows the celebratory Champagne being poured following his successful return so I guess we must have done a good job.

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