The Tiger Nine formation team was created in the summer of 2005 in response to a request for a flypastof nine Tiger Moths at the 25th de Havilland Moth Club Rally at Woburn Abbey.

Having risen to the challenge, the newly-formed teamwent on to performits full display routine for thenext season.A challenging aircraft to fly in a formation display, the Tiger Moth requires a mature discipline and expert flying skill, particularly when operating a large group of Tiger Moths simultaneously.

There is something quintessentially British about a group ofmen froma diverse range of backgrounds,including airline pilots, ex-RAF pilots, a farmer, a sales executive, a company director, an anaesthetist andan RAF Wing Commander, coming together for the camaraderie and fun of flying such a special aircraft.

The Tiger Nine team is the only team in the world to have nine Tiger Moths in close formation. Its crowdpleasing,spectacularly entertaining display will be a significant highlight of the Autumn Air Show 2011.

The de Havilland DH-82 Tiger Moth, designed by Geoffrey de Havilland, was first flown on 26 October1931 by de Havilland Chief Test Pilot Hubert Broad.The RAF ordered 35 dual-control Tiger Moth Is which had the company designation DH-82. Asubsequent order was placed for 50 aircraft powered by the de Havilland Gipsy Major I engine which wasthe DH-82A or, to the RAF, Tiger Moth II.The Tiger Moth entered service at the RAF Central Flying School in February 1932.

From the outset, it proved to be an ideal trainer, simple and cheap to own and maintain. The Tiger Moth required a sure andsteady hand to fly it well, enabling instructors to easily weed out inept student pilots. Whilst generally docile and forgiving in the normal flight phases encountered during initial training, when used foraerobatic and formation training, the Tiger Moth required definite skill and concentration to performwell.A botched manoeuvre could easily cause the aircraft to stall or spin.

Percival Leggett trained on Tiger Moths during the Second World War in Cambridgeshire:“The Tiger Moth is easy to fly. No vicious tendencies at all. It’s very responsive to the controls.Most people, I think, found landing rather tricky, because…it is quite a small aeroplane, with a very smallundercarriage. It is very close to the ground. And coming in to land one finds it difficult to decide just atwhat point you should draw back the stick to land the aircraft. Most people tend to start easing off toohigh, with the result that either the aircraft stalls or theymiss the airfield altogether.But that apart it’s a good aeroplane – very reliable. We did have one engine failure fromone of the pupils but hemanaged to force land it in a field. It’s a good aeroplane, and still flying today!”

By the start of the SecondWorld War, the RAF had 500 Tiger Moths in service. During a British productionrun of over 7000 Tiger Moths, a total of 4005 Tiger Moth IIs were built during the war specifically for theRAF.The Tiger Moth became the foremost primary trainer throughout the Commonwealth and elsewhere andremained in service with the RAF until it was replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952.

Post-war, large numbers of surplus Tiger Moths weremade available for sale to flying clubs and privateindividuals. Inexpensive to operate, the aircraft took on new civilian roles including aerial advertising, airambulance, aerobatic performer, crop duster and glider tug.

The incident took place over agricultural land to the south west of the airfield just after 5.00pm, at the end of the flying display.

The Skyraider suffered damage to its starboard wing, though was able to land safely.  The pilot was unharmed.

The pilot of the Mustang baled out of the damaged aircraft and parachuted to safety, suffering minor injuries.  The aircraft came down in a field away from buildings or property.

There was an immediate response by the onsite emergency services in accordance with Imperial War Museum Duxford’s event safety plan, co-ordinated by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, who were already present at the air show as is normal practice.

Members of the public were not involved in the incident.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has today begun its formal enquiry into the incident and the Imperial War Museum is complying fully with the requirements of the AAIB’s investigation team.

Imperial War Museum Duxford is aware that the AAIB’s investigation can take some time and there will therefore be an immediate internal review to determine if any changes to flying procedures are required.

The App provides a dynamic on-the-day flying schedule for each of the Museum’s famous air shows, which automatically updates the phone screen with details of each aircraft taking part in the show as its display commences.  It also provides an extensive library of photography, statistics and information about over 150 classic aircraft, some of which can be seen flying in the Duxford air shows, and where in the Museum’s exhibitions you can find out more about them.

