4 FLYPAST AIRSHOW GUIDE 2018
AIRSHOW GUIDE
M AY
06 DALTON BARRACKS, ABINGDON, OXON: Abingdon Air and
Country Show – http://www.abingdonairandcountry.co.uk06 OLD WARDEN, BEDS: Shuttleworth Season Premiere Airshow and
RAF Centenary – 01767 627927 http://www.shuttleworth.org18-20 RAGLEY HALL, WARWICKSHIRE: Midlands Air Festival –
http://www.midlandsairfestival.com NOTE: Nightfire evening show only
on May 1819 OLD WARDEN, BEDS: Shuttleworth May Evening Airshow – 01767
627927 http://www.shuttleworth.org20 STOW MARIES, ESSEX: Wings and Wheels – 01245 329358
http://www.stowmaries.org.uk26-27 IWM DUXFORD, CAMBS: Duxford Air Festival – 01223 835000
http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/duxford-air-festival-201826-28 EAST KIRKBY, LINCS: Lanc, Tank and Military Machines –
01790 763207 http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk27 BRUNTINGTHORPE, LEICS: Cold War Jets Open Day – 0116 279
9300 http://www.bruntingthorpeaviation.com/open-daysJUNE
02-03 TORBAY SEAFRONT, DEVON: Torbay Airshow –
http://www.torbayairshow.com03 OLD WARDEN, BEDS: Shuttleworth Fly Navy Airshow – 01767
627927 http://www.shuttleworth.org10 RAF COSFORD, SHROPSHIRE: RAF Cosford Air Show – 01902
377922 http://www.cosfordairshow.co.ukUK airshows
R
AF 100: that’s the overriding theme in 2018, and understandably so. The Royal Air Force is throwing its weight behind three air displays, each
of them offering a different take on the service’s centenary. We detail the RAF Cosford Air Show and the Royal International Air Tattoo in our
separate Event Focus items; suffice to say that both promise to be quite exceptional. Cosford will have an unrivalled 100-aircraft static line-up
covering the whole gamut of RAF history, including many machines not seen in an airshow static park for many a year. Meanwhile, RIAT – the official
international celebration – is becoming a full three-day show for the first time and incorporating a Royal Review of the RAF as part of proceedings on
the Friday. These aside, the RAF has decided to offer extra support to IWM Duxford’s Battle of Britain Air Show in September, this warbird-orientated
affair having been among last year’s highlights.
Many events will naturally reflect the anniversary. It will be a feature of one of the other Duxford displays, The Fighter Collection’s Flying Legends
Air Show in July, which has also announced that the Austrian-based Flying Bulls will be sending their unique five-ship piston and jet combination of
B-25J Mitchell, P-38L Lightning, F4U-4 Corsair and two Alpha Jets. The Shuttleworth Collection kicks off its 2018 programme with its contribution
to the RAF centenary celebrations, one that is expected to include the public display debut of the reproduction Sopwith Camel and hopefully newly
restored Spitfire Vc AR501 as well. It goes without saying that no venue other than Old Warden will be able to demonstrate such a comprehensive
array of types from the service’s first two decades.
But 2018 isn’t all about the RAF. The June event at Shuttleworth will, for the third year running, be Fly Navy – this has become one of the calendar’s
annual highlights, with its wide range of historic naval types on display. And the RNAS Yeovilton Air Day showcases the best of the Fleet Air Arm both
past and present, having also announced some unique overseas flying participation in the form of the French Navy’s two-ship of Dassault Rafale
fighters and an Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft, plus the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-188 demo that will take at RIAT the following week. In the
Channel Islands, meanwhile, the Jersey International Air Display will feature at least one sumptuous historic aircraft making its first appearance.
As every year, there are losses and gains from the schedule. The Scampton Airshow, first held in 2017, will not be returning this year; nor will the
Skylive Airshow at Durham Tees Valley. However, the new seafront event at Great Yarmouth, praised for its inaugural edition last season, returns for
the 2018 calendar, and there’s a first-time show at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire.14-16 WYCOMBE AIR PARK, BUCKS: AeroExpo UK – 020 8255 4000
http://www.aeroexpo.co.uk/contact16 OLD WARDEN, BEDS: Shuttleworth June Evening Airshow – 01767
627927 http://www.shuttleworth.org16-17 GREAT YARMOUTH SEAFRONT, NORFOLK: The Haven Great
Yarmouth Air Show – 01493 846492
http://www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/air-show23-24 BICESTER, OXON: The Classic and Sports Car Show in
association with Flywheel – 020 8267 8365
http://www.classicandsportscarshow.comLarge Spitfi re formations — these are The Fighter Collection’s LF.Vb, Aero Legends’ LF.IX and
IX.T, and Anglia Aircraft Restorations’ FR.XIVe — will naturally be seen at IWM Duxford this
season. ALL BEN DUNNELL UNLESS NOTED