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Shuttleworth Race Day 2024 |
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| ‘The Collection’s glorious DH.88 Comet was unable to safely perform due to the worsening weather...’ | |
| The Shuttleworth Trust’s Race Day is the annual signal that the Airshow Season has reached its end for another year, with both air based and ground based displays. | |
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| The day itself was under the threat of the weather from the start with ominous low cloud forecast for the day with the addition of rain likely at some point. | |
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| The day's main displays began with thunderous roars from vintage vehicles aplenty. The show ground was cordoned off as spectators took up position along the viewing line to watch a plethora of vintage cars and motorcycles perform laps around the airfield and down the thundering straights in front of the Collection hangars. | |
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| For many the main star of the vehicle parade took the form of Brooklands Museum owned Napier Railton, a rampaging bare metal beast fitted with a 535bhp Napier Lion Aero Engine; a true rare beauty. | |
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| As the day’s proceedings went on, the foreboding weather continued on its predicted forecast with very flat, grey skies, which didn’t affect the early programme of flight too much, kicking off at 2pm with a display of two examples of the pinnacle of radial piston power in the form of the Grumman Bearcat and Hawker Fury. A number of passes of perfect pairs flying, especially given the conditions with lower levels of visibility. | |
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| A day celebrating Racing in all its splendour wouldn’t be complete without an aerial representation of the theme. Shuttleworth, as usual putting on very unique displays that are unlikely to be seen anywhere else delivered, with a flying quartet, pitting the Collection’s Lysander, Avro Anson, Miles Magister and Comper Swift against each other. | |
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Spitfires were also on the agenda for the day’s proceedings with not one, but two examples. The first, PR XI PL983, better known as “The NHS Spitfire” put on a brief but energetic display at the hands of the great John Romain. The second showing of Supermarine’s finest came in the form of the Collection’s own mk.VC AR501 which gave an equally impressive display with some sweeping topside passes along the crowd line. |
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| Display of the day has to be awarded to the Collection’s own Gloster Gladiator which gave an absolutely blistering flying display, flown in a way I have never seen; really, really impressive. Comments of astonishment were audible up and down the crowd line from admiring onlookers, it was definitely one to remember. | |
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| Additional rarity came from a display from the privately owned Travel Air Mystery Ship R based in the hangars at the Shuttleworth Collection. The 1920’s air racer looked resplendent in its glossy red paint. Not too frequently seen in the sky, the radial racer looked fantastic as it completed topside passes up and down the length of the grass strip of Old Warden Airfield. | |
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| Ultimately the weather did have the deciding hand on how the day was to end with the final display of the day being cancelled after a single distant circuit to check weather conditions. The Collection’s glorious DH.88 Comet was unable to safely perform due to the worsening weather, the light was fading and the rain was beginning to set making it just too dangerous to display; all part of the risk expected by any experienced air show event organiser for shows so late in the display flying season. | |
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| At the end of the day the event organisers at the Shuttleworth Collection put on another interesting and engaging show, closing the year’s air show calendar. Conditions were tricky all day but the professionalism of all involved shone through the grey of the day. The flying season will start again with the Season Premier show on Sunday 11th May which will kick off another busy year for the Collection’s aircraft and their Pilots, with the 2025 season having some new format shows including some events with both day and evening flying segments in the same event. For more information visit www.Shutteworth.org or follow them on their social media channels. | |
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Review by Jonathan Wintle. |
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