The forthcoming 12th annual Abingdon Air & Country Show, taking place on Abingdon Airfield, Dalton Barracks on Sunday 8th May will feature a true british icon of the skies.
The mighty Avro Vulcan bomber is planned to kick start its 2011 display season by appearing at Abingdon, the first time in 21 years since its last appearance at the then annual Battle of Britain At Home Days when Abingdon was a full time Royal Air Force Station.
This particular Vulcan, XH558, is the last and only surviving airworthy example in the world, now under private ownership. Her final flight in Royal Air Force service was on 23rd March 1993 to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire, having been sold off by the Ministry of Defence to C Walton Ltd. The Vulcan to the Sky Trust was formed, headed by Dr Robert Pleming to return the aircraft to flight,with funding helped by the Heritage Lottery Funds in December 2003 and restoration work starting in 2005.
This remarkable achievement came to an end on 18th October 2007 when
XH558 flew again, the first time in 14 years with over £7 million pounds being spent on the project. Since then, it has been kept flying at airshows around the UK by donations from the huge fanbase of followers but is in constant need for financial support to help keeping her flying. More information on the Vulcan can be found at www.vulcantothesky.org
The Air & Country Show organiser Neil Porter said ‘ We are absolutely thrilled to have the Vulcan appear with us, on its first 2011 appearance. Last year our star was the Dutch F16 fighter for example, this year its this magnificent example of British aviation. We all hope the weather behaves, aircraft serviceability is 100% & funding to allow
XH558 to fly down to us, display and return home which is Robin Hood Airport, Yorks’
‘ The aircraft has such a large following and is just as popular as the Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight!’
The Vulcan heads up a four hour flying display featuring both old and new including from the Royal Air Force, with the show featuring Static aircraft, Crafts, Tank rides, Live Music and many other attractions for all the family to enjoy. Advance tickets are on sale at local Tourist Information Centres, aswell as on the website: www.abingdonfayre.com
The show starts around 10am but people are advised to arrive earlier to avoid traffic queueing because the Vulcan certainly attracts large crowds!!!
Airshows have recently received the allocation letters detailing their RAF support for the coming season which will include the Red Arrows, RAF Falcons, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, 208(R) Sqn Hawk solo, 207(R)/72(R) Tucano, and the 1 EFTS Tutor T1 as well as the occasional display from the SAR Sea King. The latter will be part of celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of RAF Search and Rescue.
Launching the 2011 air show season, Imperial War Museum Duxford’s Spring Air Show, on Sunday 22 May, celebrates the integral role played by women in the development of aviation. From technological advancement to daring aerial aptitude, in military and civil aviation; aerial adventure and aerobatics; engineering and mechanical endeavour, the achievements of women have informed air travel from its earliest incarnations to its contemporary technological advancement. The Spring Air Show presents stunning aerial displays by a formidable line-up of superbly talented female aviators.
Anna Walker (flying a Supermarine Seafire and Bucker Jungmann aircraft) has been flying for over 30 years. At the age of 13, she started gliding and moved on to power-flying as a tug pilot. After undertaking formation and aerobatic training, Anna took part in aerobatic competitions, in her Bucker Jungmann, winning three out of every four competitions entered. Anna now regularly displays at air shows, flying a Bucker Jungmann, a Beech Staggerwing and a Harvard IV. She is the first woman to fly a Hawker Hurricane since the female ferry pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary.
Angie Soper (flying a Yak 11) learnt to fly in 1983 at Biggin Hill, becoming a qualified flying instructor at Stapleford in 1987. Gaining a commercial flying licence, she flew Dart Heralds on night freight runs for British Air Ferries between 1989 and 1990. In the 1990s, she became joint owner of a Harvard and began display flying, before acquiring a Yak 11 in 1998. She also operates a Yak 50 and Yak 52, which are both based on her farm strip.
