We have seen airshows at the coast where aerial displays are enacted just over the sea and these can be stunning if viewed from a cliff top when some aircraft fly at a height lower than the top of the cliffs. But we had not seen an airshow on an airfield. So the annual Duxford show at the IWM Museum at RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire offered the airshow, plus the museum, and the added attraction of participating aircraft parked on the ground.
Duxford is around 100 miles from our home so, in order to get there early, we stayed nearby on Saturday Night. The room only accommodation in a converted barn was near, well very near, to Stanstead Airport, just over the fence halfway along the runway in fact.
But, despite that, there was very little aircraft noise. Saturdays’ evening meal in a quaint country pub opposite was instantly forgettable. But this was Essex, not exactly noted for cuisine, style and finesse. Next morning we set off early for the 20 mile run up the M11 and joined the queue at a one mile marker and were eventually parked up at nine o’clock. As this was likely to be our only such airshow we invested in ‘Gold Passes’ which gave us VIP preferential parking, access to the Gold Marquee right on the edge of the airfield, and seating on the grass airfield verge beside the ‘taxiway’. We also had exclusive access to the line up on the airfield before the show started. But the BIG PLUS was ‘luxury toilets’, none of those portaloo things.
On arrival in the marquee, bacon rolls and coffee were available. (At a cost; you couldn’t expect them included in your Gold Pass £80 each, could you? Yes I could)
Anyhow I won’t drag the story on but will say that as the two Lancasters were scheduled to be there, I was hoping they would be on the ground for a close look; hence my comment to LLL about common interest. They were not on the ground and came during the afternoon show from their RAF Conningsby base in Lincolnshire. The Red Arrows were also scheduled to appear but more about them later.
Here is a small selection of my pics from the museum, to the airfield line up, to the marquee and some aerial shots. It was rather cloudy so I have had to do quite a lot of tweaking to bring out some detail….
IWM Duxford is vast and is housed in 8 hangers. These pictures of a Tornado hanging from the roof, and a front view of a Concorde are in the AirSpace hanger containing an array of British aircraft. We also had a quick look in the American Air Museum with a large selection of American aircraft but to be honest, the museum is something for another day because it is SO extensive.
These are two of the large aircraft along the public area. The Catalina and the B17, Super Fortress. The Super Fort 'Memphis Belle' flew later and reminded me of a similar aircraft that crash landed in a field near my home in 1943. The crew all survived and the aircraft was intact.
This is a DeHavilland Dragon Rapide of 1930's vintage. Another aircraft that brings back memories because it was the first aircraft I ever flew in as a 14 year old Sea Cadet in 1948. They seat about 10 passengers and you start sitting in canvas seats leaning backwards. As the tail rises on take off, you raise to a level position. Just a little schoolboy memory.
Here are three pics of some of the display aircraft line up including some modern, some vintage, and a row of Spits and Hurricanes.
I couldn't resist the B & W to make tha two pilots more authentic. Note they are carrying their parachutes.
The other two are the gold marquee and airfield seating.
Three from the aerial display including the B17 with bomb doors open. You do need a really big lens like the chap here.
And there were lots of them..
You could feel the emotion in the crowd when the Canadian and British Lancs appeared with Spitfire and Hurricane escorts. Something very special about those aeroplanes and spontaneous applause started as they past. I took quite a few pics but with the cloud cover they were not very successful.
And now the story of The Arrows. During the morning the announcer told us that there was a 10 mile queue to get into the event and all the additional off site parking. The Arrows were scheduled to close the show at about 5.15. If it was to take us a very long time to get out on to the motorway we might not get home before dark and decided to leave before they appeared. Not being a wimp but with glaucoma the eyes are not too good in the dark particularly with other vehicle headlights so I have included one of the Arrows' classic images borrowed from the net....and we have seen them before.
I think it's all the noise & speed these aircraft do that gets you all excited, like on a plane I love to hear the engines revving up just before take off.
