Posts Tagged ‘IWM Duxford’

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

IWM Duxford marks 80 years since the Avro Lancaster entered service with events and appearances this summer

Thursday, May 12th, 2022

IWM Lancaster

This year will mark 80 years since the most successful British heavy bomber of the Second World War, the Avro Lancaster, entered service with the RAF and IWM Duxford will be giving the visitors the chance to delve into its fascinating history, see one in flight over the airfield at the annual Duxford Summer Air Show and enjoy a special screening of the new documentary feature film, Lancaster, with the chance to meet the filmmakers.

IWM In Conversation: Lancaster Filmmakers | £40 | 25 June, 9.45am – 4:30pm

Join the filmmakers behind the new feature length documentary, Lancaster, for a talk and Q&A session followed by a screening of this new film release and a guided tour of Duxford’s Lancaster KB889 with the chance to climb inside. Hear behind the scenes insights, including how the team worked with veterans to highlight stories of courage, friendship and the complex moralities of war. During the film you will see incredible footage from the IWM archive as well as scenes shot at the site. Lancaster is produced by Haviland Digital, Trevor Beattie Films and British Film Company.

The Inside View: The Lancaster | £10 | Every Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11:30am and 2:30pm

Visitors can join an expert IWM guide as they grant access behind-the-ropes to explore the iconic 4-engine monoplane, including the chance to enter the iconic aircraft. Learn about the design of the aircraft by Roy Chadwick and its illustrious history in the celebrated Dambusters Raid as well as the heroism of the young men in Bomber Command who would have formed the Lancaster’s crew and the harsh conditions they faced in combat.

Duxford Summer Air Show | £45/£15 | 18 June

For one day only, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster Bomber visits IWM Duxford for a spectacular flying display at this year’s Duxford Summer Air Show. The rest of the weekend is packed with all the thrills and spills you’d expect from with fast-flying, all-action aerobatics, and spectacular sights in the air and activities for all the family to enjoy on the ground.

www.iwm.org.uk

2022 Air Shows go on sale as IWM Duxford announces bumper flying season

Monday, February 7th, 2022

IWM Duxford Airshows

Running from May through to October, IWM Duxford’s flying season brings the historic airfield to life and, this year, a jam-packed programme of events promises plenty of thrilling aerobatics, roaring Spitfires and entertainment on the ground. Tickets to all flying events for 2022 will be on general sale from today.

Returning for 2022, the Duxford Summer Air Show will be taking place on 18-19 June promising fun for all the family with fast-flying, all-action aerobatics and spectacular sights in the air and on the ground. The annual Battle of Britain Air Show will return on 10-11 September offering visitors an immersion into the 1940s when RAF Duxford played a pivotal role in the Battle of Britain, helping to defend the United Kingdom against Nazi air attacks. Expect plenty of Spitfire nostalgia as history is brought to life across the site for this much-loved weekend of flying entertainment.

Thanks to our friends at Aerial Collective, we are thrilled to be able to offer an exclusive prize of an unforgettable flight in a Spitfire. Any visitor who books a ticket to either Air Show before midnight on Tuesday 8 March will be automatically entered into the prize draw.
In addition to these two fantastic weekend events, the IWM Duxford Air Show team will also be welcoming visitors to its Duxford Flying Evening on 27 August to catch spectacular aircraft in flight as dusk descends over the airfield. Whilst Duxford Flying Finale on 8 October will bring together highlights from the year as we say farewell to another fantastic season of flying.

IWM Duxford’s flying season wouldn’t be complete without Flying Days and there will be six of these taking place between May-October 2022. From commemorating D-Day to celebrating the 25th anniversary since the American Air Museum opened at Duxford, each of these individually themed events will present aerial displays and specially curated ground activities.

IWM Air Show Event Manager, Phil Hood, said “Last year, our Air Shows were the biggest in the country and we were thrilled to welcome thousands of visitors back on site for these two fantastic weekends. For 2022, we have been working hard behind the scenes to create even more events to pack into our six-month flying season. Over the coming months there will be more announcements, including display acts and showground content, but we can say for certain that it will be a flying season to remember.”

www.iwm.org.uk/airshows

Fourteen Spitfires will take to the skies at IWM Duxford’s 1940s inspired Battle of Britain Air Show

Wednesday, August 18th, 2021

Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow

It’s time to practice your lindy hops and dust off your tweed jackets as IWM Duxford’s Battle of Britain Air Show returns on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September, transporting visitors back to the summer of 1940 as the historic airfield prepares for a weekend of vintage showground entertainment and historic flying displays.

Following a successful return to Air Shows in July, IWM Duxford is thrilled to welcome visitors back for its final Air Show of the season which will see the historic site transformed with living history groups, 1940s music and dancing and plenty of activities to keep everyone entertained. The Battle of Britain Air Show will also see a spectacular array of aircraft take to the skies, including The RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial flight. They will open the show’s packed flying programme with a Spitfire, Hurricane, and one of only two airworthy Avro Lancaster bombers remaining in the world. Air displays throughout the day will showcase the best of Second World War aviation with plenty more Spitfires as well as seaplanes, and Thunderbolts. Also featuring are the Great War Display Team who will be performing a choreographed dogfight with authentic First World War aircraft.

The showground will offer no shortage of entertainment including, for the first time, a vintage fairground complete with a carousel and ferris wheel, jazz and big band sounds from The Debonaires and 1940s classic songs from the cover act, Perfect Vintage. There will also be the chance to dance the lindy hop or try your hand at a swing dance and be sure to say hello to living history re-enactment groups, including Spirit of Britain who will portray the life and roles of 19 Squadron, based at RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain. Explore static aircraft inside and up close and meet both current and former pilots to hear their stories of life in the air.

All IWM Duxford hangars and exhibitions will be open throughout the weekend including the recently opened Ops Block, an audio-visual experience that captures how men and women defended Britain from Luftwaffe attacks in the former nerve centre of RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain. With the stories of real people who served here alongside their uniforms, keepsakes, and testimonies, the Ops Block links the personal to the extraordinary feats in the sky.

IWM Air Show Event Manager, Phil Hood, said “The Battle of Britain Air Show is always a very special event at IWM Duxford given the important role the site played during this pivotal moment in the Second World War. We also get to pay homage to the iconic Spitfire, an aircraft with a very close association to Duxford as the first station to receive it in 1939 and seeing fourteen of these warbirds close out the Air Show is guaranteed to be a spectacular site. It has been great to welcome visitors back to our Air Shows this year and we are thrilled to be able to increase the capacity to this event, allowing even more people to enjoy our air displays and showground entertainment.”

IWM will be asking that ticket holders over the age of 18 produce evidence (in line with an NHS Covid Pass) of either a negative Covid-19 test result or proof they have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccination. Please refer to the website for full details regarding entry requirements and other measures we will be keeping in place to keep everyone safe at this event.

Tickets to the Battle of Britain Air Show are available to purchase now at: Tickets | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

Prices: Adult £42.50 / Children 5-15 £14.25 / Children under 5 and carers free