Diana Britten (flying a CAP 232) embarked on a career in competition aerobatics with only 60 hours flying to her credit. From 1981 to 1986, Diana progressed through the levels from Standard to Unlimited, making her World Aerobatic Championship debut in 1986. Diana has flown in six World Championships, five European Championships and became the British Aerobatic Champion in 1995, the first-ever non-commercial pilot, and the first woman, to take the title. She followed that with the title of British Freestyle Champion.
Carolyn Grace (flying the Grace Spitfire and a Stampe) is one of only two female Spitfire pilots in the world. She successfully completed her training in the Grace Spitfire in 1990, and hasn’t looked back since, gaining her Display Authorisation in 1991 and adding Aerobatic and Formation qualifications to that in the following years. Carolyn has perfected a graceful aerobatic display that is immensely popular with air show crowds and Spitfire devotees alike.
Judy Leden MBE (flying a hang glider with microlight tug pilot Shelley Smith) is a World Champion hang glider and para glider. Current holder of four world records, Judy has also successfully completed a long list of daredevil stunts, including flying across the English Channel in a hang glider in 1989, after being released from a hot air balloon 12,000 feet up; and jumping off the edge of Cotopaxi, which at nearly 20,000 feet, is one of the world’s highest active volcanoes. Competitive successes include winning the Women’s World Hang Gliding Championships in 1987 and again in 1991. She has been British Women’s Champion six times and in 1995, she won the Women’s Para Gliding Championship. Judy broke the tandem altitude record for hang glider balloon drops in 1998 and also recently broke the Tandem World Aerotowing Altitude Record, with TV presenter Matt Baker. They were towed aloft by a microlight, reaching 11,020 feet. Judy was awarded the MBE in 1989 for services to hang gliding.
Tricia Neville (displaying the Thruxton Jackaroo G-ANTZ) comes from an RAF family. She began by flying gliders at Booker and in 1990 she learnt to fly on Tiger Moths at Cambridge, where she completed her Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL). In 2002, Tricia gained her Display Authorisation. Although Tricia never originally thought that she would learn to fly herself, she had been an active part of the ground crew for the Barnstormers Flying Circus for over a decade. She has now become an active flying member of Captain Neville’s Flying Circus and takes part in the majority of routines, organising the boys en route. At the Spring Air Show, Tricia will be leading three aircraft in one of the Flying Circus’ most popular extravaganza displays.
Leah Hammond (flying the Auster) started flying at the age of 16. Once qualified, she did a tailwheel conversion on the Auster, before going on to fly a 450hp Stearman and then flew some 90 hours on the Harvard. At the Spring Air Show, she will be displaying the Auster, which she has been displaying since 2009.
Clare Tector (flying the Chilton monoplane) has been flying since 1999, having initially caught the flying bug as an air cadet in the early 1990s. She achieved her PPL just in time to celebrate the Centenary of Powered Flight in late 2003. Since this time, Clare has taken part in basic aerobatic competition and, in the last few years, has displayed various aircraft in shows at Old Warden. In 2010, she was a recipient of the Fiona McKay Flying Bursary through the de Havilland Educational Trust, giving her a chance to learn how to fly the Tiger Moth. Earlier this year, she was invited to become an Apprentice Display Pilot with the Shuttleworth Collection.
Royal Air Force 208 Squadron will be displaying the BAE Systems Hawk, flown by Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming.
The flying programme wouldn’t be complete without a display by Jeanne Frazer, IWM Duxford’s Flying Display Director, who will be flying a Piper L4 Cub.
See some of the world’s premier female pilots perform breathtaking flying displays at the Spring Air Show, in a celebration of the women who have courageously led the way in aerial adventure.
Announcing the IWM Duxford Air Show App 2011
Imperial War Museum Duxford is launching an innovative and exciting Smartphone application for the 2011 air show season. Available from mid -May 2011, the App will give real time, up-to-the-minute information about what is flying at our air shows, as the aircraft display.
Available for both Android and iPhone platforms, the App will also include an extensive library of photography, statistics and information about classic aircraft you can see flying in the air shows and where in the Duxford exhibitions you can find out more about them.
