May – Page 16 – Airscene News

RAF Cosford Air Show Keep Feet Firmly On The Ground

The RAF Cosford Air Show has always prided itself on not just being the Midlands’ premier aviation event, but also a fun-filled family day out that provides a wide range of interactive and engaging activities on the ground this Sunday 9th June.

This year the event will focus on celebrating the 75th Anniversary of RAF Cosford itself and this will be reflected in a number of displays by the various schools and training establishments currently based at the Shropshire station. Together they will provide an insight into the rich heritage of first class technical and engineering operations that RAF Cosford has become known for. These will include a demonstration of radar and computer equipment from No 1 Radio School and a display of armed aircraft & escape equipment from the Weapons & Survival Equipment Training Squadron. An array of activities will also be on offer from the School of Physical Training, a demonstration of hydraulic principles provided by the Avionic & Mechanical Training Squadron and an interactive opportunity for visitors to attempt various hand skills with the Trade Foundation Training Squadron. 238 Squadron will be opening the cockpits of their fast jets to allow people the rare opportunity to sit in the aircraft and experience what it’s like for the pilots of the RAF.

In addition to the anniversary celebrations, a wide variety of other exhibitors, stands, arena displays, bands and charities will also attend the show. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy everything from the Cosford Military Wives Choir and a fair ground, to aviation artwork specialists and a host of conservation and wildlife groups.

Free Radio this year will sponsor a demonstration arena to be known as ‘The Free Radio Arena’ and will play host to some exciting spectacles such as a Field Gun competition and performances from the Royal Air Force College Band. You may even get the opportunity to meet Free Radio’s own HumFree the Hamster too!

The RAF Air Cadets will have a large exhibition manned by various Air Cadet Squadrons there to discuss the opportunities available to you and your little ones. For those old enough to think about joining, the RAF Careers recruitment team will be on hand to inform those that also want to ‘Rise Above The Rest’ in the Royal Air Force.

Air Show spokesman Marilyn Summers says “Not only will the Air Show provide a thrilling flying display, but we also aim to keep the whole family entertained with a wide and varied selection of activities on the ground. From the fun fair, the RAF Museum, static aircraft displays, military exhibitions and a craft fair. A number of stands by Nikon, who sponsor our exclusive ‘The Cosford Club’, will be available to display some of the very latest photography equipment, so we are sure that visitors will find something here to suit everyone’s interests.”

The ground exhibits help make the Air Show a unique day out, coupled with an incredible 5½ hour flying display on offer. Aircraft confirmations include Vulcan XH558 from the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, B-17 Flying Fortress ‘Sally B’ and a number of RAF aircraft including the Typhoon & Tucano display teams, a medical evacuation demonstration including Chinook & Apache helicopters and the world famous Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows.

All profits made from the RAF Cosford Air Show are donated to service and local charities.

Air show tickets can be purchased online at www.cosfordairshow.co.uk, by calling the 24-hour ticket line on 0871 230 1083 (10p/min plus network charges), or at various other outlets details of which can be found on the website. Advance adult tickets are priced from £20, representing a 20% discount on tickets bought on the day and FREE admission for children under-16 accompanied by an adult as well as FREE car parking.

Folkestone Airshow Cancelled

In a statement to Airscene, Yvonne Holder (Event Organiser) said:

It is with great sadness, that I have to advise you that Folkestone Airshow on Saturday 8th June 2013, will not take place.

After a very difficult few weeks, the hard decision has been taken to cancel Folkestone Airshow for a number of factors. The first being is the financial risk of putting on this major event is too great for Folkestone Town Centre Management Ltd, a not for profit organisation, to take, in these very difficult financial times.

The second, as we were unable to confirm additional flying displays, due to financial constraints, the Shepway Safety Advisory Group were unable to assess the risks involved. We all agreed that there wasn’t enough time left for to provide the Shepway Safety Advisory Group with the complete Event Management Plan in order to satisfy them that the event could take place safely.