App users can keep a log of their favourite aircraft, add them to a schedule and receive a live countdown to inform them when that aircraft will take to the skies.  With a map highlighting useful amenities at the Museum, the App is an indispensible tool for ensuring maximum enjoyment of Duxford’s celebrated air shows.  Duxford’s first air show of 2011 is the Spring Air Show on Sunday 22 May.

Whether you are in the audience at Duxford eagerly awaiting the first aircraft display or are virtually engaging with the air show from elsewhere in the world, the Air Show App will keep you informed of all aircraft displays as they happen.  As a special introduction, the App is FREE for a limited time.  It can be downloaded at any time in the run up to the Spring Air Show and on the day itself.  IWM Duxford is providing wifi access at the Museum to help people download on the day.

This dynamic guide to the Spring Air Show, and our other air shows in 2011, is a first for Duxford and demonstrates the Imperial War Museum’s commitment to innovation in new technologies and to improving our visitor experience.  It aims to be the most innovative air show app around.  For further information go to http://www.iwm.org.uk/duxfordairshows

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.

For further information go to http://www.iwm.org.uk/duxfordairshows

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.

Stow Maries Aerodrome

Visitors to Flying Legends 2009 will recall the dazzling aerial spectacle of The Horsemen in action in the skies over Duxford. Steve Hinton, Dan Friedkin and Ed Shipley, highly skilled warbird pilots, have a passion for showcasing the aircraft that made America great:

Steve Hinton is a two-time national unlimited race champion and holds the world speed record of 499 mph. He flew his first P-51 Mustang in 1972 and has since flown 150 types of aircraft including the Convair, North American B-25 Mitchell, Martin B-26 Marauder, Lockheed P-38 Lightening, Douglas DC-3, B-17 Flying Fortress, North-American F-86 Sabre, Northrop T-38 Talon and many others. Steve has been a member of the Screen Actors’ Guild and the Motion Picture Pilots’ Association since 1977, working as a pilot or co-ordinator for television and motion pictures.

Dan Friedkin was exposed to aviation at an early age by his father, a career pilot who owned warbirds. Dan began flying gliders at the age of 14 and soon after began flying a variety of tail-wheel aircraft and helicopters. At the age of 19 he became rated in the Lockheed Jetstar; at 20 he was checked out in the P-51 Mustang, which started a strong connection to warbirds that occupies much of his time and focus to this day. Dan actively flies the North American T-6 Texan, P-51 Mustang, Grumman F8F Bearcat, Hawker Hurricane and various models of Spitfire.

Ed Shipley is a former Boeing 747 pilot and well-known air show performer with more than 20 years experience in the T-6 Texan, P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre. He has piloted a P-51 Mustang across the Atlantic and is the only person in the world to fly a Second World War Corsair off a nuclear aircraft carrier. Ed recently served as a board member of the air show industry’s governing body, the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS).

Experience the show-stopping performance of The Horsemen at Flying Legends 2011 -- once seen, never forgotten!

All flying is subject to weather, serviceability and operational commitments. Flying Legends 2011 is now on sale Tickets for Flying Legends 2011 are now on sale! Buy tickets for Flying Legends in advance and take advantage of the 10% advance booking discount.

Without doubt one of the finest warbird air shows in the world, Flying Legends provides an unrivalled line-up of the classic propeller-driven combat aircraft from both the First and Second World Wars, many of which are now either rare or unique. Legendary aircraft and superbly talented pilots come from across the globe to display at Flying Legends.

As in previous years, Flying Legends 2011 will provide a spectacular performance, enabling visitors to see iconic aircraft in stunning aerial displays. On the ground, there will be activities for all ages, including funfair rides, bungee trampolines, tank rides and demonstrations.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n150iHgE7c8

In a superb year that commemorated not only the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain but also the 65th anniversary of B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, visitors flocked to IWM Duxford to celebrate the iconic aircraft of the Second World War and to honour the bravery of the men that flew them.

