I’ve been surprised the Vulcan isn’t booked for Duxford in September – is it possible this is the real reason the show is advance only and the Avro will appear on the flying list at a late stage once most of the tickets are sold? If it was the final airshow appearance we know what would happen. Seems odd it’s swansong will be the Leicester Victory Show on Sept 6th – which is pay on the day according to the website, should be carnage!

I’m glad someone else is morally offended by the windbreaks – you’ll go a long way to see such brazen displays of selfish behaviour. Last Sunday one group of three with all the camera gear had a lovely little enclosure to themselves about 8 foot back from the fence and 12 foot across. I email IWM most years to complain after shows and get a nice response but makes no difference whatsoever……

I’m just reading his book and if you didn’t know it was true you’d say it was an outrageous fairy story – taken up for aerobatics by Ernst Udet, escaping from Germany as war was declared, brilliant wartime and test pilot career, interviewing all the top German scientists and aviators, a long list of ‘firsts’ and a list of aircraft types so long you can’t imagine it was possible to fit them in – Avro 504 to F104!!!

The man is living history and the suggestion above would be wonderful and very timely as he’s now 95 I believe. If they sat him in the Wildcat now I suspect he’d try and take it up.

One thing that has bemused me is that when we’ve had the recent excellent books (Empire of the Clouds) and BBC programmes highlighting the Test Pilots of that era why wasn’t ‘Winkle’ the star of the show(s)? I’ve seen and read both alike but can’t remember him being mentioned. I know they were all heroes but surely his record must top the lot…….. His life would make a film on its own.