The nostalgic thread about the Mildenhall Air Fete prompted me to think about the best decade for airshows in the UK. I guess its all relative depending on what age you are – some might go for the heyday of Meteors/Canberra’s etc, a little younger and you might be into Phantoms & Lightnings through to the really young who are accustomed Tornados & F16s.
For me it was the period 69 -77 followed by a 10 year jump to Binbrook 87 and then early 90s airshows (after the wall came down) at Boscombe & Faiford.
I missed the biggy at Abingdon in 68 but my first proper military show at BoB Biggin in 69 was awesome. The ground attack display by Hunters, the Lightning solo, USAF F100s, CAF 104s (coming up fast from behind) got a 14 year old hooked on airshows. Mildenhall apart, lets not forget all the variety offered by Alconbury, Bentwaters & Upper Heyford F100, 101, 111s. Not forgetting Blue Angels & Thunderbirds flying F4s. RB?57s, Huskies, KC97s and so on. RAF displays were pretty good too Cottesmore 72 (Canberras) & Finningley 77 (Jubilee) stand out. North Weald (4 ship Drakens) & Greenham Common – remember the Hunter 25th line up? – will always be up there for variety. Yeoviltons 70s displays with massed formations of Venoms, Vixens & Phantoms + Buccs were really something to watch as was the 100+ helicopter formations at Middle Wallop. The real gem for me was Lee on Solent – this place had so much character with Whirlwinds everywhere, Scimitars retired from service, Sea Devons & Herons – and not forgetting the ‘Green Parrot’. JP display teams were everywhere.
I think it was Alconbury 76 or 77? when a prototype F16 displayed – on its way to the Paris Air Show?? The F16 display was awesome and clearly a sign of things to come – but what did it for me was the sight of 9 Red Arrows Gnats doing a battle break over the airfield. How none of em managed to clip the tails of the parked USAF aircraft on the deck is beyond me – they parked ‘TBird’ style right in front of the crowdline to raptuoruos applause.
I was spoilt for choice in the golden years – oops forgot to mention V bomber scrambles!! I think we all wish we could turn the clock back but it’s a different world these days. I feel that military entertainment – and everything that went with it – especially the stunts, given security, financial resources, and the sad world that we now live in – is a thing of the past!! I hope the Reds are allowed to continue to display, with BAE support, because they provide the last vestige of a great British airshow heritage.
By: Pete Truman - 26th May 2006 at 10:31
Biggin ’69- I remember my grandfather telling me about it.
Dude, you must be like, really old!
If you think Robbies so old, perhaps your great great grandfather told you about my first airshow at Newton in 1956!
I would desperately have liked to have got ‘Stoned in Hyde Park’ in 1969, however I was working at Butlins, Minehead at the time and couldn’t make it, although some people dissapeared for a few days to see Bob Dylan at the IOW Festival.
Best airshows were definately early 60’s, Hucknall, Syerston, Cottesmore and Waddington were my local venues.
Highlights were the 3 minute warning Vulcan scrambles that were pretty awesome, the scenarios used to be like the BoB with the Vulcan aircrews lounging around in deckchairs in front of the crowdline then sprinting for their a/c when a flare was fired off from the tower. Lets see, what else, good variety of US aircraft including B-47’s and Douglas Destroyers, and they used to do some interesting mixed formations in those days. 111 Squadron with their Hunters performing in all weather conditions used to be a bit hairy as crowd overflying was not an issue then. The first Lightnings were cool as no-one had seen such a fast, noisy, piece of kit as this before, and, they tended to come in low and fast from behind the crowd line.
Most of the participants in those days tended to be RAF, USAF and RCAAF, I don’t recall many other air forces taking part, but still, the variety of a/c was incredible.
Memorable moment was Douglas Bader flying into Cottesmore, parking right in front of me and being greeted by ‘Johnnie’ Johnstone, who was station commander at the time.
Another memorable moment was during the mid 70’s at the Hall when the first F-15 arrived here. We heard the communication over the PA when the pilot took off from somewhere near NY at lunchtime, then he arrived at about 17:00 over the airfield, I recall he was desperate to go to the bog and just did a flyby and landing.
Wow, Famillies Day, Alconbury 1991, how I got in, I don’t know, I phoned them up and they let me in, amazing, all the a/c had been in the Gulf War and I was invited into the cockpits of everything, even the F-111 whatever, the electronics thing.
I remember sitting in the pilots seat of a Starlifter when Ray Hannah flew in with MH434 and the whole crew abandoned the plane to watch his sensational arrival.
Best bit was lying in the tail of a KC-135 and being taught how to work the refuelling probe by a tasty US female operative.
Happy days.
By: ollieholmes - 26th May 2006 at 00:03
Old Warden is a fantastic place, with a brilliant atmosphere.
BUT, because most of the displays feature the resident collection to a greater or lesser extent, there is a feeling of deja-vu about quite a lot of the events.As I recall, the weather at the most recent event was less than clement, and that is always the crucial factor dictating the turn-out of the masses.
I do totaly agree with you there. It is always nice when a visiting aeroplane flys in and displays. It is also nice when they put the aeroplanes up that they dont often fly.
The weather was pretty foul at the last event i agree.I can remember worse weather than we had then and more people arrived.
But credits due where credits due, they do an amasing job to keep so many aeroplanes in flying condition. They put on alot of airshows a year, and it is all done volountry.
I always have felt that a fair few if not most of the aeroplanes there would not fly or proberably even survive if they where anywhere else.
By: Propstrike - 25th May 2006 at 23:34
Old Warden is a fantastic place, with a brilliant atmosphere.
BUT, because most of the displays feature the resident collection to a greater or lesser extent, there is a feeling of deja-vu about quite a lot of the events.
As I recall, the weather at the most recent event was less than clement, and that is always the crucial factor dictating the turn-out of the masses.
By: ollieholmes - 25th May 2006 at 23:12
I miss the days of Old Warden shows where the entire car parking area was full and we where parking in the field the other side of the road.
Not the miserable 4/5 lines of cars at the last show.
By: Robbie - 25th May 2006 at 22:52
I got ‘Stoned in Hyde Park in 69!
Swam in the ‘Turpentine’ thro’ the 70se
Have taken my 3 ‘drop dead gorgeus’ teenage daughters to pretty much every Theme Park in Florida. My son (13) insisted we did Sun ‘Funat Lakeland, Polk City, Tom O’Rellys & Valient – I might be old but I’m Having the best time of my life. Err next to me is even paying for me and my mates to do whatever we to do at DM next Mar.
By: Propstrike - 25th May 2006 at 21:18
Biggin ’69- I remember my grandfather telling me about it.
Dude, you must be like, really old!
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May 25, 2006 at 8:06 pm