Over 11,000 visitors saw IWM Duxford’s Battle of Britain commemorations get off to a flying start at the Spring Air Show on Sunday 16 May. Demonstrating the breadth and range of aircraft flown by the Royal Air Force, the Spring Air Show presented aircraft from the RAF’s inception to the present day.

On a hot and sunny Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July, Flying Legends welcomed over 27,000 visitors who experienced the glorious sight of more than 50 classic warbirds, from across the globe, performing a number of stunning displays.

The Battle of Britain Air Show on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September was the highlight of a remarkable year of 70th anniversary commemorative events. 44,000 visitors attended to pay their respects to the ‘few’ and the aircraft they flew.

In an unforgettable flying display that included appearances by the Red Arrows and the Patrouille de France, the highlight was undoubtedly the rare sight of 16 Spitfires in formation over their spiritual home.

This recreation of the summer of 1940 at RAF Duxford, combined with a minute’s silence to honour those who gave their lives in combat, produced an awe-inspiring moment which will remain a talking point of the Duxford air show season for years to come.

IWM Duxford’s 2010 air show season concluded with the Autumn Air Show, which saw 12,668 visitors celebrate the 65th birthday of B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B. A celebratory programme of American aviation saw visitors enjoy the sight of a number of iconic US aircraft.

Richard Ashton, Director, Imperial War Museum Duxford, said, “I am delighted that this year’s air show season enticed so many visitors to IWM Duxford. I’m particularly proud of this year’s programme of events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and I’m delighted that so many visitors joined with us in those commemorations. We now look forward to next year’s air show season and hope that visitors will return to enjoy another fantastic programme of events in 2011.”

While the air show season has now concluded for 2010, plans are already in place for the 2011 events programme.

Imperial War Museum Duxford is pleased to announce dates for the 2011 air show season:

• Spring Air Show – Sunday 22 May 2011
• Flying Legends – Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July 2011
• The Duxford Air Show – Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September 2011
• Autumn Air Show – Sunday 16 October 2011

Further information regarding themes and content for each air show will be released in due course.

Sunday 14 November 2010

Free admission to all

On Remembrance Sunday, Imperial War Museum Duxford will be holding a special service of remembrance.

Admission to the Museum is free for all on this day and we very much hope that people will take this opportunity to explore IWM Duxford on the day when members of the Armed Forces, who have lost their lives in active service, are remembered.

At 11.00am, the two-minute silence will be observed across the Museum.

IWM Duxford’s Department for Learning will be hosting remembrance-themed family activities in AirSpace from 10.00am to 2.30pm.

Families can read about the story of the poppy and why it has become synonymous with remembrance since the end of the First World War.

Children can make their own poppies and wear them as a symbol of remembrance or add them to the Flanders Field frieze.

There will be opportunities for families to handle a range of wartime artefacts and, by handling uniforms and personal kit from the collection, to compare and contrast how the experience of the Second World War soldier differed from that of a modern-day soldier.

Veterans of the Royal Anglian Regiment from a range of military conflicts will be talking to visitors in Land Warfare from 11.30am to 3.30pm.

A talk by the UK National Inventory of War Memorials will be held in the Marshall Auditorium in the morning, while extracts from the ‘Duxford * the Second World War Years’ DVD will be shown in the auditorium during the afternoon.

The Remembrance Service will commence at 12.30pm and will be preceded by a marching display featuring Sawston Youth Group Band with local air cadets. The Band of the Royal Anglian Regiment will also be performing.

There will be standard bearers from the Royal British Legion and the Burma Star Association.

Join us at historic Imperial War Museum Duxford to remember those who gave their lives, in conflicts past and present, to ensure that the world continues to enjoy the freedom that it does today.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Imperial War Museum Duxford is launching a new Twitter campaign which will enable tweeters to experience RAF Duxford’s Battle of Britain operations as they happened.

Using the operational record books of RAF Duxford and No.19 Squadron as source information, IWM Duxford will tweet the fighter station’s Battle of Britain activities, at the exact date and time that they occurred, from April to October 1940.

