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As part of our weekend of RAF Home Teams, we are pleased to be working with the heritage centre at the former RAF Coltishall, a location long recognised as the “Home of the RAF Jaguar”, to offer a focused photographic opportunity built around their preserved ex-RAF Jaguar GR1, XZ384.
This airframe represents a significant aspect of the station’s operational history, and the setting provides an authentic backdrop that reflects its service life within the RAF.
This shoot is designed with the aviation photographer in mind. Time on site will be structured to allow considered compositions and access that goes beyond a standard visit, and will incorporate re-enactors with period accurate uniforms and equipment to provide the 'time-travel' element you expect from a COAP Heritage event.
The aim is simple: to provide a rare chance to photograph a Jaguar in a location that still carries the unique character of its operational past.
This shoot is the second of two over the weekend of 31st October - November 1st. on the previous day, part I of this RAF Home Team weekend sees us up in Lincolnshire at the former RAF Binbrook home of the iconic English Electric Lightning, with re-enactors, ground equipment and full engine run!
Why not make a weekend of it and book both shoots?
A more detailed itinerary will follow closer to the time.
Background Info on XZ384
First flown on 18th March 1977, XZ384 was delivered to RAF Bruggen and 20 Squadron on 6th April 1977. She went on to serve briefly with 31 Squadron from July to October 1984, and then finally to 17 Squadron (coded BC). She had a relatively short career, and the airframe carried out her last flight on 28th February 1985, back to the UK and storage at RAF Shawbury.
She was later transported to RAF Cosford in March 1988. At Cosford, XZ384 joined the DCAE school where she was used for ground instructional purposes. Having stayed undercover for so long being looked after by the apprentices, the airframe remained in very good condition, though she did go on to spend some time out in the weather when the instructional fleet was also retired, and became rather faded as a result.
It was advertised in June 2023 that XZ384 would be going for auction over the following months, and by early 2024, the RAF Coltishall Heritage Centre had acquired the aircraft. A successful crowdfunding effort raised the money needed to transport XZ384 ‘home’ to RAF Coltishall for preservation and display, and she duly arrived there on 19th July 2024.