As a special introduction, the App will be FREE for a limited time at launch. It will be available for download prior to the Spring Air Show and on the day itself – IWM Duxford will be providing wifi access at the museum for live downloading. This dynamic guide to the Spring Air Show, and our other air shows throughout 2011, is a first for Duxford and demonstrates the Imperial War Museum’s commitment to innovation in new technologies. It aims to be the most innovative air show app around.
Spitfire Ale has today announced it will continue its support of Wings & Wheels in 2011. Affectionately known as the ‘Bottle of Britain’ the premium Kentish Ale, brewed by Shepherd Neame – Britain’s oldest brewers – is set to sponsor the 2011 Show held at Dunsfold Park, near Guildford, Surrey, on Sunday 28and Monday 29 August.
An aviation and motoring extravaganza, whose total charitable donations have helped raise £250,000 since 2004, Wings & Wheels is staged to raise money for charities including Brooklands Museum, Cranleigh Village Hospital Trust, Help for Heroes and Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance.
Memorable moments from 2010 included Flt Lt Steve Kenworthy’s masterfully handled GR-9 Harrier role demonstration whose precision performance left crowds of 32,000 speechless. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Hunter F 58A “Miss Demeanour” also delighted visitors as they took part in the four hour air displays led by the world famous Red Arrows.
Static vehicle exhibitions in the ‘Wheels’ element of the Show included car clubs from across the UK who displayed their classic and modern vehicles in the main arena, from TVRs, Ford GTs to Jaguars, Ferrari’s and Formula One cars. A select few also showcased their vehicles, courtesy of Brooklands Museum, on the main runway in front of jam packed crowds.
Sales and Marketing Director Greame Craig comments: “Shepherd Neame has been lucky enough to have been involved with Wings and Wheels since its inception. It is a well organised and truly engaging event, mixing something for everyone from a great family day out, to the petrol head and airshow aficionados! We are delighted to be continuing in the support of this fantastic event.”
Jamie McAllister, Event Director, Wings & Wheels said: “It’s fitting that such an iconic brand as Spitfire, synonymous with the world’s most famous aircraft, is once again supporting Wings & Wheels. Their help and expertise is invaluable and we are delighted to be working with the Shepherd Neame team again to make the event even bigger and more successful then before.”
Spitfire was originally brewed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, its characteristically Kentish, hoppy flavour and risqué advertising campaign has made it a firm favourite with beer lovers. Winner of a gold medal and Best Strong Cask-Conditional Beer of the World at the Brewing Industry International Awards 2010, Spitfire Ale is now Shepherd Neame’s biggest-selling cask conditioned ale.
Tickets for Wings & Wheels are available online through www.wingsandwheels.net and start from £18 for adults, £5 for children (5 – 15 years) and £40 for a family (2 adults and 3 children). VIP Hospitality is available from £125 per person. For further information or to discuss sponsorship opportunities at Wings & Wheels, please call Lucy Parsons on 01483 542226.
Produced by Planes TV; Available from PlanesTV.com priced DVD £16.99, Blu-Ray £24.00
Once again, The two big Royal Navy airshows have been put together into one DVD production which makes for great value for money. The Royal Navy airshows are amongst my favourite airshows as they are perhaps the most varied of any of the UK’s military events.
This years Yeovilton was perhaps one of the best Air Days held at the Somerset base in recent years with strong international participation mixed in with some great civilian and historic acts; plus the weather was relatively kind too! The Royal Navy Historic Flight’ Sea Hawk and Kennet Aviation’s Seafire naturally take centre with some great insights from the pilots .
The Royal Navy always put on some special displays such as the Martime Lynx displays andMerlin role demos which are all covered well in this production as are all the varied military displays. Stand out highlights from the flying are the Belgian, Dutch and Danish F-16 displays and the Patrulla Aguila’s display. Planes TV’s cameras also managed to capture some of the most interesting static participants such as the French Navy Rafale M and the Luftwaffe F-4F Phantom II.
However, it is the Commando Assault that provides the highlight of the Yeovilton coverage and it is covered in full both from the ground and in the air. It is quite simply superb.