This exciting new campaign will give a direct insight into Battle of Britain history, and will show how the campaign built in momentum throughout 1940.

The operational record books are reproduced exactly as they were written during those dark days of 1940, bringing the lost voices of RAF Duxford serving personnel vividly to life in this special anniversary year.

The tweets will show life at RAF Duxford from its daily routines to the fascinating post-combat reports filed with increasing regularity as the Battle of Britain intensified.

The operational record books show, in real time, the milestone events that took place at RAF Duxford, including patrols over Dunkirk, the failure of the cannon-fire Spitfires, the arrival of Czech pilots to form 310 Squadron and the formation of the Duxford ‘Big Wing’.

It describes in detail the sorties carried out by No.19 Squadron and gives tweeters a vivid insight into the pilots’ experiences during the frenetic and adrenalin-fuelled dogfights in the skies over Duxford.

The operational record books also give details regarding the Battle of Britain careers of some of RAF Duxford’s most famous fighter pilots including Douglas Bader, Brian Lane, George ‘Grumpy’ Unwin, Gordon Sinclair, Wallace Cunningham and Frank Brinsden.

Sign up to receive IWM Duxford’s Battle of Britain tweets by going to www.twitter.com/RAFDuxford1940.

Colonel Graham will give a talk entitled “Flying the SR-71 Blackbird from RAF Mildenhall” at 11.00am in the Marshall Auditorium in AirSpace.

From 2.00pm Colonel Graham will be hosting walk-around tours of the SR-71 Blackbird that he previously flew at RAF Mildenhall, which now sits in pride of place on display in the American Air Museum. Following the tours, there will also be an opportunity for book signing and for Colonel Graham to answer your questions.

The SR-71 Blackbird is regarded as one of the United States Air Force’s most important Cold War-era aircraft. It was classified as top secret for most of its operational life, flying covert reconnaissance missions from RAF Mildenhall from the mid-1970s onwards. The aircraft played an important role in military conflicts for nearly thirty years, being superceded only when spy satellites came into operation.

Richard Graham’s involvement with the Blackbird continued until his retirement from the USAF, in 1989, as a ighly-decorated pilot with more than 4000 hours of military flying experience.

Colonel Graham’s talks are always incredibly popular. Colonel Graham said “I always enjoy my time speaking to aviation fans at Duxford and answering their questions about the Blackbird.”

Both events on Sunday 28 February are included in the standard admission price to IWM Duxford and all are welcome.

Imperial War Museum Duxford is just south of Cambridge at junction 10 of the M11. Ample free parking is available. For a full list of Duxford’s air shows and other exciting events in 2010, including half term activities for families, visit www.iwm.org.uk/duxford or telephone 01223 835 000.

Duxford and the Battle of Britain
From mid-April to December 2010
AirSpace

Following the popularity of the Duxford Goes to War exhibition in 2009, IWM Duxford presents a new photographic exhibition which portrays life at RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain. These evocative photographs have captured the men and women who served at RAF Duxford at work and play, giving a unique insight into life at a fighter station during the  Second World War. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during the summer of 1940.

The exhibition brings visitors face-to-face with some of the heroic characters who flew from Duxford to win the battle in the skies. There is no need to book in advance and admission to this exhibition is included in the standard admission price to the Museum.

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the RAF today
Meet the past, celebrate the present
Saturday 15 May

IWM Duxford commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with a special event to celebrate the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and to launch the Flight’s 2010 season. Visitors will be able to see the legendary aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on ground display alongside contemporary Royal Air Force aircraft. RAF pilots and personnel will meet and mingle with visitors, who will also have the opportunity to chat with Battle of Britain veterans.

The event will also showcase the diverse roles of the contemporary RAF with a range of ground activities, including performances by the renowned Royal Air Force Musicians, and will culminate with a Sunset Ceremony in honour of all RAF personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

This exciting event demonstrates how the camaraderie and bravery of the Battle of Britain pilots continues to inspire the RAF’s contemporary mission. Please note that this event is not an air show. There will be no flying display as part of this event. Tickets for this event will be on sale shortly.

