Archive for August, 2022

Sunseeker stunt revealed for Bournemouth Air Festival

Thursday, August 11th, 2022

Sabio Group Biplane G-JPIT

A Top Gear themed high-octane stunt in the air and sea has been revealed ahead of this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival.

Sunseeker’s high performance day boat, the Hawk 38, will be pitted against aerobatic plane G-JPIT, in the new Sea and Sky Sprint at the UK’s best free air, land and sea show this September.

G-JPIT is a custom built, highly modified Pitts Biplane that gives it enhanced manoeuvrability and unparalleled power-to-weight ratio.

Meanwhile the Sunseeker Hawk 38 delivers an incredible top speed of up to 70mph (62kts).

The Sea and Sky Sprint will take place on Saturday September 3 and Sunday September 4 of the four-day festival.

Bryan Jones, Marketing Manager at Sunseeker International, said: “We are delighted to have helped put together this incredible stunt which will see the Hawk 38 being driven at its limits across a 1km slalom course just in front of the beach, while the plane will be following both a horizontal and vertical flight path in an attempt to cross the finishing line first.

“Given the agility and performance of both machines, it’s going to be an exceedingly tight race.”

Jon Weaver, Air Festival Director said: “We are delighted that renowned aerobatics pilot Rich Goodwin has agreed to take on this exciting Sea and Sky Sprint challenge. He has had a regular presence at the Bournemouth Air Festival for a number of years performing mind-blowing aerobatic stunts in his muscle biplanes.

“The Air Festival provides a great platform to showcase the prominent international status of local brands including Sunseeker International, based in Poole. We are looking forward to our partnership going from strength to strength and we cannot wait to see this spectacular demonstration play out on sea and in the air.”

Cllr Beverley Dunlop, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Vibrant Places, said: “Now in its 14th year, Bournemouth Air Festival is the biggest date in the area’s calendar.

“This Platinum Jubilee year, the festival is not only a chance for residents and visitors alike to celebrate, it also represents a major opportunity to showcase local businesses and for traders to get in front of consumers.

“In 2019 Air Festival made a major contribution of £32m to the local economy attracting over 600,000 visitors, retaining its reputation as an important attractor event for the region.
“With stunts like this Sunseeker and muscle bi-plane on the display programme to draw in the crowds, we hope this year will be another huge success.”

Retired RAF pilot Richard Goodwin, who will be flying the Sabio Group-sponsored Muscle Biplane, G-JPIT, will be pulling off some dare-devil loop-the-loops and barrel rolls at between 200ft and 1,800ft as part of another individual display during the air show.

He said: “I am very excited by the challenge of doing something a little bit different at the Bournemouth Air Festival; an event which is a real highlight in the UK Air show calendar and one that I look forward to each year.

“We aim to push the boundaries of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to create a unique experience and I am passionate about inspiring our future STEM aviators and engineers.

“Taking on the incredible Sunseeker Hawk 38 at Bournemouth Air Festival is a great opportunity to push the boundaries of aerobatic flying once more. It’s shaping up to be a wonderful occasion!”

Across the weekend a myriad of exhilarating aircraft will rip through Bournemouth’s skies including the RAF Typhoon and The Battle of Britain Memorial planes – the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster.

www.bournemouthair.co.uk

One of a kind Second World War aircraft to fly in historic flypast at IWM Duxford’s Battle of Britain Air Show

Wednesday, August 10th, 2022

Duxford Flypast

The world’s only two-seater Hurricane and airworthy Bristol Blenheim will join the famous flying finale of warbirds at this year’s IWM Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show. With plenty of Spitfires and Hurricanes confirmed to take flight and a showground packed full of historical and 1940s entertainment, this annual event pays tribute to those who defeated the German Luftwaffe for control of the skies over Britain at a site where real history happened.

Other must-see aerial displays over the weekend include the much-loved Boeing B17 ‘Sally B’, the last airworthy Flying Fortress in Europe; a visiting display from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight; the P-51D Mustang ‘Miss Helen’; and the Tiger 9 Aeronautical Display Team, amongst many others and with more flying acts soon to be announced. Across the showground, the summer of 1940 can be seen and heard at every turn as jazz, blues and swing music fill the air, living history groups recreate life on the home front during the Second World War and a traditional steam fairground delights families with classic rides. Visitors can also enjoy access to IWM Duxford’s exhibitions and hangars throughout the day, packed full of aircraft, vehicles, collection items and personal stories of war and conflict.

IWM Air Show Event Manager, Phil Hood, said: “This year’s Battle of Britain Air Show is set to be a memorable one with a fantastic array of Second World War aircraft participating in the finale flypast, a site which never ceases to capture audiences as Spitfires and Hurricanes take to the sky in unison to close out the event. What makes this Air Show so special is its connection to the history of Duxford which visitors can explore during their visit and find out more about the men and women who worked at RAF Duxford to help secure some of the most important victories in the skies. The Battle of Britain Air Show gives us the opportunity to commemorate these efforts whilst delighting audiences with aerial displays and history packed entertainment on the ground.”

In addition to the Air Show, IWM Duxford will also be commemorating the Battle of Britain with the following:

Duxford In A Different Light: Battle of Britain Photography Evening – taking place on 15 September, known as Battle of Britain Day, this after-hours photography event is dedicated to this pivotal moment in 20th century history. Using innovative lighting techniques, Second World War and Inter-War aircraft will be illuminated to create evocative photography opportunities and scenes will be brought to life with the help of period vehicles and living history actors dressed in authentic period costume, all against the backdrop of Duxford’s historic buildings.

IWM In Conversation: Battle of Britain – on 17 September, come and listen to fascinating lectures from IWM curators, Adrian Kerrison and Craig Murray, as they delve into the history of the summer of 1940, including Duxford’s controversial Big Wing and its contribution to the Battle of Britain and the development of The Dowding System. Author of The Forgotten Few, Paul Beaver, will pay homage to the overlooked efforts of 57 naval pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain, whilst historian Victoria Taylor will re-tell this iconic British victory from the Luftwaffe’s perspective.

The Battle of Britain: A Visual History by Anthony Richards – out 8 September 2022, this new highly illustrated book brings together multiple elements of IWM’s collection, many of which have rarely been seen before by the public, to explore one of the most testing periods in Britain’s history and the stories of the individuals who witnessed it all, on the ground as well as in the skies.

www.iwm.org.uk