The Best of British show at Shuttleworth in July this year was a real shining light of the airshow season. There were countless memorable set pieces and visitors but the undoubted had to have been the great war finale.

This saw all of the collection’s First World War aircraft take to the skies in the fading light, evoking feelings of the dusk and dawn patrols that would have been common place 100 years ago.

Within the display we saw the debut of the WW1 Aviation Heritage Trust’s Sopwith Snipe and Albatros D.Va. The latter of which formed a memorable pair with the Sopwith Pup, a simply wonderful sight in the summer evening light.

We saw the Bristol Fighter and SE5a perform together in close formation before the late war rotaries – The Bristol M1c and Sopwith Snipe performed together.

This was the first airshow appearance for a Snipe in the UK and Gene DeMarco did not disappoint with an excellent low level performance just before sunset.

Sometimes weather, aircraft and atmosphere can all come together to create a spectacle so much greater than the sum of their parts. This was one of those occasions, living history and airshow gold.

The Sopwith Pup

Se5a and Bristol Fighter.

Gene performed an excellent display late in the show in the fading light.

The pinnacle of Sopwith’s Great War designs.

The Snipe returns to earth after a memorable debut.

Keith Skilling displayed the Albatros in some wonderful light.

Another look at the beautiful Albatros.

The Pup and Albatros meet in the fading skies.

The Bristol M1C.

Two stars of the show are put back to bed in the hangar after a busy evening.