Tag: 2025

Historic Aircraft Collection’s Hawker Hurricane Makes Move to Shuttleworth

Shuttleworth Hurricane

On 26 November 2025, pilot Dave Harvey flew Hawker Hurricane G-HURI into Shuttleworth (Old Warden) Aerodrome, where the aircraft will now reside amongst Shuttleworth’s own Collection aircraft. Staff were thrilled to welcome another Hurricane into the Collection hangars – with their own Hawker Sea Hurricane being a firm favourite with visitors.

Acquired by Historic Aircraft Collection in 2002, Hawker Hurricane G-HURI was one of the first civilian Hurricanes flying in 1989. Over the years, it has worn many schemes – including 71, 126 and 303 Squadrons – and now wears the 302 (City of Poznan) Squadron colour scheme. The squadron codes depicted are also significant in representing two Polish pilots who were scrambled out of RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Flying Officer J Kowalski and Flight Lieutenant T Chlopik left the base on 15 September 1940 with only Kowalski going on to survive the war – Chlopik was killed in action later that day.

The aircraft was part of the 2005 ‘Merlins Over Malta’ project that saw it fly with Spitfire VB BM597 over Malta in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, and is due to take part of Polish Heritage Flight’s upcoming commemorative flight to Poland.

Pilot Dave Harvey, said, “We are delighted to begin this new chapter for Hawker Hurricane G-HURI at Old Warden, surrounded by the remarkable aircraft of the Shuttleworth Collection. We look forward with great anticipation to our first air show season at one of the UK’s premier airshow venues.”

John Munn, Head of Engineering at Shuttleworth, said, “We are thrilled to now house this fantastic aircraft amongst our own Collection. With two Hurricanes now residing at Old Warden, we’re even more excited for the air show season ahead.”

Hawker Hurricane G-HURI is now on display in Hangar 4 of the Shuttleworth Collection – aptly named ‘Dangerous Skies’ for its celebration of iconic military aircraft. To see the aircraft, you can purchase 30-day return tickets to Shuttleworth Collection and Garden or look out for which of Shuttleworth’s 2026 air shows will feature a display from the aircraft (once confirmed) via www.shuttleworth.org.

Autumn Update at Newark Air Museum

Newark Air Museum Lightning

The recent drop in temperatures has meant that volunteers at Newark Air Museum (NAM) have been forced to reduce the amount of work being undertaken on the external exhibits around the site.

However, this was not before they were able to complete the all-important application of detailed markings on their repainted Jaguar XX829. This T2A version of the Anglo-French strike fighter training aircraft now wears the wraparound camouflage markings it once wore whilst in squadron service with 54 Squadron.

Sadly, work on the adjacent Lightning T5 aircraft, XS417 has also been suspended due to the weather, this is before the new 56 Squadron repaint could be completed. XS417 still requires the application of the detailed markings, which will be carried out when temperatures rise to acceptable levels.

Some in-depth restoration work is currently underway on the Blue Steel missile, which has been moved into NAM’s on site Workshop.

Elsewhere on site planning is underway for the 2026 restoration projects that will be resourced and implemented in the New Year.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Something big is about to land…

RIAT Black Friday

Get ready, our Black Friday event is almost here with up to 50% off a huge range of products! This year’s sale runs from 24th November to 2nd December and features savings on RIAT25 merchandise and much more.

Whether you’re treating yourself or searching for the perfect gift, this is your chance to grab fan favourites at their best prices of the year. Stock is limited, and once these offers go live, they won’t stick around for long.

Stay tuned and keep an eye on our socials – Black Friday starts soon, and you won’t want to miss it.

Explore all Merch

Viewing Village Garden – don’t miss out on the best savings!

Viewing Village Garden Saturday tickets are currently 5% off, but only until midnight on Sunday 23rd November.

Once the offer ends, these tickets will go to full price. Book now to secure your place at the best price available now!

Book Viewing Village Garden

Soaring to new heights

Army Flying Museum - Wheels and Wings

Following on from five fabulous sell out years, the Army Flying Museum at Middle Wallop has launched its flagship fundraising event bright and early again for 2026, with tickets now on sale for Wallop Wheels and Wings.  The event will take place on 11 July 2026 and with prices fixed until 31 January, early bookers have the chance to make some great savings and get a date in their diaries for another fun day out.

