Swap Ghost to Hawaii

Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress "Swamp Ghost" has been acquired by the Pacific Aviation Museum of Hawaii.

It is expected it will be displayed in an 'as found' condition much like their Japanese Zero fighter display.

New B-17 For Liberty

Follow the tragic loss of B-17G Flying Fortress "Liberty Belle" the Liberty Foundation has loaned the use of B-17 "The Movie Memphis Belle" from the Tillichet family.

The Liberty Foundation plan to have 44-83546 available for pleasure flights as they tour it around the USA.

The Foundation does has a second B-17 available to them, recovered from a lake in Canada, but it requires a full rebuild and will take many years.

Duxford Jubilee Airshow Review

Order Of Appearance

Eurofighter Typhoon / RAF
Boeing B-17G "Sally B" / B-17 Preservation
Harvard Pair / The Fighter Collection & Aircraft Restoration Company
Westland Lynx / Royal Navy
RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight - Avro Lancaster, Supermarine Spitfire & Hawker Hurricane
Grob Tutor / RAF
Hawker Trio - Nimrod (Fighter Collection), Nimrod (Historic Aircraft Collection) & Hurricane (Historic Aircraft Collection)
King Air B200 / RAF
Shorts Tucano / RAF
F-16 Fighting Falcon / Belgium Air Component
SBach Duo / Red Bull Matadors
Westland Sea King (Role Demo) / RAF
Gloster Meteor T.7 / Classic Aircraft Trust
Dragon Rapide / D & M Miller
Avro Anson / Classic Aircraft Trust
Chipmunk Pair / Aircraft Restoration Company & A Grounsell
Bucker Jungmeister / G Brander
Socata TB30 Epsilon x3 / French Air Force
BAe HAwk T.1 / RAF
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V / The Fighter Collection
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / Old Flying Machine Company
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXT / Air Leasing ("Grace" Spitfire)

 

Review

A powerful sun hung over the historic Duxford airfield with very little cloud to protect the spectators from it's effects. Of course in airshow terms this is perfect condition with only a slight breeze it was an ideal day for any participant.

When a show can boast the original schedule to be full and in order; you know it has been idyllic conditions. Dubbed the "Jubilee Airshow" the connections were few and far between with participation very typical of any Duxford show. Though the program and commentators alike endeavored to make Royal connections and relay some history between the aircraft present - to the pure Aviation enthusiast or Royalist it may have seemed a bit futile. Where was the bunting? Balloons? Or anything other Jubilee paraphernalia. Ah well. On with the show.

Kick-starting the show with aplomb was the RAF (a Royal connection if ever there was!) with their Eurofighter Typhoon; this year coming direct from 6 Squadron rather than a display team. With the crowd on their feet and watching in virtual silence the RAF's front-line multi-role aircraft brought the show season to DX, the virtual freedom of the display airspace used by all participants, taking advantage of the great weather.
A firm Duxford favorite is the enigmatic Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sally B" who followed the power of Typhoon with an elegant World War Two bomber display. From front-line bomber to fighter-trainer came next with a pair of Harvards brought to the show by home-teams The Fighter Collection and The Aircraft Restoration Company.

The Royal Navy's contribution to the Jubilee event was the versatile Westland Lynx solo display. The pilot giving a crowd stopping performance of the helicopter's abilities and maneuvers.
You always know when the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight are in town when their announcement brings utter and impeccable silence to the flight line crowd. Hearing six Rolls-Royce engines prowling somewhere to the North all eyes were scanning behind to catch the first glimpse of a truly patriotic sight. Only a few performers have the permission to over-fly the crowd and once again the Lancaster, Spitfire & Hurricane of "The Few" tribute used the control tower as reference to do so. Conducting the ceremony in their usual style of solos and formation flying the trio had the crowd, once again, on their feet - leaving to a rapturous applause.

The Grob Tutor provided an interlude of the spectacular until, arguably, the sexiest sight of the afternoon was brought before the audience in the form of a Hawker trio. The avid aviation fan could be forgiven for being disappointed that today was not HAC's Hawker Fury debut, but, the sight of Hawker Nimrod I (The Fighter Collection), Hawker Nimrod II and Hawker Hurricane (both Historic Aircraft Company) should surely have appeased any sadness!

The colorful scheme of the RAF's Shorts Tucano gave more color to the event closely followed by a typically breath-taking routine from the Belgium Air Component's Lockheed Fighting Falcon F-16.

Pilot skills were demonstrated by the newly formed Red Bull Matadors of which fans of Red Bull Air Racing fans will be all too familiar. Tight formations and blood rushing maneuvers had the crowd focused on the skies. The RAF's Sea King gave a role demonstration of it's personnel rescue role. The audience scrambling to see the stranded gentleman on the airfield waiting to be airlifted to safety.

Going into the closing hour of the show transportation was on everyone's minds in the contrasting types of de Havilland Dragon Rapide and Avro Anson. The differences of shapes, size and power made for a very interesting display.

Training types followed the Anson as the Chipmunk pair took the stage to show some simple but effective formation flying - the kind of which RAF recruits would conduct 90+ hours on before moving on the their specified training program.

Breaking from the Jubilee theme, and in historical terms beating the Royals with a stick, was Bucker Jungmeister from G Brander. The German trainer was pointed out to have competed in the Berlin Olympics, however, it is unlikely to feature in London 2012!