Spring Air Show
Featuring the very best of the RAF, past and present
Sunday 16 May

Following on from the special event on Saturday 15 May, where visitors can mingle with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Royal Air Force on the ground, today we take to  the skies for some breath-taking aerial action. See the RAF’s glorious past in flight alongside its sophisticated contemporary aircraft at the Spring Air Show. The Battle of Britain  Memorial Flight forms the centre-piece of a thrilling air show, where it shares the skies with historic Second World War aircraft and modern RAF assets.

The celebration of the Royal Air Force’s past and present continues on the ground with a range of activities and displays. There will be the opportunity to meet contemporary RAF personnel alongside the ghostly figures of Battle of Britain re-enactors bringing Duxford’s wartime atmosphere vividly to life.

Experience past and present in perfect harmony at this spectacular launch to IWM Duxford’s 2010 flying season.

All flying is subject to weather, serviceability and operational commitments. Tickets for this event can be purchased by telephone or online.

Summer holiday family activities
Friday 23 July to Tuesday 31 August

IWM Duxford’s summer holiday activities bring the Battle of Britain to life with a range of daily sessions for all the family. Activities include creating ‘make-do-and-mend’ peg aircraft, creating notice holders and Spitfire-related items. Families can learn about the aircraft involved in the Battle of Britain, discover what life was like for a fighter pilot and meet a costumed interpreter recreating the role of a Battle of Britain pilot.

Visitors can drop in and out of sessions – there is no need to book in advance and all activities are included in the standard admission price.

The Battle of Britain Air Show
Duxford’s role in the supreme aerial conflict
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September

IWM Duxford presents an evocative commemoration of the aerial battle that proved the strategic turning point in the Second World War. The Battle of Britain Air Show remembers the pilots and aircraft synonymous with this renowned aerial conflict, with a particular focus on the pilots stationed at RAF Duxford who came from across the globe to fight for world freedom. Expect to see squadrons of Battle of Britain aircraft at Europe’s best-preserved Second World War airfield.

Tickets for this event can be purchased online or by telephone.

Duxford, Spitfires and the Battle of Britain
Special Interest Lecture Day
Saturday 11 September
10.30am to 4.30pm
Marshall Auditorium, AirSpace

IWM Duxford’s Department for Learning presents a range of Special Interest Days enabling visitors to dig deeper into specific aspects of military history.

As part of the 2010 series of Special Interest Days, Duxford, Spitfires and the Battle of Britain explores, in greater depth, the momentous events of Britain’s ultimate air campaign and considers RAF Duxford’s role within the Battle of Britain.

Carl Warner, Research and Information Manager, Imperial War Museum Duxford, provides an overview of the Battle of Britain. Stephen Woolford MBE, Head of Interpretation and Collections and IWM Duxford, discusses RAF Duxford’s specific role within the aerial conflict.

Howard Cook, pilot for Historic Aircraft Collection, waxes lyrical about the thrill of restoring and flying a vintage Spitfire. A stalwart feature at IWM Duxford’s air shows, Howard has
piloted all Historic Aircraft Collection aircraft, is an Honorary Commander of the 493rd Fighter Squadron, US Air Force, and also flies for Vintage Wings of Canada.

To conclude this fascinating day, James Nicolson tells the amazing story of his uncle Eric James Brindley Nicolson VC. Flight Lieutenant Nicolson was the only Battle of Britain pilot,  and indeed the only RAF fighter pilot, to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the Second World War. His inspirational story is truly incredible and marks him as a revered member of  ‘the Few’.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the Battle of Britain – its historical context, heroic
pilots and iconic aircraft.

The list of 10 objects chosen for Cambridgeshire is part of the wider A History of the World project, formed of a unique partnership between the BBC, the British Museum and 350 museums and institutions across the country. The IWM Duxford exhibit, an unremarkable-looking piece of fabric, is taken from the Flyer, the aircraft in which theWright Brothers made their inaugural flight on 17 December 1903.

This powered, sustained and controlled flight, the first ever, marked the birth of modern aviation. This fascinating artefact gives visitors to Duxford the opportunity to understand how the Wright Brothers succeeded where previous pioneers had not. It is possible to trace the development of aviation technology from that very first flight to the contemporary aircraft of today.

