FlyPast – August 2018

22 FLYPAST August 2018

AIRSHOW OLD WARDEN

Tw i l i g ht

of the Gods

Neil Hutchinson captures images from a

memorable Evening Airshow at Old Warden,

home to the Shuttleworth Collection

T

raditionally, Old Warden’s
regular evening shows have
offered a low-key alternative
to the busier daytime events at the
pretty Bedfordshire aerodrome.
Nothing wrong with that, you
might argue, and it’s pleasing to
report the spirit of those occasions
lives on into 2018.
All that’s changed is that the
participant list seems to have
expanded. The most recent
Evening Show, on Saturday,

May 19, included some real

‘heavyweight’ contenders,

including one of the most famous

warbirds in the UK, the RAF Battle

of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro

Lancaster PA474. Also airborne

were the Shuttleworth Collection’s

Westland Lysander and Hawker

Sea Hurricane, while it’s Bristol

F.2b Fighter led a quartet of World

War One-era machines.

The undoubted highlight was

the long-awaited return of

Supermarine Spitfire Vc AR501.

The popular fighter has been the

subject of a lengthy overhaul

at Old Warden, and it’s great

to finally see it back where it

belongs – and back in its

previous clipped wing

configuration. The May Evening

Airshow was the perfect start

to the venue’s always extensive

calendar of events. For details of

what’s next, see:

http://www.shuttleworth.org