F.58 J-4015 at Mollis, 12th August 2006; author	F.58 J-4015 at Mollis, 14th August 2006; author

J-4040 was built as an F.58 at Dunsfold and delivered to the Swiss Air Force in May 1959. She served with Fliegerstaffels 15 and 20 and was retired in 1993. She resumed flying in 2001 after some years of storage. The dramatic paint scheme of white with black newspaper lettering is similar to a memorable scheme worn by the real J-4015 and carries the names of various 15 Squadron personnel on her topsides. She was given the symbolic serial J-4015 to mark the disbandment of 15 Squadron. She visited the UK in 2001, appearing at the Hunter 50th Anniversary airshow at Kemble and also at RIAT, but soon after was grounded for a couple of years while a major rebuild took place. She flew again in 2004 and is seen here displaying at Mollis during the International Hunter Meet 06. Information current as of 19/08/2006.

Built by Hawkers as an F.58, J-4015 first flew at Dunsfold on 1st January 1959 and was delivered to the Swiss Air Force at Emmen the next month. She served with Fliegerstaffels 3, 5, 7, 11 and 20 and during 20's last refresher course the ground crew were let loose on her with 160 spray cans! The result was 'Graffiti Hunter' and she flew in this scheme from September 1994 onward, being retired in December 1994. She made one more flight in May 1995, being delivered to Hunter Verein Glarus at the ex-Swiss Air Force base at Mollis, where she now resides. She's normally stored in one of the mountainside hangars and is a potential for restoration to airworthiness though the cost involved is substantial. Her engine is run occasionally and she is seen here displayed outside as a static exhibit at the Air Mollis/International Hunter Meet airshow. Information current as of 19/08/2006.

F.58 J-4018 at Interlaken, 20th March 2002; Urs Stoller via Ray Deacon	F.58 J-4021 at RAF Scampton, 15th October 1999; author

A second F.Mk.58 has been restored to a high standard for use as a static exhibit at Interlaken. Retired from service in 1994, J-4018 was obtained by RUAG Aerospace Interlaken and photographed outside the company's premises in late March 2002, shortly after the paint had dried.

F.58 J-4021 is owned by the Old Flying Machine Company and is very much airworthy and was a regular on the UK airshow circuit in 1998 though not so much in 1999. 4021 is actually a rather special aircraft, being the lead ship of the Swiss formation team, the Patrouille de Suisse. My thanks to Matt Potulski of the OFMC/HHA for the guided tour of the cockpit - the first time I've ever sat on a live ejector seat!

F.58 J-4026 at Basel, 2002; Thomas P. Hofer	F.58 J-4029 at RCAF memorial Museum, 14th April 2003; Peter Whitfield

J-4026 is stored in a private museum hangar at the EuroAirport Basel-Freiburg-Mulhouse; visits to the museum, located in the GA part of the airfield, are only on request so she is not generally viewable. The picture shows the aircraft before entering the hangar 'forever'.

Out in the cold in Canada is the RCAF Memorial Museum's J-4029, an ex Patroulle de Suisse bird as you can see from the badge on the nose and the 30th anniversary markings on the tail. Recently repainted, she looks good but unfortunately the paint scheme - wrap around soft-edged camo - isn't accurate.

F.58 J-4031 at RAF Scampton, 15th October 1999; author	F.58 J-4035 at Grand Canyon Airport, October 1999; Mike Baldock

J-4031 is another ex-Patrouille de Suisse aircraft. The jack under the port wing was taking some weight off the gear as it's lost hydraulic pressure - this happens sometimes because the engine is responsible for keeping pressure up, and J-4031 has stood idle for some time. With Ray Hanna's death in 2005, several of the OFMC airframes have moved on, and this includes J-4031 which is now with the Hunter Flying Club at Exeter. Information current as of 24/07/2006.

Another ex-Swiss F.58, J-4035 seems to be in use at the Grand Canyon airport as an advert for the Planes of Fame Museum - a gate guard of sorts then, just quite a distance from the actual museum, which isn't at the airport! The Arizona sun is doing the paintwork no favours but she looks intact - I've had a report that in September 2004 she looked less faded and had presumably been repainted. Information current as of 25/09/2004.

F.58 J-4058 at RAF Scampton, 15th October 1999; author	F.58 J-4059 at height over South Africa; Ron Wheeldon

Well here's a shock. Another OFMC F.58! With eight airworthy F.58s, one more being restored plus a T.7 and and a T.68 also due, the OFMC/HHA have more than enough Hunters to form a civilian version of the Black Arrows display team - and with Ray Hanna (the founder of the Red Arrows of course) in charge, who is better qualified?! I know I'd pay money to watch them all together...

Owned by Ron Wheeldon and flown regularly, J-4059 is normally based at Thunder City along with his other Hunter - J-4202. She's currently undergoing servicing at Rand airport, Germiston, which will include some touch-ups on the paintwork. Ron, a long-time fan of the Hunter having had one possibly save his life by carrying out a strike against terrorists when he was in the Zimbabwean Army, actually originally tried to procure this aircraft for the SAAF Museum, but when they decided they didn't want it, was offered the aircraft himself - and said yes, of course! J-4059 first flew in June 1959 and served with the Swiss Air Force for 35 years before retirement. Arriving in SA in 1996, she was flown briefly before being grounded by the SA CAA. Then certified by the Swaziland CAA as 3D-HUN, she took to the air again and was eventually certified by the SA CAA under her current ID of ZU-AVC.