Archive for June, 2011

Red Arrows Lead Top Flight for Airbourne 2011

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

The iconic Red Arrows will lead a packed programme of Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, British Army and civilian aircraft at the world renowned Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow this summer.

At an exclusive launch event today, organisers of the free flying spectacular announced the bumper line up of displays ready to entertain hundreds of thousands of visitors this August, including crowd favourite the Red Arrows as well as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, The Blades, Breitling Wingwalkers and many more.Local businesses and airshow partners were invited to enjoy a mini preview of Airbourne, including a solo wingwalk, Spitfire and RV8tors displays, before finding out the full flying programme that sees new for 2011, displays from the Royal Navy Black Cats and Royal Navy Raiders Parachute Display Team.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure Cllr Neil Stanley said “What a fantastic year we have coming up at Airbourne with a real variety of flying displays sure to be a hit with the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to the event every year. We are delighted to welcome to the show displays from the Royal Navy who have been missed for the past couple of years, as well as celebrate the best of the RAF with displays by the Tucano, Tutor, Hawk, Tornado and of course, the magnificent Red Arrows who will zoom through the skies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With a few more displays still being finalised, Airbourne fans are certainly in for a treat this summer!

“We are also very pleased to be joined by the Eastbourne Hospitality Association today, who will again be carrying out the retiring collection, with donations going towards their chosen charity, the RNLI, as well as the future of Airbourne. Now in its 19th year, the success of Airbourne does depend heavily on being able to secure sponsors and I hope that by releasing such a fantastic flying programme, we may attract some last minute interest from businesses keen to be associated with this high profile event and use it to reach a huge footfall of potential customers in August.”

Also included on the bill for Airbourne 2011 are the impressive Blades who will return with fast paced displays in their high-performance piston aircraft, dazzling displays from the Breitling Wingwalkers, the impressive Belgian F16, Hangar 11 Warbirds, RV8tors, and the British Army Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Tigers Parachute Display Team.

With Airbourne also promising plenty of action on the ground, including the Marines Unarmed Combat team in the arena, Come Fly With Me on Friday evening with night time flying to a band performance, evening concerts at the Bandstand and a firework finale, visitors have lots to look forward to at the free event later this summer.

Another first for 2011 will see four big screens in town for the show and the launch of Airbourne TV. This will be provided by Big Bear Events and Fonix and will give visitors the opportunity to see displays on screen up close, and to interact with the show through live streaming and text to screen. Airbourne TV will also provide great opportunities for businesses to promote themselves to event visitors and coupled with the always popular Radio Airbourne, this year’s show will become truly multi-media.

For more information on the flying displays, or to find out about sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, go to www.eastbourneairshow.com or call 0871 663 0031. Airbourne enthusiasts can pre-order the official 2011 souvenir programme and book for exclusive seating tickets at Eastbourne Bandstand now at www.visiteastbourne.com.

 
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Exclusive Bandstand Seating on Sale Now

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Visitors are being invited to book early to guarantee the best views of the flying displays at Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow with exclusive seating on sale now at Eastbourne Bandstand.This summer the town’s iconic seafront landmark is offering visitors the chance to book their own seat for the day and enjoy uninterrupted views of the flying line as a packed programme of displays perform in the seafront skies.

Airbourne returns to Eastbourne seafront from 11-14 August and with exclusive seating always popular with the hundreds of thousands of visitors, airshow enthusiasts are being encouraged to book quickly for the best seats on the seafront.

Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Neil Stanley said “Exclusive seating at Eastbourne Bandstand is a fantastic way for visitors to settle down for the day and take in the magnificent flying displays overhead. With lots to take in on the ground too, visitors can return to the Bandstand throughout the day knowing they have their own seat go to back to. I’m sure the exclusive seating will prove a hit again this year, especially with such a packed four days of flying coming up in August!”

Airbourne visitors can book now for exclusive seating for just £12 per adult or £7 per child for the day and choose from the promenade deck or upper balcony.

This year visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy the exclusive seating into the evening with the Bandstand opening on the Sunday evening with the chance to watch the spectacular firework finale from the historic venue. Visitors should keep checking the Bandstand website for more details and how to book tickets.

For more information on Airbourne 2011, including the flying line up which will be announced later this week, go to www.eastbourneairshow.com or call 0871 663 0031. Exclusive seating can be booked online from www.eastbournebandstand.co.uk or by calling 01323 410611.

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The Face of Courage

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Portraits of the British at War

1940-45, by Eric Kennington (1888-1960).

Free Art Exhibition – 10th June to May 2012

The Royal Air Force Museum London is proud to announce the re-opening of its Art Gallery to the public on Friday 10th June with the installation of an exhibition of portraits by renowned wartime artist Eric Kennington. The guest curator of the exhibition is the Senior Research Fellow in History of Art at Kingston University, Jonathan Black, who has mounted two other shows about Kennington in the last decade.

For much of his distinguished career, Kennington was counted amongst the ranks of exceptional portraitists such as: Hans Holbein the Younger; Albrecht Dürer; Franz Hals; Van Gogh and Augustus John. Many of his artistic contemporaries rated him as the finest draughtsman of his day, while he enjoyed the admiration of prominent public figures such as Winston Churchill; George Bernard Shaw and T.E. Lawrence.

The exhibition will present about three dozen works covering all of the Armed Services, the Auxiliary Services, London Transport and some notable civilians. Pictures have been loaned by the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum, the Tate, the National Maritime Museum, the Ministry of Defence and by Kennington’s family and other private lenders and art dealers.

Kennington was among a handful of British artists who distinguished themselves as official war artists in both World Wars. His portraits were widely hailed not only as works of art, but also as capturing the indomitable spirit of British and Allied Servicemen in the struggle for victory.

This exhibition, the first to focus specifically on his Second World War Art, seeks to re-assess Kennington’s significant contribution to British War Art and to acknowledge his undoubted standing as one of the great British portraitists of the Twentieth Century. In a ‘People’s War’ he produced unforgettable images of ordinary men and women who displayed extraordinary courage and resilience under exceptional circumstances.

www.rafmuseum.org

 
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