As we near the last week of May (hard to believe we are already here!) it's time for another look back at airshow seasons from the past. This weekend would have marked the 2020 edition of the Duxford Air Festival. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127965535@N04/35430854156/in/dateposted/ May airshows at Duxford have been an early season fixture for decades now, originally … Continue reading Warbird Tails Looking Back – Duxford Air Festival
Lockdown Legends Week 7 – Horsemen
A 'Legends retrospective series would be incomplete without a small tribute to the Horsemen. Now a legendary name in the airshow world themselves the Horsemen team specialise in close formation aerobatics. Starting as a two ship display in the mid 1990s, in more recent years the team regularly display in three aircraft. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127965535@N04/45265210064/in/album-72157673758154607/ The team … Continue reading Lockdown Legends Week 7 – Horsemen
Warbird Tails Looking Back – Abingdon
Another Wednesday, another look back. This weekend coming would have marked the 2020 edition of the Abingdon Air and County Fayre. This year was set to have a different feel with a heavier emphasis on the fly-in though still had planned displays from a number of aircraft including a rare appearance from Historic Helicopters Westland … Continue reading Warbird Tails Looking Back – Abingdon
Lockdown Legends Week 6 – European “B 17s”
A look at two special 'Legends visitors for this weeks instalment then. Previous posts have looked at visitors from the states and some Russian types that have performed at the show. This week it is the turn of two European machines. One was a one off visitor and the other attended many shows at Duxford … Continue reading Lockdown Legends Week 6 – European “B 17s”
Warbird Tails Looking Back – VE Day
Another week of lockdown passes and with it we approach another would be airshow weekend, at least in part. This weekend is (for those still able to tell the difference) set to be a long weekend, with the traditional early May Bank Holiday Monday moved to Friday. This is to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of … Continue reading Warbird Tails Looking Back – VE Day
Lockdown Legends Week 5 – Eastern Visitors
Another common thread that has been present at many Flying Legends shows over the years has been representation for Russian types. While only one of those visitors actually made the journey from Russia itself, the majority have been visitors from overseas and as such well worth a post in themselves. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127965535@N04/49845557221/in/dateposted/ Yaks of some kind … Continue reading Lockdown Legends Week 5 – Eastern Visitors
Warbird Tails Looking Back – Shuttleworth Season Premiere
Amongst all of the unprecedented changes and uncertainty that the whole world is going through, we all no doubt experience and lose different parts of our normal day to day life in part of the ongoing battle the world is facing. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127965535@N04/27084260546/in/dateposted-public/ All of those things come in different shapes and sizes to different people. … Continue reading Warbird Tails Looking Back – Shuttleworth Season Premiere
Lockdown Legends Week 4 – Thunderbolt G-THUN
In the first few weeks of this series I focused on particular routines or roles in the Flying Legends displays over the years and how they have evolved and change over the shows 20 plus year history. https://www.flickr.com/photos/127965535@N04/49817100097/in/dateposted/ Today I wanted to focus on one airframe that has been hugley important not only to Flying … Continue reading Lockdown Legends Week 4 – Thunderbolt G-THUN
Warbird People: Eagles 11 & Flying the Yale
As so many of these stories start, Rob Stewart grew up attending airshows such as the Great Warbird events at West Malling. Aside from the awful traffic getting in and out (some things never change), it was the warbirds that left a great impression. That love of warbirds continued for Rob but as is often … Continue reading Warbird People: Eagles 11 & Flying the Yale
Lockdown Legends Week 3 – American Visitors
Any regular attendees to Legends during the late 90s and early 2000s will remember fondly the pre-social media days of there always being a surprise act that would arrive largely unannounced a few days before the show. This added to the magic of Legends and always made for a great bonus as it was generally … Continue reading Lockdown Legends Week 3 – American Visitors