Re: M&S, you may already be aware but there’s a pretty good one at the petrol station further down the A505 on the other side of the M11, next to the McDonald’s. Far better quality than some of the gristle being served on the airfield! Always a joy to rock up at Duxford on the Thursday/Friday before Legends with a nice selection of M&S sushi…
I’ve been going to Duxford airshows for about 25 years now, and I love the place. The M11 end is great for pre-show activity, and the tank bank is the place to be on airshow days. It’s always busy at Legends, and on days like last Sunday where there’s a massive crowd, but more often than not I’ve found it quite easy to find a space a few rows back, which I much prefer to being squashed along the fence or surrounded at the top of the hill. Each to their own I suppose!
Looking into sun for a fair bit of the day has never bothered me, you just deal with it. It’s hardly the IWM’s fault…
As for last weekend, the IWM made it quite clear that there were c.2,000 spaces left in the Meadow car park, and warned that there would be heavy traffic. My friends and I were staying 20 minutes up the M11 and were up at 6am, arriving at the Meadow about 90 minutes later. Shortly after, the car park was full and they were turning people away. Not ideal, but quite an extraordinary situation for Duxford. I bailed during the Reds on Sunday and drove straight out, no snags.
Normally I drive straight in between 8am and 10am and, after a post-show wander, drive straight out around 6.30-7pm. Until this weekend, it’s been about a decade since I experienced really bad traffic chaos at Duxford.
The Canadian visit has made it possible to take in five complete Lancasters (and one nose section) in one day – an interesting read!
http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/09/16/aviation-feature-six-lancasters-in-one-day/
See linked below a report from East Kirkby’s terrific ‘Three Lancasters’ event last Sunday. Anyone with tickets to the second event is in for a real treat.

Just giving the people what they want, Mike. 😉
Some photos of the Lancs at Dunsfold, alongside the BBMF fighters, here: http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/09/03/airshow-review-dunsfold-wings-wheels-2014/

Bill Ramsey is leading in the Vulcan – read his take on it in the article linked above!
Might be nice to see their T-33 painted as a Manston aircraft, but it ain’t going to happen!
It was repainted in either 2012/13 in the scheme below. I’m sure I read that the markings have some connection with Manston; whether it was based there for a time, or visited, I don’t know. Perhaps someone who knows their stuff from that era could clarify?
They have recently painted the Jaguar up in arctic camo’ too.


Public Display Authority was obtained this morning, ahead of the Eastbourne display – photos from yesterday’s practices, including some lovely late evening light, attached in the link below.
I thought the attached article may be of interest to some here – it’s an account of my visit to Normandy over the weekend of 6-8 June 2014, one of the most important trips I’ll ever make. My friends and I took an overnight ferry from Portsmouth on 5 June, arriving at Sword Beach at 0630 on the 6th, just as the British forces would have done 70 years earlier. We spent the weekend in the American sector, and the words/images linked above reflect on our travels around Utah and several French towns, as well as numerous parachute drops and a flight in the Breitling DC-3 Dakota.
Please do have a read!
My words on why this is such a significant event, and plenty of images from today’s arrival. Have a gander if you wish – cannot wait to see these two together. A real dream come true!

Some more of Darren’s lovely photographs can be found at the link below, with a little potted history (by no means comprehensive – that comes later!) of the aircraft.
Well done, Shuttleworth!:D
My take on the show is linked below, with plenty of images of the flying and static displays to boot.
http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/07/31/airshow-review-rnas-yeovilton-air-day-2014/

Excellent images and a sound perspective on Flying Legends 2014 in this review by Huw Hopkins, who posts here from time to time! Proof, I think, that you don’t have to be outside to get dynamic photographs at Duxford…
http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/07/21/airshow-review-flying-legends-2014/
It’s my view that well-chosen, appropriate and well-timed music can help enhance a display. Case in point: the ‘Hanna slot’ that traditionally saw Spitfire MH434 displaying to a combination of The Last Post (a stirring version I’ve never been able to track down commercially) and Lesley Garrett’s Jerusalem; the latter received an airing at the end of Flying Legends last weekend, incidentally!
That Biggin solo benefitted from the musical accompaniment; it helped heighten already stirred emotions, and didn’t detract from the sounds of the Merlin. That said, there are some occasions – the 16 Spitfires at Duxford spring to mind – where no music is necessary. It’s about balance and judging the right moments, if you ask me.
Equally, there have been some terrible musical choices. Southend Airshow was always a good example of how not to do things in that sense – Battle of Britain March for the Lancaster, Dambusters for the Hurricane, Spitfire Prelude for the Hurricane etc…