Biggin Hill Air Fair, but what year?

The 1989 dates were 17th/18th June and the 2001 dates were 2nd/3rd June, a weekend that many won’t forget.

Nice photos above, like the Gazelle.

Does anyone have the dates for when the Air Fair was in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2000 and 2001?

Were there Battle Of Britain Shows as well? If so, when were they?

Thanks again for everyones help

Richard

I didn’t attend the 1990 show, but was at 88 and 89 and can say your photos are from neither of them. I have a couple of scans which I have added to Air Britain which shows the Buccaneer at the 1989 show was XV168:

And the Sharks were there in 1989 if that helps; unfortunately I can’t get to my other photos and lists as there is a christmas tree in the way of the cupboard at the moment!

Found these shots from ’89 of the 3 Spitfires.

Rod

Not water-based paint, as the two WoGB Spitfires never lost their colours after filming – ‘983 remaining in her 1940 colours until her fatal crash in 2001.

PL983 was repainted post PoC…but in the same basic scheme.

Mark

Not water-based paint, as the two WoGB Spitfires never lost their colours after filming – ‘983 remaining in her 1940 colours until her fatal crash in 2001.

In support of this I believe NH238 is still in these colours, lurking in a shipping container somewhere…

Thanks alot again folks, I don’t remember a Sunderland or a P38 so I think by the process of elimination my photos were the Sunday 17 June 1990. That would make the DC-3 G-ANAF.

I have a few more still to come when I get time to scan them in.

Piece of cake was 1988 and normally water based paint is used so 89 if indeed the spits were wearing that livery.

Not water-based paint, as the two WoGB Spitfires never lost their colours after filming – ‘983 remaining in her 1940 colours until her fatal crash in 2001.

Biggin Hill

Spitfire trio was 1989 as was P-38 Miss Behavin’ and also Doug Arnold’s F4U-5 N179PT

1990 had Sunderland on Saturday only. Here are the two Buchons:

[ATTACH]190985[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]190986[/ATTACH]

Tony Andrews

Piece of cake was 1988 and normally water based paint is used so 89 if indeed the spits were wearing that livery.

If it was 89 MH434 displayed as a trio with NH238 and PL983. MH434 was painted light blue and the other two were in their Piece of cake colours.

If that Spitfire trio did only one season (from memory they did) then Biggin was host to p38 lightning “Miss Behaving” if that helps to date it.

I have a newspaper cutting at home (if I can find it) for the Spitfire Trio which I will post later. Hopefully the cutting is dated.

If it was 89 MH434 displayed as a trio with NH238 and PL983. MH434 was painted light blue and the other two were in their Piece of cake colours.

The blue hangar behind the swordfish in picture 4 was the Warbirds of Great Britain Hangar, it was built 89/90 if that helps. My guess would be 1990 or maybe even 91!

Thanks for the latest folks, are we saying it was 1989 now?

Photos then as follows;

11 – DC-3 either G-AMRA or G-ANAF
12 – Corsair NX1337A
13 – Aztec G-OLBC
14 – Lynx ZD279
15 – Tigercat N6178C
16 – Super Cub G-BROZ

I don’t remember seeing a Sunderland back then, I am pretty sure I would have remembered seeing it. Could it have only displayed on one day?

Mark V I have also resent the photo and your PM box is full!!!

The Sunderland was still in the UK until 1993 and definately displayed at BH in 1990.

I’ve got photos of D-FEHD as 15+< so that must be a definite yes

Can you post that picture pleae Tony – I just have no recollection of it being there, in fact my memory was that it departed back to Germany the previous week, flown by Walter Eichorn.

By the power of deduction i have sussed it guys! The Corsair was Lynsey Waltons note the Ted White memorial teddy bear on the fin,the Sunderland has been mentioned as appearing,she also flew formation with Catalina “Killer Cat” during this season at The Great Warbirds Display at West Malling (run by Elly Sallingboe) before departing for Kermit Weeks in the states it was 1989.

Biggin Hill 1990

I remember the Sunderlan display now – and Tony Bianchi’s display in AR213 was superb – but how can BM597 hav ebeen there – it would have been at Audley End at that time (dismantled) and did not fly until 1997. Also, I’m sure Buchon D-FEHD was not there either (we would have been looking after it as we had the previous weekend) – its sole appearance was at Boscombe for IAT. :confused:

Have to agree about BM597 – AB got that wrong. The full entry is BM597/PR-O/G-MKVB, Would MH434, which is suspiciously missing, have been PR-O at the time or have they duplicated AR213 which was PR-D?? I’ll look at more pics later.

I’ve got photos of D-FEHD as 15+< so that must be a definite yes

Tony Andrews

I remember the Sunderlan display now – and Tony Bianchi’s display in AR213 was superb – but how can BM597 hav ebeen there – it would have been at Audley End at that time (dismantled) and did not fly until 1997. Also, I’m sure Buchon D-FEHD was not there either (we would have been looking after it as we had the previous weekend) – its sole appearance was at Boscombe for IAT. :confused:

Biggin Hill

I’m not sure Tony – I do not recall seeing the F7-F there that year (or the Corsair for that matter) and I would certainly have remembered the former….

I’ve checked some more pictures and I’m 100% sure that all the aircraft in pictures 12-17 were at Biggin in 1990. Can’t be 100% about #11 because it could be 1 of several but for sure one or more Dakotas in those colours were there. Although digitised pictures could conceivably have got mixed up on the computer I’ve just checked some original slides and they certainly wouldn’t have the wrong year written on them. Independently the Air Britain report does say that both the Tigercat and Corsair (and others) were there.

The AB list is too long to type in but here’s an abbreviated selection of the more interesting aircraft (apologies for any transcription errors):

A-10A: 80-205, 80-271
Austers: TW536, WZ662, G-AHAL, XR244
Avenger: N3966A
Beaver: XP820
Beechcraft Duchess: G-OBLC (mis-typed in magazine – should be G-OLBC ??)
Buccaneer: XN972 nose, XT273
Buchon: G-HUNN, D-FEHD
Canberra: WH664
Corsair: NX1337A
Dakota: G-ANAF, PH-DDA
DH Dragon: EI-ABI
Harrier: ZD346, ZD348
Hawk: XX195
Hercules: XV291
Hurricane: XR-T
Jet Provost: XW359, XN637
Lancaster: PA474
Gemini: G-AKKB
Messenger: RG333
Pembroke: WV740
Piper PA-18: G-BROZ
Pitts: G-BIRD, G-IIIT, G-IIII
Scout: XT646
Sea Fury: WG655
Sioux: XT131
Skeeter: XL814
Spitfire: TB382 (as X4277), AR213, BM597, ML417, ML407, PT462, PS915
Stinson L-5: D-EONH
Swordfish: LS326
Thunderbolt: NX47DD
Tiger Moth: G-ADGV, G-AGzz, G-AJHS, T5424, G-ANFM, R4959, N6848, G-BFHH
Tigercat: N6178C
Vampire: WZ507
Venom: WR410, WE402

And, because this list is for the Sunday, they missed the Sunderland!!

Tony Andrews

I’d vote for the second batch being 1990 too.

I’m not sure Tony – I do not recall seeing the F7-F there that year (or the Corsair for that matter) and I would certainly have remembered the former….