As the trio of Spitfires fired up for what everyone knew was the finale there was a welcome 'main land' Britain show debut for the French Air Forces' Patrouille Cartouche Dore display team flying three of their Socata TB30 Epsilon advanced trainers. Showing that the French can put on a display show comparable to the likes of which the UK, Italy, USA etc. usually boast about.

 As the PCD came back in to appreciative applause the long-standing Hawk T.1 display rolled in for the usual exhilarating performance, using the open airspace to demonstrate the jet-trainer's abilities, and showing why it has been (and will be with the T.2) the RAF's first choice jet-trainer of modern times.

With that came the arrival of the shows centre piece finale; the trio of Spitfires comprising of Mk.Vb EP120 (The Fighter Collection), Mk.IX MH434 (Old Flying Machine Co.) & Mk.IXT ML407 (Air Leasing "Grace" Spitfire). There is nothing more epitomising of the British spirit than the Spitfire and they provided an apt closing to the so-called Jubilee airshow.

 

To view the full set of photos from the show please visit here: Duxford Jubilee Show 2012 Photos

Despite some signal problems our Twitter service from airfield was greatly received and many people re-tweeted our posts - a big thank you very much to everyone who did so! The service will continue (conditions and signal dependent) at the RAF Airshow at Cosford on June 17th. To view the tweets from the Jubilee show visit here: Classic Aviation Twitter

"Swamp Ghost" at POF!

The long journey of B-17E "Swamp Ghost" is nearing the end as she has now arrived at the Planes Of Fame Museum! Subject of a legal battle for many years, the airframe has been looted and subject to a lot of weather, it will now reside at POF for the forseeable future.

Jerry Yagen gets "Chuckie"

B-17 Flying Fortress "Chuckie" has been purchased by Jerry Yagen's Military Aviation Museum at Virginia Beach. It is currently being readied  for the delivery flight to Virginia.

Battle Of Britain Airshow - Duxford 2010

A sun soaked morning greeted the early birds at this year's September show; this year marking the 70th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain. Spitfires and Hurricanes were in attendance en masse in a true tribute to "The Few".
A new Me109 Buchon graced the flight line recently restored by ARCo. Another rare aircraft on the duxford apron was a Norwegian vampire with Mickey Mouse emblem. The sun beaming down made for fantastic pictures.
On the Saturday the gates were shut as the museum reached capacity and the anticipation for the show ahead could be felt all over the airfield.
A pre-show performance from the RAF Red Arrows brough the entire airfield to a stand still.
Oddly the show was opened by aircraft that have no relation to the Battle what-so-ever; TFC's Sea Fury & Bearcat. Nevertheless this was a powerful opening which lead into a well rehearsed routine by ARCo and TFC's Harvard pair. The Belgian F-16, a regular at Duxford and at other UK airshows, added a bit of power, thrust and after-burn to the display.
B-17 Sally B then opened for the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster, Spitfire & Hurricane as the true BoB remembrance took place. Again the airfield came to an absolute stand still as the three aircraft did their routines and fly-bys.
A tranquil break in the form of a Leopard Moth and Hornet Moth; gracefully and effortlessly doing circuits around the aerodrome display line.
ARCo's Me109 Buchon provided representation for "the enemy" followed by a quartet of Hurricanes. Peter Vacher, Hanger 11, HAC and and Shuttleworth's Sea Hurricane made up a beautiful and very rare formation. With the BBMF's Hurricane now on the ground; this left just one airworthy Hurricane in the UK not in attendance (also operated by the BBMF). This was followed by a beautiful solo display by Hanger 11's immaculate Hurri-Bomber. Gladiators took part in early exchanges with the Luftwaffe in the months leading up to the Battle Of Britain and this was represented by the Shuttleworth's example in the air and TFC's on the ground; the only two airworthy in the world!
The RAF came agin the their Eurofighter Typhoon display which was soon contrasted by the Miller family's Dragon Rapide. 19 Squadron, the Spitfire squadron based at Duxford during the battle, then did formation fly pasts in their current type Hawk T.1 and T.2's.
Jungmann and Jungmeister put on a German acrobatic display which was followed by a one minute silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the conflict.
Then for the finale pieces. A unique, rare and magnificant formation of no less than 16 Spitfires of various types and marks. A grand spectacle commemorating the people and machines that took part in Britain's finest hour. "The Few" were truely represented. This was followed by tail chases by the 16 Spits. A great showcase of Mitchell's machine - the sounds can only be described as truely beautiful.
The Petrouille De France closed the show with a well-polished display as light started to fade and display conditions started to deteriorate. A great show from the IWM Duxford that definately paid it's tributes to the men and women that took part, some of whom lost their lives, in the Battle Of Britain 70 years ago.

B-17G "Pink Lady" Grounded

19th March 2010 cast a shadow over the European Airshow circuit with the news that B-17G Flying Fortress "Pink Lady" has been grounded indefinately. Poor availability of spares and the rising cost of insurances have been blamed. A common visitor to UK Airshows, seen above at 2010 Flying Legends, the loss leaves UK based "Sally B" Europe's only airworthy B-17 Flying Fortress. Let's hope that one day in the future someone with the kind of money to keep a B-17 in the air will get "Pink Lady" back where she belongs.