For many years the opening sequence of the Flying Legends show has been the trademark Spitfire tailchase. Typically consisting of 7 or so airframes (though recently as many as 10 or 11) this wonderful mix of Merlin and Griffon engine machines, charting a broad range of the Spitfire lineage. The tailchase typically showcases the Mk … Continue reading ‘Lockdown Legends Week 11 – Spitfires
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
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
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”
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
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
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
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
Across the country and the world we are adapting to a slightly different way of life at the moment. While we are all quite rightly spending a lot more time inside, in my case rather than going out to look at aeroplanes, I wanted to try and bring some stories to this blog from around … Continue reading Museum Update: Heinkel Project HE 111 at Hawkinge
2019 was a year of great firsts for the UK airshow scene. We saw the debut of the wonderful Ultimate Fighters team (who have already been confirmed for their first 2020 appearance at the Air Festival at Duxford in May) and the incredible DH9 from the Historic Aircraft Collection. It also saw a wonderful tribute … Continue reading Warbird Tails 2020 Season Preview
