Hampshire Air Festival – Airscene News

Gravity Industries Jet Suit Display Confirmed for Hampshire Air Festival

Thruxton UK: Gravity Industries will be joining the inaugural Hampshire Air Festival, bringing its world-famous human Jet Suit to Thruxton Aerodrome on 12^th & 13^th September.

Created by British inventor and Gravity Industries Founder Richard Browning, the Jet Suit represents a remarkable new chapter in personal flight, using pioneering technology to augment human capability and make controlled, body-flown jet-powered flight possible.

The display will form part of the events Saturday dusk ‘Evening Extravaganza’, adding a dramatic demonstration of future flight as the show transitions from daytime flying into an programme of illuminated displays, drones, lighting and entertainment.

Gravity Industries will also appear during the daytime Sunday show, giving visitors another opportunity to see this extraordinary technology up close as part of the wider celebration of ‘The Age of Flight’.

Richard Browning, Founder and Chief Test Pilot of Gravity Industries, said: “We’re delighted to be part of the inaugural Hampshire Air Festival. It’s fantastic to support an event celebrating Britain’s extraordinary aviation heritage, especially so close to home. Despite an incredibly busy international schedule, we aim to support opportunities like this to share the technology with a local audience where we can, and we’re looking forward to inspiring the next generation of innovators.”

Jonathan Moore, Event Organiser for Hampshire Air Festival, said: “Gravity Industries is exactly the kind of addition we hoped to bring to Hampshire Air Festival in our first year. The Jet Suit is bold, innovative and inspiring, while also fitting perfectly with our Age of Flight theme. To have a locally based company demonstrating such groundbreaking technology at Thruxton is a real privilege, and we know it will be one of those moments visitors will talk about long after the weekend.”

From early pioneers and historic aircraft to the latest advances in human flight, Hampshire Air Festival has been created to tell the story of aviation across the generations. Gravity Industries brings that story right up to the present day, showing what can happen when imagination, engineering and determination come together.

Tickets are still available for Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, with Saturday including a full daytime flying display and dusk Evening Extravaganza, and Sunday offering a packed daytime programme of flying, static aircraft and ground attractions. Tickets: www.hampshireairfestival.co.uk

Airshow Heroes seeks first family for VIP day out at the Hampshire Air Festival

Fairford, Gloucestershire, 28 August 2026: Helen Webb, founder of Helen Webb Aviation and former Head of Marketing for the Royal International Air Tattoo, has launched Airshow Heroes, a new community initiative designed to give people going through cancer treatment and their loved ones special VIP days out at UK airshows.

Airshow Heroes is now urgently looking for its first family to attend the Hampshire Air Festival at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12–13 September 2026. The initiative is seeking nominations for a person currently undergoing cancer treatment who lives within manageable travelling distance of Thruxton, including Andover, Salisbury, Tidworth, Basingstoke, Swindon and the surrounding areas.

Created by Helen following her own recent diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer and the start of an 18-month treatment plan, Airshow Heroes will fund tickets, the VIP experience, goody bags, photography and memory-making extras for families local to each airshow.

The aim is simple: to offer a few hours of escape, excitement and shared joy at a time when families may need it most.

Helen Webb said: “I have been part of the airshow community for nearly 20 years and I know first-hand how uplifting aviation can be. Since my diagnosis, I understand even more deeply how important it is to create moments of joy, distraction and togetherness for both the person in treatment and the family and friends supporting them. Airshow Heroes is about using the magic of airshows to make difficult days feel a little lighter.”

Families do not need to include children to be considered. Airshow Heroes welcomes nominations for adults, couples, parents, carers, friends and family groups where someone is currently receiving cancer treatment and would benefit from a special day together.

With the airshow season drawing to a close, Helen hopes to find a family in time for the Hampshire Air Festival rather than waiting until next year. Anyone who knows a suitable family is encouraged to share the appeal and ask them to contact Helen Webb Aviation directly.

Supporters can also help by donating to or sharing the Airshow Heroes Crowdfunder campaign at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/airshow-heroes. Funds raised will be used to cover tickets and the additional touches that turn a day out into a lasting memory.

Helen added: “If you believe in the magic of aviation to create a moment of happiness for someone who needs it, please support or share Airshow Heroes. And if you know a family near Thruxton who are going through cancer treatment, please help us find them.”

Call for nominations

Airshow Heroes is seeking a family local to Thruxton Aerodrome, within around a 30-mile drive where possible, with a loved one currently undergoing cancer treatment.

To nominate a family or ask for more information, contact Helen Webb Aviation via email at fly@helenwebbaviation.com

Babcock announced as key sponsor of inaugural Hampshire Air Festival

Hampshire Air Fest Grob — *Copyright: Babcock*

The Hampshire Air Festival is pleased to announce Babcock International Group (Babcock) as the key sponsor for its inaugural airshow, taking place at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12–13 September.

As a major supporter of UK aerospace and defence, Babcock brings a strong operational and training heritage to the event.

The company partners with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA), providing highly skilled pilots and in-house engineering, enabling the charity to deliver lifesaving critical care across the region. HIOWAA was based at Thruxton until its recent move to a new purpose-built home at Southampton Airport, with the charity returning to its former home as part of the airshow’s ground display.

It also supports the Royal Air Force (RAF) to deliver elementary flying training in the county through a fleet of Grob 115E ‘Tutor’ aircraft that it owns, manages and maintains, and will support the RAF Tutor Display Team that will be taking part in the airshow on both days.

Tom Morton, Managing Director for Babcock’s Aviation business, said: “The Hampshire Air Festival is an exciting addition to the region’s aviation calendar, inspiring future pilots, engineers and support crews while bringing together the local community and aviation enthusiasts. We’re proud to support the inaugural event and showcase the vital role we play in the region, from air ambulance support to flight training.”