The coverage of Culdrose is equally good, concentrating on the acts that did not feature amongst the Yeovilton line-up. The highlights inclide the unique Culdrose Balbo, Culdrose’s own Sea King and Merlin displays and a very spirited routine from the Vulcan.
Overall, this is actually quite a unique production covering the Royal Navy’s contribution to the airshow season at it’s two air bases and comes highly recommended.
Stow Maries World War One Aerodrome is pleased to announce that it will hold its first vintage fly in day on Sunday 8th May 2011. Gates open at 9am and the event ends at 6pm the same day.
This is the historic aerodromes first event of this type and it is hoped it will draw attendance from wide and far as it has already seen great success at Maldon District Heritage events where it has been a sell out for the past two years.
Aircraft will arrive prior to 12 o’clock that day and will be parked on the aerodrome for the public to view. There will be commercial stalls present as well as refreshments plus a launch of ‘Turners Defence’, an aviation Great War adventure, by its author Chris Davey who will be present to sign copies of his book. There will be a display of military vehicles as well as Great War reneactors demonstrating life in WW1. Visitors will also be able to view a collection of vintage tractors to illustrate the sites farming heritage since it was closed by the RAF in 1919.
Tour guides will be available to escort visitors around the 1918 vintage buildings and members of the sites latest addition, the Hawk Walk team, will be present to introduce the public to a Harris Hawk and Kestrel as well as empart information on the wildlife conservation side of the aerodrome.
It is hoped that a park and ride system from Maldon will be in operation on the day as well as parking on the aerodrome itself. Details will be announced prior to the event. Entry is by cash only at the aerodrome entrance on the day. The entrance fee is £8 per person.
Aircraft that have been invited are mostly those belonging to the Great War period. These include the Great War display team plus a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2, a De Havilland DH2 fighter, a Sopwith Pup fighter and representing the German Air Service, a Fokker Triplane and a Fokker Eindekker. Later dated aeroplanes include Tiger Moths and a WW2 dated Auster observation aircraft.
The sites owner Russell Savory said. ‘We are really looking forward to hosting people on our first fly in day. We have already had enquiries regarding attendqance so it looks promising. Its something that we hope will promote not only what we are doing here at Stow Maries Aerodrome but will also Maldon District and that visitors will come back to both. We are now keeping our fingers crossed for the weather on the day and because of some of the aircrafts ages, that they will be serviceable for us. With events involving such types there is always the variables involved.
Stow Maries Aerodrome lies off of Hackmans Lane, Cold Norton CM3 6RN. Telephone number 01245808744. It is open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays 10am to 4pm.
The Vulcan Restoration Trust will be holding an ‘Aviation Enthusiast Event’, along with its AGM, at Hawkwell Village Hall, Hawkwell, Essex SS5 4EH on 9 April 2011. Entry is free to VRT members, with a minimum donation of £5.00 each requested from members of the public. Tickets and further information will be available from the Trust’s website at www.avrovulcan.com
Doors will be open at 12:00, with the event starting at 1pm. Our guest speaker for the afternoon will be Steve Bridgewater.Steve is currently editor of the new Jets Monthly magazine, which is published by Kelsey Publishing of Cudham, Kent, with issue number one just hitting the shelves in late January of this year.
He will be speaking about ‘100 years of airshows’, and his interesting and varied life in aviation.
Steve reveals how a trip to an airshow as an aspirational nine-year old moulded his life:
I remember straining my neck to look into the far distance. An unmistakable shape was circling on the horizon, a shape this fresh-faced nine-year old had seen in books and magazines, but never seen in the flesh. The incoming aeroplane was now trailing a cloud of thick black smoke and flying straight towards the airfield. The mighty Vulcan bomber was inbound. At crowd centre the pilot stood the big delta onto its tail and the engines howled as it climbed towards a large blue patch in the sky. For the next 15 minutes I stood spellbound as the V-Bomber cavorted in front of me, a wide eyed grin seemingly painted onto my young face. This was 1984, I was just nine years old but I remember my first airshow experience to this day. I’d always been interested in aeroplanes but that day, more than 25 years ago, I knew I wanted to be a pilot.