Wright Flyer Fabric

This inaugural flight contributed to the course of history in the 20th century, enabling technological advancement, world exploration, socio-demographic change, economic developments and strategic aerial warfare. Without this piece of fabric, and the flight of this aeroplane, none of the iconic aircraft, that are so admired today, would exist. And there would be no hopping on a plane to those favourite holiday destinations!

Richard Ashton, Director, Imperial War Museum Duxford said, “I am thrilled that the importance of the Wright Flyer has been recognised in terms of its regional significance and its impact on global history. It is fantastic to be collaborating with such illustrious company on a truly exciting project.”

Throughout January, February & March we are hosting a FREE to enter Aircraft Recognition Competition based around the 85^th Anniversary of the formation of the Observer Corps; where during each month you could win vouchers to spend in the Museum Shop.

17 April 2010 – Indoor Aeroboot Table Top Sale {special discount admission – only £4.00 per person}

24 & 25 April 2010 – Tribute to the V-Force event

19 & 20 June 2010 – Cockpit-Fest 2010 & Aeroboot aviation and avionics sale

The museum website has recently been updated www.newarkairmuseum.org and full details about these and other museum activities can be found on the news pages of the website, which is regularly updated.

Unless otherwise stated the opening times / admission rates for these events are as follows:

Open: Everyday except December 24^th, 25^th & 26^th & January 1st; November to February daily 1000 – 1600 hours; March to October daily 1000 – 1700 hours (including weekends & Bank Holidays).

Admission: Adults £6.25, Over 60s £5.75, Children £4.00 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £18.50. Appointments are preferred for Group [15 plus people] visits, although not essential and a party rate booking information pack is available on application.

Newark Air Museum Ltd., Winthorpe Showground, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY

Email: newarkair@onetel.com

Website: www.newarkairmuseum.org

Seventy children from the Dolphin Ward at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow attended this very special Christmas party and mingled with service personnel, and  their families, from the 48th Fighter Wing. They joined in arts and crafts activities, sang carols and welcomed Santa, who arrived in style via helicopter.

This very special party continues the tradition of Anglo-American relations that dates back to the Second World War. On Christmas Day 1943, the 78th Fighter Wing Group of the United States Army Air Force, who were based at RAF Duxford, hosted a party for local children.

Imperial War Museum Duxford was delighted to be the host venue for this very special event.

The annual Jodi Awards are given by the Jodi Mattes Trust for accessible digital culture. Imperial War Museum Duxford shares this valuable award with Antenna Audio. It recognises and celebrates the innovative audio guide that is offered to blind and partially sighted visitors within AirSpace, ImperialWar Museum Duxford’s stunning exhibition gallery which tells the story of British and Commonwealth aviation.

The potential for an audio guide to form part of the interpretative process for blind and partially sighted visitors was identified at the concept design stage for AirSpace. The exhibition itself contains many opportunities for tactile and sensory engagement, which the audio guide enhances and complements. The guide has been designed specifically for blind and partially sighted people and was created with the dedicated support of focus groups consisting of visually impaired people who were actively involved in the project from conception to completion. IWM Duxford is extremely grateful for the support provided by these groups, which included the Saffron Waldenbased Support 4 Sight charity and Fighting Blindness – the British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society.

The audio guide empowers blind and partially sighted people to visit AirSpace alongside their family and friends on equal terms. It integrates with a full range of access  provision at IWM Duxford, including RNIB Map for All, designed for sight and touch in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People. All access facilities are available free of charge.

Peter Bosher, Jodi Awards Assessor, whose enthusiastic visit to IWM Duxford lasted a full five hours, said: “I have rarely enjoyed a visit in such depth. I shall return with my family.”

Richard Ashton, Director of IWM Duxford, said: “My congratulations go to all staff in IWM Duxford’s Interpretation and Collections Department for whom winning this award is a fantastic testament to their skill and dedication. I hope that this accolade will encourage blind and partially sighted people to bring their families to IWM Duxford for a fun day out.”