I will continue to look into the financial viability of continuing the work already completed, to see if it is at all possible of postponing until 2014 and to carry forward the commitment of our sponsors and organisations who have supported Folkestone Airshow into 2014.

http://www.folkestoneairshow.com

RAF Cosford Make Air Show Even More Accessible

A partnership between the RAF Charitable Trust and the Event Mobility Charitable Trust will help increase the accessibility for disabled visitors to the RAF Cosford Air Show on Sunday 9th June.

The Event Mobility Charitable Trust was founded in 1998 with the sole aim of providing electric scooters and manual wheelchairs for disabled, mobility impaired and elderly people to enjoy a day out at an event or show.

Air Show spokesman Flying Officer Sam Jewell says: “The RAF Cosford Air Show team is extremely pleased to be able to offer our visitors this new service for those that might require it. It important to the organisers that everybody, regardless of ability, is able to enjoy a wonderful day out and we hope that this will help go that little bit further to help.”

The Air Show also offers a special parking area on hard-standing and with accessible toilets nearby, for those displaying the nationally recognised blue wheelchair symbol. However, with all parking being on the showground many disabled visitors prefer to use the standard public car park which is central to all attractions.

The RAF Charitable Trust and the Royal International Air Tattoo have a long-standing record of working with disabled people through the Flying Scholarships for Disabled People, and the historic links with Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader. The Director of the RAF Charitable Trust Air Commodore (retired) Tim Winstanley said: “The Trust’s objectives include the aspiration to ‘Encourage air education and aviation-mindedness’ so that it is hugely important that those who require additional help to gain access to all parts of the RAF Cosford Air Show should be able to do so safely and efficiently.

As such the Trust is delighted to be able to be involved with the provision of mobility scooters at the RAF Cosford Air Show 2013.”

In order for visitors to reserve an electric scooter or manual wheelchair, they must either print out an advance booking form from the website www.eventmobility.org.uk/events-bookings.asp or contact the EMCT office on 01386 725391 to request a form to be posted. Please be aware that advance bookings cannot be made by phone. Alternatively, please browse the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

For further information as to how the RAF Cosford Air Show ensures that guests with disabilities can enjoy the spectacular flying and ground displays in the same conditions as all our visitors, please visit the accessibility area of our website at http://www.cosfordairshow.co.uk/accessibility.html.

All profits made from the RAF Cosford Air Show are donated to service and local charities.

Westland Lynx Mark 7 helicopter takes up residence in the Battle of Britain exhibition

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve recently taken delivery of an exciting new addition to our collection at IWM Duxford.

Westland Lynx Mark 7 helicopter XZ194, gifted to Imperial War Museums by the Ministry of Defence, now sits within the Battle of Britain exhibition.

It had been in service since 3 January 1979, when it began life as a Mark I Lynx helicopter. It was converted to a Mark 7 in September 1992 after 3,104 flying hours. This Lynx flew with 7 Regiment Army Air Corps, the main helicopter pilot training unit for the Army, at Middle Wallop until May 2012, when it was declared Non-Effective after 6,667 flying hours. The remainder of its serving life was spent with 9 Regiment Army Air Corps at Dishforth and with the School of Aviation at Middle Wallop.

The Westland Lynx was, until recently, the British armed forces’ main multi-role helicopter. The Lynx Mark I entered operational service with the Army and the Royal Navy in 1977 and was later adopted by the armed forces of over a dozen nations. It primarily served in the roles of battlefield utility, anti-armour, search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare.

Lynx helicopters have served in every British Army combat theatre since 1979, bar the Falklands. They have been present in Afghanistan in a variety of roles, including liaison, troop transport, medevac, resupply and light gunmanship, since 2006. They also served with 16 Air Assault Brigade in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003 and the subsequent occupation of Iraq. Lynx helicopters recently started to leave service, being replaced by the upgraded ‘Super Lynx’ (Wildcat) helicopter.