He began volunteering at Air Atlantique in 1995, eventually becoming their Commercial Director, looking after many aspects of the Air Atlantique Classic Flight and the AIRBASE visitor centre at Coventry Airport. He left that post earlier this year. Steve has held a National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) since September 2005 and has flown aircraft as diverse as the Jet Provost, Extra 300 and Bulldog. He was born and bred in Tamworth, Staffordshire and has also lived next to RAF Wittering near Stamford. Although trained in marketing Steve made his career as an aviation journalist and has edited Air Action and Go Flying! magazines and been Deputy Editor at Today’s Pilot and Pilot magazines. He has been short-listed for the prestigious International Aerospace Journalist of the Year Award (AJOYA) on three separate occasions and had work published worldwide.
The event is being arranged by the Vulcan Restoration Trust, the charity that preserves the ‘Southend Vulcan’ based at Southend Airport (see attached information sheet), with the proceeds from the event going towards its continued restoration and preservation.
The Trust are planning to hold a number of events and open days – titled ‘Visit the Vulcan Days’ – during 2011, at Southend Airport, Eastwoodbury Crescent, Southend-on-sea, Essex, SS2 6YF.
The first ‘Visit the Vulcan Day’ of 2011 will be held on: 17 April 2011
Visitors will be able to get ‘up close and personal’ with ex-RAF V-Bomber Avro Vulcan XL426, and have a guided tour of the cockpit. VRT Team members will be on hand to answer questions, and various stalls will be available. The adjacent ‘Lancaster’ restaurant will be open for refreshments. Entry is £2.00 (under 16s free but must be accompanied at all times), plus an additional £2.50 for the cockpit tour for all ages. Gates open at 10am, with last admission at 5pm. No animals except for assistance dogs please.
The public will be able to inspect the latest work carried out on XL426 – known as ‘The Southend Vulcan’ – as the ‘426 Return To Power!’ appeal program progresses. A number of items that have been removed from the bomber for restoration will be on display.
During the day the aircraft’s Airborne Auxiliary Power Unit (a small Rover jet engine) will be run, allowing various systems on the bomber to be operated, such as the vast bomb doors, which once would have held Britain’s nuclear deterrent, the Blue Steel nuclear missile. One very lucky member of the visiting public will be able to take the controls during this demonstration, for a fee, on a first come basis. A very unique opportunity.
The ‘Southend Vulcan’ is one of only three Vulcans in the UK still in ‘running’ condition.
DESPITE initial gloomy forecasts for Welshpool Air Show this summer, it was announced this week that the Red Arrows display aircraft will fly over at around 10.30am on Sunday morning, June 12.
It will be followed by a Spitfire early in the afternoon with more plans likely to be announced.
“It’s really late but better late than not having them at all. It’s the really thing and a nice attraction for Welshpool,” said Welshpool town clerk Mr Robert Robinson.
“It looked as though it was all dead and buried with no chance of RAF involvement this year but suddenly they have come back and said we can have a display in the morning.”
This will be in addition to the model aircraft weekend show going ahead on July 10 and 11 on the airshow site at Welshpool Airport which was expected to be all that could happen this year because of defence cuts.
Produced by Planes TV; available from PlanesTV.com priced DVD £12.99, Blu-Ray £18.99
Airbourne is one of my favourite airshows of the years; Eastbourne is a stunning venue for an airshow and the flying is always varied and exciting. Held over four days in mid August, the show also always has an excellent atmosphere. Planes TV have been recording the airshow for a number of years, and their 2010 recording is perhaps their best yet.
The production starts with the Friday evening “Come Fly with Me” display which sets a few selected displays against the stunning vista of a sunset over the East Sussex coastline. The dramatic cloudscape following a rather damp day makes for an excellent filming backdrop which culminates in some spectacular footages of the Swift Glider Team’s (now GliderFX) pyrotechnic assisted display which closed Friday’s flying.
