FLIGHTPATH | 79Airshows
Eastbourne
F
or many, Eastbourne 2014 was their
first chance to see the two airworthy
Lancasters together, and naturally
huge crowds gathered on the seafront
for each of the four display days. The town’s
historic pier had suffered a devastating fire
just before the event and the view of the
town from my lofty perch at Beachy head
was somewhat sad in comparison to previ-
ous visits, but hopefully the huge crowd
added significant cash to the restoration
fund that has been started. Thankfully the
weather was just about kind enough for the
Lancasters to perform, as the crosswind
limits of the Lancasters operating from Big-
gin Hill and Southend were right on the ac-
ceptable limits. Somewhat surprisingly, the
Lancasters did not fly past the Bomber
Command Memorial at Beachy Head, but
their emotive presence at this seafront air-
show was very warmly welcomed. Other
highlights included the Norwegian Historic
Flight single seat Vampire, Jet Provost
XW324 and the Hangar 11 P51D. The D
Day-marked Dakota of the Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight must take the award for
capturing the most salt spray in a very evoc-
ative low-level entry in and out of his display
slot. The crowd-pleasing Red Arrows once
again wowed the general public with a high-
ly polished routine in near perfect condi-
tions, which is something of a rarity at East-
bourne. The Eastbourne display organisers
once again staged a first class show, which
has become a keystone in the town’s annual
economy. Gary R Brown
TOP: For many, the
event was their first
chance to see the two
Avro Lancasters flying
together.ABOVE: Jet Provost
XW324 operated by
the Norwegian
Historic Flight.LE F T: The Hangar 11
P51D.BELOW: The Norwegian
Historic Flight single
seat Vampire.