The addition of the Westland Lynx Mark 7 to the IWM Duxford collection enables us to demonstrate the close ground-to-air co-operation needed on the contemporary battlefield.

IWM Duxford is the first UK museum to display a Westland Lynx Mark 7. This is also the first Army helicopter to be displayed at IWM.

We are delighted that it will now tell the story of helicopter capability in modern warfare at IWM Duxford.

John Delaney, Collections Manager, IWM Duxford said “The Lynx helicopter would have been seen by every soldier serving on operations over the past 35 years. The majority would have benefited by receiving supplies from them, being carried by them or receiving gunfire support from them. This is the first Army helicopter to be displayed at IWM and it helps us to demonstrate the unique role played by helicopters on the modern battlefield.”

www.iwm.org.uk

Sparkling Start to Air Tattoo Preview

DARE-DEVIL parachutists provided a taste of what’s to come when they dropped in to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire yesterday.

Members of the RAF Falcons parachute display team unfurled a Diamond Jubilee flag as they drifted down to earth from 3,000ft at a special preview of the Royal International Air Tattoo.

The world’s biggest military airshow, which will take place on July 7 and 8, is this year celebrating HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and a sparkling display of aircraft touched down to publicise this summer’s event.

Children’s tv presenter Barney Harwood flew in as the day’s special guest, arriving in style courtesy of an RAF Hawk flown by Fairford-born display pilot Flt Lt Phil Bird.

The logo on the flag delivered by the RAF Falcons had been chosen from thousands of entries in a children’s design competition run by the BBC’s Blue Peter programme, and presenter Barney performed the official raising of the flag, accompanied by the Fanfare team from the Band of the RAF Regiment.

Barney said: “I got my first Airfix kit at the age of eight, and that was a Hawk, so it was incredible to actually fly in one. It relays the message that anything is possible: I used to work in a kennels and now here I am in an RAF jumpsuit. It’s such a beautiful aircraft and it was so exciting to fulfil a lifelong ambition.”

Five spectacular aircraft touched down at the Gloucestershire airbase, including a Chipmunk with a royal connection – WP903, painted in the bright colours of the Royal Flight, is the actual two-seater trainer aircraft in which Prince Charles learnt to fly – and an RAF Tucano, painted in special Diamond Jubilee livery.

A deHavilland Vampire T11, which entered service with the RAF 60 years ago, was also on show, while a US Air Force MC-130 Hercules, operated by US Special Forces, also flew in, symbolising the close links between the airshow and the USAF.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Tim Prince said: “It’s been great to provide a preview of what’s in store in July, as we have an exceptional line-up of aircraft. As well as a special mass flypast of Hawks in an E II R formation, the Air Tattoo will feature seven aerobatic display teams including Al Fursan, a newly-formed team from the United Arab Emirates who’ll be making their European debut at the airshow.

“Two countries, Colombia and South Korea, will be making their Air Tattoo debuts, the iconic Avro Vulcan will be here to thrill the crowds, and many of the world’s top fast jets will also be joining us in July. The world really is coming to Fairford this year – make sure you don’t miss out on the action.”

www.airtattoo.com

Fantastic flying announced for The Jubilee Air Show

We’ve a fantastic flying display now confirmed for The Jubilee Air Show on Sunday 27 May.

The Royal Air Force will be flying a range of powerful contemporary aircraft, including the BAe Hawk, from 208 (R) Squadron, Eurofighter Typhoon from 6 Squadron, RAF Leuchars and the Beechcraft King Air from 45 (R ) Squadron, RAF Cranwell.

16(R ) Squadron, RAF Cranwell will be displaying the Grob Tutor 115E. Used for elementary flying training, this was the type of aircraft that Prince William was taught to fly on at RAF Cranwell. He went on to fly a Shorts Tucano at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, which is also represented in the flying display.

The Westland Sea King, fromB Flight, 22 Squadron, RAF Wattisham is the type that Prince Andrew has flown and that Prince William is currently flying as a fully-operational Search and Rescue co-pilot with 22 Squadron, RAF Valley, Anglesey.