Babcock personnel will be on-hand to engage with families and young people with aviation-themed and STEM-related activities as well as to highlight its critical role supporting the RAF, emergency services and wider aviation customers.

“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Babcock as a key sponsor for the first Hampshire Air Festival,” said Jonathan Moore, CEO of Montserrat Events, organisers of the Hampshire Air Festival. “The event honours the past while inspiring the next generation with our ‘Age of Flight’ theme. Babcock’s aviation work and contribution to the local community makes them a perfect partner for what we’re building.”

The Hampshire Air Festival is a family-focused event with a full flying programme which includes further support from the RAF with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota and Spitfires, plus a rare MiG 17 from Poland, and a Saturday evening extravaganza featuring pyro-aerobatic aircraft, a drone show and firework display. The event will also feature hands on activities for children, 1940’s re-enactors and vehicles, fun exhibits and trade stands and community partners from the aviation sector.

The Hampshire Air Festival takes place at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12–13 September. Tickets can be purchased at: www.hampshireairfestival.co.uk

Hampshire Air Festival – Something Different

Rich Goodwin Pitts Special — *credit: Paul Johnson*

Hampshire, UK; The Hampshire Air Festival has announced the launch of its Founding 200 initiative, a new approach to engaging businesses and individuals in supporting the creation of Hampshire’s newest airshow.

Taking place at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12–13 September 2026, Hampshire Air Festival is a new two-day aviation weekend created to celebrate ‘The Age of Flight’ through flying displays, static aircraft and a Saturday evening extravaganza of pyro aerobatics, drone displays and fireworks.

The Founding 200 has been developed to enable early supporters to play a direct role in bringing the inaugural event to life, at a time when launching a brand new airshow presents both opportunity and commercial challenge.

For £300 + VAT, businesses and individuals can become one of only 200 Founding Supporters, gaining recognition as part of the event’s foundation and visibility within the festival’s growing audience.

In addition, three Founding 200 members will be upgraded to Key Sponsor packages, each with a value of approximately £20,000, providing an enhanced level of visibility and engagement online and at the event with their name associated with the Flying Display, Evening Extravaganza or the Ground Attractions which includes a STEM area.

Also included in this upgrade are tickets to the business networking event, the weekend airshow and VIP hospitality amongst many other benefits.

The initiative reflects a broader shift in how events of this scale are funded and supported, opening access to a wider range of organisations and individuals who want to be part of building something new.

Alongside the festival itself, Hampshire Air Festival will also host an inaugural Business Networking Day on Friday 11 September at Thruxton Aerodrome. In partnership with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce this offers a unique opportunity for professionals to connect in a behind-the-scenes airshow environment.

Event Organiser Jonathan Moore commented: ‘Launching a new airshow requires both experience and belief. The Founding 200 allows businesses and individuals to be part of that journey from the outset, helping to create something that we intend to grow year on year.’

Hampshire Air Festival takes place at Thruxton Aerodrome on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2026.

Further information about the Founding 200 is HERE

Further information about the Business Networking Event is HERE

The UK’s New Airshow Announces Rare MiG-17F for the Flying Display as Discounted Tickets end on 30 April

Hampshire, UK; The Hampshire Air Festival has confirmed one of the most iconic and rare aircraft to appear on the UK airshow circuit in 2026, the FUBAR Aviation MiG-17F (Lim-5), adding a real highlight to the festival’s opening year flying display. And just in time before ticket prices increase on 1 May.

Taking place at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12–13 September 2026, Hampshire Air Festival is a new two-day aviation weekend created to celebrate “The Age of Flight” through flying displays, static aircraft and a Saturday evening extravaganza of afterburners from the MiG-17, pyro aerobatics, a drone display and fireworks.

Organisers say the event has been designed to tell the story of aviation across more than a century, from early flight through to vintage warbirds and aerobatic displays to more modern jets.

The confirmation of the MiG-17F is a significant statement of intent for a first-year show. Travelling from Poland, the aircraft is currently the only airworthy MiG-17F in Europe and one of the rarest jet displays available to airshow audiences.

For a newly established airshow to secure such a type for its debut year underlines the scale of the programme being assembled and the organisers’ ambition to create an event with genuine appeal for both enthusiasts and the wider public.

Built in 1958 at WSK Mielec, the aircraft is a Polish-produced Lim-5, a licensed version of the Soviet MiG-17F. The type was a key Cold War fighter, known for its swept-wing design, strong low-altitude agility and rugged construction. Powered by a Klimov VK-1F turbojet with afterburner, the MiG-17F delivered improved high-speed handling over the MiG-15 and remained in service with air forces around the world for decades.

Alongside the MiG-17F, Hampshire Air Festival has also already announced a growing and varied flying display programme featuring a mix of military, heritage and modern aircraft, including the Royal Air Force, and reflecting the event’s broad ambition to appeal to enthusiasts and families alike.

Visitors will be able to see the MiG-17F on both days of the festival. On Saturday it will feature in the Evening Extravaganza with afterburner passes, while on Sunday it will return for a full daytime flying display.

Jonathan Moore, the event organiser said “the team was thrilled to welcome such a rare and historically important jet to the inaugural event. The MiG-17F’s presence reflects the festival’s aim to combine spectacle with substance, creating a weekend that will appeal to enthusiasts, families and those discovering aviation for the first time.”

Hampshire Air Festival takes place at Thruxton Aerodrome on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2026.

Ticket prices will be increasing on 1 May after discounts have been available for the past 5 months.

Tickets and further information are available at www.hampshireairfestival.co.uk.