Demand for tickets is sure to be high as the event in 2025 was the biggest and best yet, with an amazing finale by the Army Air Corps Display Team, and has seen Wallop Wheels and Wings 2025 make it to the final of Tourism Event of the Year at the Beautiful South awards organised by Tourism South East.

The event in 2026 is set to be another amazing day of motoring and aviation, with a huge array of classic and super cars/bikes to keep motor enthusiasts entertained, including a variety of vehicle parades.  If weather permits, visitors can pull up a deckchair and watch an array of fixed wing and rotary aircraft taking to the skies and chat to the many pilots flying into the event, along with watching some spectacular air displays. 

With a wonderful mix of food, drink, and gifts in the shopping village there will be plenty for non-enthusiasts to browse throughout the day, along with a wide array of delicious food from the many catering units including Mexican and Chinese food and gourmet pizzas and fish and chips, to keep hunger at bay.

Families will have a packed day in store with lots of activities to keep little ones entertained throughout the day.  With everything from electric go karts to replica pedal planes, laser tag to craft activities, mini tanks to circus skills, there will never be a dull moment.

The Discovery Den will again be filled with plenty of hands-on STEM activities from Platinum sponsors GKN Aerospace to get young minds buzzing.

Other attractions will include historic aircraft, living history re-enactors and returning for 2026, a Speaker’s tent, with a wide array of authors taking to the stage and signing books for visitors.  All full price tickets bought in advance for the event include a free annual pass to the Museum, which is valid from 12 July, however visitors can purchase an add-on ticket to the Museum should they wish to explore on the day.

Chief Executive of the Army Flying Museum Lucy Johnson said: “After the success of this year’s event, the great news about the Beautiful South Awards, and the fantastic feedback we received, we are so excited to be launching our 2026 Wallop Wheels and Wings fundraiser.  The event is so important for us as a charity in raising much needed funds to ensure the continued future of the Museum.  The team are already working hard to make sure that it’s going to be a great day out for families and enthusiasts alike. We have a few surprises lined up for the day and a wide range of entertainment for all ages and we look forward to sharing more information over the coming months.” For further information or to book tickets visit https://armyflying.digitickets.co.uk/category/21547

The RIAT Christmas collection has landed!

RIAT Christmas Collection

We’re excited to share our latest collection of seasonal products, available from the RIAT Shop!

From calendars and festive cards to stylish apparel and unique decorations, our new range has something for everyone this period.

Be among the first to enjoy our newest arrivals – shop your Christmas favourites today or pre-order to secure yours before they sell out.

Looking for smaller gifts? Explore our Gifts & Accessories collection, filled with great ideas for stocking fillers and thoughtful presents.

Shop now and make this festive season extra special.

RIAT Christmas Shop

Upcoming price changes

Don’t miss your opportunity to secure two of our most popular Saturday enclosures at a special 5% discount – but hurry, these savings are ending soon!

Cotswold Club Tickets

Viewing Village Grandstand – Saturday

Enjoy 5% off until midnight on Sunday 2nd November, when the price will return to full rate.

Cotswold Club – Saturday Save 5% until midnight on Tuesday 4th November, after which this option will also revert to full price.

Viewing Village Tickets

Pucará A-515 Joins the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum

South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum Pucara

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum are pleased to announce the arrival of ex Argentinian FMA Pucará ‘A-515’ to join our Falklands War display ‘11 Weeks in 1982’ – the UK’s largest permanent display dedicated to the conflict.

Flying with the Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina) from the Falkland Islands, A-515 took part in a number of missions throughout the war against British forces, including the final Pucará mission on the 10th June. During this sortie, the aircraft was lightly damaged by small arms fire and would not fly again before the Argentine surrender on the 14th June.

Captured by British forces at the end of the conflict, the Pucará was returned to the UK for trials and evaluation work with the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at MOD Boscombe Down. After extensive work to assess the aircraft and ensure its airworthiness, A-515 was allocated the RAF Serial of ZD485 and flown for approximately 25 hours in the UK, the only captured Pucará to be flown in the UK.

