FlyPast – August 2018

(John Hannent) #1
20 FLYPAST August 2018

AIRSHOW DUXFORD


T


he first air event of the
season at IWM Duxford nearly
always draws a large crowd,
particularly if the weather forecast
is kind. For the Cambridgeshire
airfield’s May Bank Holiday
weekend special, the skies behaved


  • although those of us driving
    home to the Midlands on Sunday
    night had to battle through some
    frankly terrifying thunderstorms.
    The show itself was largely
    blessed by sunshine, and a fine
    and varied programme of flying
    was presented to a fulsome and
    appreciative audience. There
    were also some interesting
    ground attractions, including the
    Trailblazers Zone in Hangar 4 which
    saw live interviews with adventurers


from the aviation world, including
Ademilola Odujinrin, the first
African pilot in history to fly solo
around the world.
Most attention was drawn to the
flight line, particularly at 13:00 on
Saturday when Stu Goldspink took
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Nellie
up for its first display at Duxford
for many years. Before its lengthy
sojourn in the US, this fighter flew
from here as No Guts, No Glory and
it’s great to see it back – and in new
markings too.
Lovers of all things noisy were
well catered for by the French
Air Force’s Dassault Rafale, and
on Sunday, the Alpha Jets of
the Patrouille de France were as
breathtakingly precise as

always. It was also a rare treat
to see multiple North American
Harvards and de Havilland Tiger
Moths in the air together, while
the Great War Display Team simply
excelled with its dramatic and pyro-
assisted recreation of a World War
One dogfight.
The participation of Aces High’s
Douglas C-47 Skytrain certainly
whet the appetite for next year’s
Daks Over Normandy event,
a mass gathering of the DC-
‘breed’ to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of D-Day, and there’s
simply never a bad time to see
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Sally B and Plane Sailing’s
Consolidated Catalina in their
natural environment.

Among the more unusual
participants, 46 Aviation’s Farner
Werke Schlepp C-3605 stood out
for many. The angular, triple-finned
Swiss machine is surprisingly agile,
and with its unusual looks received
just as much attention on the
ground as in the air. Each day was
brought to a satisfying conclusion
by a showcase from Supermarine
Spitfire Mk.I N3200, a favourite
shape and an evocative sound in
the skies above this storied airfield.
The next big Duxford event will,
of course, be the Flying Legends
Air Show which takes place on
July 14 and 15. Admission will be
by advance ticket only, as is now
standard practice for shows here.
http://www.flyinglegends.com

Festival Spirit


Steve Beebee reports from Duxford’s Air Festival, a two-day


spectacular that kicked off the attraction’s airshow year in style


20 FLYPAST August 2018

The distinctive shape of Farner Werke Schlepp C-3605 in Duxford skies. Plane Sailing’s elegant Consolidated Catalina at the Duxford Air Festival.

Air Leasing’s Hawker Fury FB.II SR
getting airborne.
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