That used to be maintained at Luton by McAlpine and then MAGEC. For some reason I remember the captain was Mr Pepper when I last saw it depart.

Extremely sad to read this.

http://tugpilots.co.uk/aircraft/tug-fleet/towing-history-at-lgc/

I will ask on a Facebook forum as the B-25s landed at Luton and presumably were accompanied by the other aircraft?

As a Luton radar controller, my first ever “MAYDAY” occurred over Aylesbury, a Cessna on a general handling flight. Engine failure and they made a perfect landing at Thame. This was in the days before mobile phones. I got a Cabair AA5 to circle above and they confirmed the two occupants were waving at them. Instructor then phoned me from a call box outside the airfield to say that thre were no injuries. Since then, Thame is an airfield that I will always remember, but sadly being a brownfield site, is destined to become forgotten, but not by me, or the many that used it.

I have just been told that Berlin Express lost ‘a canopy’ during the display. Landed safely.

Knowing that the Sea Vixen was to land wheels up would affect the deployment of the fire vehicles. Driving behind is very likely to cause punctured tyres on the Debris, plus if the airframe had broken up, the wreckages trail would have impeded access. Following the Sioux City DC-10 crash (and exactly that happened), plus avoiding bodies scattered on the tarmac, fire service deployment altered. It does not surprise me in the least that the crash tenders were mainly deployed ahead, than behind.