After completion of the trials work, A-515 was flown to the RAF Museum at RAF Cosford on 9th September 1983, A-515 remained part of the RAF Museum collection until being transferred to the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in October 2025.

Joining the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum’s ‘11 weeks in 1982’ display, Pucará A-515 is now displayed alongside a number of other veteran aircraft from both sides of the Falklands War1 and a memorial dedicated to the 255 British servicemen and 3 islanders killed during the war. The Pucará has been rebuilt by our dedicated volunteers and is currently displayed outdoors pending future museum development when it will be moved indoors.

South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum curator Naylan Moore said “The acquisition of the Pucará is a fantastic addition to our ‘11 Weeks in 1982’ display, joining a number of other aircraft that flew on both sides of the conflict. This will allow us to further share the story of the Falklands War with our visitors and honour those that made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Dr Harry Raffal, Head of collections and Research at the RAF Museum said: “The RAF Museum’s gifting of the Pucará A-515 will provide the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum with an exciting new exhibit. The Pucará was operated by the Fuerza Aérea Argentina during the Falklands War, although not in direct contact with the RAF. The gift will share the Pucará story with new audiences and expand the wider understanding of the Falklands War. “

www.southyorkshireaircraftmuseum.org.uk

Royal International Air Tattoo announces theme for next year’s event

RIAT Gripen

Next summer a series of fast jets will soar through the Gloucestershire skies as the Royal International Air Tattoo confirms next year’s show theme is ‘Fighter Meet’.

Every July, RAF Fairford transforms into a hive of activity as the Royal International Air Tattoo attracts thousands of visitors to the Cotswolds for the aviation showcase. This year, event organisers announced the show had attracted a record crowd of over 178,000 people, following a year that saw ticket sell at a record pace for the third year in a row.

RIAT26 will have an operational theme of ‘Fighter Meet’ highlighting the aircraft used throughout the last century for air-to-air combat and hope to include examples of modern fighter aircraft used across the globe. In addition, 2026 also marks 30 years since Royal status was granted to the event, and in recognition of this next year’s event will have a sub-theme of Royal Flight, which will be marked with a gathering of aircraft used for VIP transportation.

Speaking on the theme announcement, Head of Air Operations, Peter Reoch said: “Our Fighter Meet theme is an exciting opportunity to showcase a myriad of aircraft types, particularly fast jets, which are always popular with our visitors. As always, our aspiration is to provide an eclectic mix of aircraft from around the world for our visitors to view in July.”

All proceeds from the annual aviation showcase are donated to the event’s parent charity, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT), whose purpose is to inspire young people to fulfil their potential in STEM, with particular focus on air, space and technology.

In the last three years, grants from the charity have enabled over 750,000 young people aged 5 – 25 years to be engaged in STEM activities, which have been delivered by leading UK charities and powered by the airshow’s sustained popularity. In addition, the show’s flagship ground attraction, the Techno Zone® will again be a hive of activity with a range of interactive activities for entertain visitors of all ages. Aircraft participation is set to be announced early next year, with tickets available via www.AirTattoo.com.

RIAT success supports ¾ million young people across the UK in STEM

RIAT STEM

In response to the acute STEM skills shortage facing the UK and building on the success of their Royal International Air Tattoo, Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT) grants have now enabled over 750,000 young people to be inspired via life changing STEM educational programmes delivered by some of the UK’s leading STEM education charities.

The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), hosted annually at RAF Fairford, is delivered as a not-for-profit event and powers the RAFCT’s grant making. RAFCT invests in leading UK charities to help build the strategic delivery capacity the UK needs to inspire young people to fulfil their potential in STEM, with particular focus on air, space and technology.

In 2022, the Gloucestershire based charity published its intention to reach 500,000 children by July 2026 but with more than a year to go they have now announced that they have already surpassed their target, much to the delight of Director Dr Kevin P Stenson.

He said: “The RAF Charitable Trust is uniquely positioned to enable young people aged 5-25 years to explore how STEM explains and shapes the world around them, and to inspire them to change the world by pushing boundaries in aviation and space exploration.

“We see the achievement of ¾ quarters of a million engagements as a launchpad for more collective action across the UK to help address the acute STEM skills shortage holding back the United Kingdom and preventing too many young people from fulfilling their potential.”