The Westland Lynx, from815 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, is the type of helicopter that Prince Andrew flew.

Many of the historic aircraft performing in The Jubilee Air Show also have connections to the Royal Family.

DCH-1 Chipmunk WP903 was built in 1952 and served with The Queen’s Flight. It was the actual aircraft on which Prince Charles learnt to fly. Two DCH Chipmunks will be flying at The Jubilee Air Show. In addition to Prince Charles, several other members of the Royal Family learnt to fly on this aircraft type, including Prince Philip and Prince Andrew.

The DH89A Dragon Rapide, owned by D & M Miller, is the type of aircraft owned by Prince Edward VIII in 1935. Prince Edward flew to and fromRAF Duxford in his Dragon Rapide to see the spectacular sight of the Royal Review on 6 July 1935, which celebrated the jubilee of his father, King George V. On his accession to the throne, a year later, as King Edward VIII, his Dragon Rapide became the founding aircraft of the King’s Flight.

Prince Philip flew both the North American Harvard, of which two are displaying at The Jubilee Air Show, and the Gloster Meteor T7, an example of which, operated by Air Atlantique Classic Flight, wowed the crowds at last year’s Autumn Air Show and makes a welcome return to IWM Duxford at The Jubilee Air Show.

Glorious historic aircraft flying at this celebratory show include two stunning 1930s Hawker Nimrod single-seat biplanes; three examples of the iconic Spitfire, synonymous with IWM Duxford’s famous heritage; the famous B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B ; the stalwart wartime multi-role Avro Anson and the iconic Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Avro Lancaster, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire.

In celebration of this year’s Olympics, there will be a display by the Bucker Jungmeister, which swept the board in the aerobatic competition at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

There will be a rip-roaring display by the F-16 Fighting Falcon from360 Squadron, Belgian Air Force, and aerial dynamics from the French Air Force’s Patrouille Cartouche Dore aerobatic teamand the SBach Duo of top aerobatic pilots Steve Jones and Paul Bonhomme.

On the ground, there will be fun-packed activities for all the family to enjoy and the whole museum is open to explore. The Airfix Make and Paint Zone will be in AirSpace, where you canmake and paint your own Airfix model and take it home as a souvenir of your day at The Jubilee Air Show. There will be family activities in AirSpace and the American Air Museumplus exciting children’s rides across the museum.

Advance ticket booking has now closed, but tickets can be purchased on the gate at The Jubilee Air Show
on Sunday 27 May.

For further information go to www.iwm.org.uk.

Cosford Countdown

With less than four weeks to go the Cosford Air Show (Sunday, June 17) is counting down the days to the biggest aviation event in the West Midlands. The flying display promises to be one of the most exciting yet with everything from fast jets to biplanes and from helicopter to gliders. The Great War Bird Team will be honouring the hundredth anniversary of the Royal Flying Corps and a line up of training aircraft in the air and in the specially themed static park area acknowledge another centenary, this one for the Central Flying School. Other highlights include role demos from the Tornado and Sea King from the Royal Air Force and the Apache from the Army Air Corps. Of course no Cosford Air Show would be complete without the appearance of the Red Arrows, the Falcon Parachute display team and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The famous Blades display team, the Agusta 109 helicopter display from Belgium and a stunning performance from the Typhoon round off the spectacular air display.

The thrills in the air are matched by a new and exciting ground programme. As well as the traditional indoor craft fair and three hangars packed with military exhibitions and interactive displays from all three services, this year sees the first ever appearance of the RAF Field Gun Display in the new arena. The arena programme, which also includes military bands and Guide Dog displays, runs from the moment gates open until the start of the flying display making RAF Cosford Air Show a full day of entertainment for the whole family.