The rest of the show is is covered fairly comprehensively with some great on-board footage from the Blades, Me 109 Buchon and Tigers Parachute Display Team! It is particularly pleasing to see the Planes TV have come up with a production representative of the whole Airbourne experience including the Sunset Ceremony and Fireworks which close the four day extravaganza on the Sunday evening. The production also gives a superb feel of the special atmosphere Eastbourne evokes, particularly of the aircraft passing close to the white cliffs of the Downs and Beachy Head.
There’s also some footage from Shoreham Airport which provides a base for a number of the airshow acts, though perhaps for 2011 we would like to see a little more!
As a reminder of the show, or simply as a piece of flying display filming, this is a excellent DVD/Blu-Ray. Well done Planes TV.
The Fighter Collection and Imperial War Museum Duxford are delighted to announce that The Flying Bulls will be making their debut UK air show appearance at Flying Legends 2011on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July 2011.
This much-anticipated display will be the only visit to the UK by The Flying Bulls in 2011.
The Flying Bulls’ Lockheed P-38 Lightning reg. N25Y and Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair reg. OE-EAS will perform a stunning display as part of an unrivalled programme of aerial excitement.
The Flying Bulls is a collective of aviation enthusiasts with a passion for rare historical aircraft and helicopters and a knowledge of conservation and restoration that is second to none.
The story of The Flying Bulls began in the 1980s. During this time, Sigi Angerer, a Tyrolean Airways pilot, flew modern jets, while his real passion was for historic aircraft.
In his search for an affordable warbird, he found a North American T-28B and took it back to Innsbruck, Austria, for restoration. He soon added a Grumman G44 Widgeon and the legendary Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair to his collection.
The Corsair brought together Angerer and Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of Red Bull, and not only gave Mateschitz the inspiration for the ‘Red Bull Gives You Wings’ slogan, but also led to the formation of The Flying Bulls, whose technical excellence and iconic style has become internationally inspirational.
The Flying Bulls’ Corsair was one of 12,500 models delivered to the US Navy. It did not see active service in the Second World War, but was transferred to Honduras in Latin America where it was in active service until 1965. It was then sold to a private owner, who in turn sold the aircraft to Sigi Angerer. The aircraft is a great attraction at The Flying Bulls’ Hangar-7 at Salzburg airport and a perennial highlight at international air shows.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning Reg. N25Y ceased active service from September 1945 and was registered as a civil aircraft by the Lilee Products Company in Chicago.
It was then handed over to J D Reed, an air racing enthusiast, based in Houston. With some engineering modification, design fine-tuning and bags of enthusiasm, Reed ensured that the aircraft, flown by Charlie ‘Firewall’ Walling, achieved 2nd place at the 1947 Miami Air Races and 2nd place at the Sohio-Race in Cleveland in the same year.
His main competitor said with astonishment that he had “never seen a P-38 fly so fast”.
The Lightning’s racing days lapsed during the 1950s until it fell into the hands of Marvin ‘Lefty’ Gardner in 1963. Lefty Gardner was an aerial daredevil whose flights carrying supplies for the Norwegian Resistance movement are legendary in aviation history.
Lefty was passionate about flying as a sport. He attended the Reno National Championship Air Races for decades and often won two out of three races. His greatest strength was precision aerobatics, and for many spectators, seeing the P-38 Lightning complete a perfect circle was the highlight of the Races.
In 2001, the Lightning was struck down by an engine in flames. The aircraft turned black and sustained substantial damage. Eight years later, the P-38 was restored to its former glory, thanks to the skill and commitment of The Flying Bulls crew.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see The Flying Bulls in action – magnificent aircraft flown by exceptionally talented pilots.
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The Vulcan Restoration Trust will be holding an ‘Aviation Enthusiast Event’, along with its AGM, at Hawkwell Village Hall, Hawkwell, Essex SS5 4EH on 9 April 2011. Entry is free to VRT members, with a minimum donation of £5.00 each requested from members of the public. Tickets and further information will be available from the Trust’s website at 