In support of the Trust’s purpose to promote the RAF and inspire young people, this year’s airshow saw over 178,500 people visit the event in what was its third successive sell out. The aviation showcase continues to grow, with 224 aircraft from 27 different nations on display in July including the Egyptian Air Force which became the 59th participating nation when they provided an aircraft for the first time this summer.

In addition to highlights in the air, the event also boasted plenty of STEM inspiration on the ground with the show’s Techno Zone® and Inspire Stage hosting exhibits from the aerospace industry plus inspirational sessions from the likes of British astronaut Tim Peake, TV’s Rachel Riley and everyone’s favourite, the iconic Red Arrows.

In addition to maintaining its current partnerships, RAFCT will provide grants to at least five new partners in the 2025/26 Academic Year.

“Thanks to the incredible support afforded by the public, UK and International Defence Air and Space, and of course the RAF, the Trust can be ever bolder in its ambition to inspire young people to fulfil their potential in air, space and technology,” he added.

www.airtattoo.com

POV: Shuttleworth Only Do Air Shows… Think Again!

Shuttleworth Events 2026

Shuttleworth is highly regarded for its spectacular annual season of air shows, but if you were under the impression that air shows were where the events stopped, you’d be missing out. Today Shuttleworth have announced their 2026 ‘Events & More’ season – basically, any and all events outside of their air shows – and boy are there some exciting things going on at the Biggleswade based estate.

2026 will see 20 (yes, you heard right, 20!) non-air show events taking place across the year – and that’s before you even consider their annual Shuttleworth in Lights winter trail and festive offering. Of those 20, there will be six brand new events specifically focused on letting the general public into Shuttleworth House on a more regular basis. The Jacobean style mansion house is primarily an award-winning wedding and private hire space.

So, what are the new events? On 9 January, the inaugural Comedy Night at Shuttleworth House will take place with more to be announced throughout the year. Also kicking off a new series will be the String Quartet: Spring Sessions on 24 April. Whether is live comedy or live classical music, these events promise world-class entertainment in an opulent yet intimate setting. Continuing the theme of glamour and decadence, visitors are invited to take inspiration from Bond and dress up for a Casino Royale night at Shuttleworth House on 28 March. You can walk the red carpet, enjoy something “shaken, not stirred” from the bar and use fun-money to place your bets! For 2026, Shuttleworth is also introducing new themed tribute music nights. At their ABBA night (11 April) and Blues Brothers night (28 August) you can enjoy all your favourite hits performed live by fantastic tribute artists before dancing the night away with an after party. Then, for the very first time, you’ll also have the chance to celebrate the beginning of the 2026 air show season with a Season Premiere Pre-Show Party on 9 May.

2026 will see the welcome return of some audience favourites too. For the last weekend of the February half term (21 & 22 February) Shuttleworth throws open it’s engineering hangar doors for Engineering Open Workshop. Last year’s event saw record attendance and you can expect a fantastic introduction to how the Shuttleworth team restore and maintain their remarkably unique Collection of aircraft, vehicles and wider exhibits – complete with interactive activities for the whole family. As spring makes a welcome return, 4 & 5 April will see the Easter Bunny flying into a classic Shuttleworth event. Packed with family entertainment, an egg hunt and so much more, if you’re looking to change things up this Easter, look no further. Then, following the huge success of the past two years, Shuttleworth’s Summer Fete Open Weekend returns on 4 & 5 July. For just £7.50 per adult with kids going free, you can enjoy a massive array of activity across the entire Shuttleworth site. From live music to a craft and gift market, fun fair, demonstrations from the Shuttleworth Fire Service, a showcase of models plus full access to the Collection hangars and nine-acre Swiss Garden there’s plenty to explore across the weekend. All this for just £7.50!

But that’s not all, you’ve then got the ever-popular Murder Mystery events to enjoy, a world record attempt, the 150th anniversary of Shuttleworth House itself, Wedding Shows and some brilliant third-party events to boot.

Rhys Horan, Operations Manager at Shuttleworth, said, “We’re so excited to be dramatically expanding our wider events offering for 2026, particularly with our exciting new events at Shuttleworth House. We can’t wait to welcome even more to experience what we do so well at Shuttleworth next year.”

www.shuttleworth.org