Full information on the show including details of all participating aircraft can be found on the air show web site – www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

RAF TO FLY EPIC EIIR TRIBUTE AT AIR TATTOO

The dramatic flypast of RAF Hawks that flew over Windsor Castle at the weekend as part of the Armed Forces’ tribute to HM The Queen will provide the centrepiece of the Royal International Air Tattoo’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire this summer.

Visitors to the airshow on July 7-8 will be able to see a repeat of the EIIR flypast, comprising 27 BAE Systems’ Hawk fast jets from RAF Valley in Anglesey and RAF Leeming in Yorkshire.

Other Diamond Jubilee attractions will include specially-painted aircraft, a display of current and historic aircraft with ‘Royal’ connections and a Diamond Jubilee Lawn featuring a wide variety of themed attractions with a street party atmosphere.

Air Tattoo spokesman Richard Arquati said the Air Tattoo would provide the perfect complement to this summer’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

He said: “Mass flypasts are only rarely staged because of the incredible amount of practice and planning involved. To have the opportunity to feature the EIIR element of the Armed Forces’ official tribute to the Queen at Fairford is not only a great honour but it will also provide a wonderful spectacle for our visitors.”
Also at the Air Tattoo will be a number of legendary aircraft also celebrating their 60th anniversaries, including the Vulcan bomber, the US Air Force B-52 and the Vampire T11.

This summer’s Air Tattoo will feature aircraft from around the world, including South Korea, Russia, Colombia and Saudi Arabia. The eight-hour flying programme includes the European debut of the United Arab Emirates’ Al Fursan display team, the Red Arrows and the unique MV-22 Osprey.

The Air Tattoo is staged in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. Tickets, priced from £39, are available from www.airtattoo.com or by calling 0800 107 1940. All accompanied under-16s go free. Free parking.

BLADES and AEROSTARS to appear at Cosford Air Show

The first details of the RAF Cosford Air Show have just been released. The Air Show organiser Wing Commander (retired) Amanda Butcher said “Although we are still waiting for formal confirmation from the Royal Air Force we are expecting to see most of the RAF’s best displays at Cosford on Sunday 17th June. However we have already started to book some of the other stars of the show and can confirm that both the Aerostars and the famous Blades display team will be here”

One of the themes of the 2012 Cosford Air Show will be 100 years of the Central Flying School and there will be a selection of aircraft both in flying display and in the static aircraft the ground to celebrate this special event.

On the ground the RAF Regiment Band will be just one of several bands playing as part of the all day entertainment.

Tickets went on sale two weeks ago and are already selling well. This year’s airshow is already shaping up to one of the best family days in 2012.

Full information on the show can be seen on the air show web site – www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

ACTION PACKED PROGRAMME AT COSFORD AIR SHOW

The latest announcements from the Cosford Air Show promise a thrilling new aspect to the flying display with role demonstrations from a host of military aircraft.

The RAF Sea King from HRH Prince William’s unit at RAF Valley will be working with the RAF Mountain Rescue team to provide a demonstration of the work done by the Search and Rescue teams. This is a unique opportunity to see winching operations at first hand and to meet members of the team on the ground afterwards.

The Tornado GR4 Role Demo will show how the RAF employs aircraft on operations in support of people on the ground. You can expect some loud bangs and the noise of aircraft in full re-heat with pyrotechnics being used to simulate various attack profiles.

More action comes from the Apaches of the Army Air Corps with their stunning attack helicopter role demonstration. The Army Apaches play a key role in Afghanistan and this display gives the public a taste of the skill shown by these front line pilots.

Other new announcements include a Lynx from the Royal Navy Helicopter display team The Black Cats and a welcome overseas visitor, the Augusta 109 from the Belgian Air Force with its special flying display. The line up of historic aircraft includes the Swordfish and Sea Fury of the Royal Navy Historic Flight and a selection of aircraft representing 100 years of the Central Flying School.

All of this alongside the Red Arrows, the Typhoon, the Blades, the RAF Falcons and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will make this year’s show one of the most exciting yet.

Full information on the show can be seen on the air show web site – www.cosfordairshow.co.uk