With the RAF Cosford Air Show now less than two months away, the organisers have announced that the event will celebrate 65 years since the first flight of the BAC Jet Provost, with unique displays in the air and on the ground.

The Jet Provost served the Royal Air Force for nearly 40 years as a flying training platform, on which thousands of RAF fast-jet pilots honed their skills.

In the air, there will be a special trio of aircraft performing a formation flying display together, including a Jet Provost T3 in the colours of the RAF Red Pelicans display team – a predecessor to the Red Arrows team of today.

Thanks to the participation of the RAF Museum, and a number of civilian aircraft operators, visitors will be able to see a chronologically arranged display of Jet Provost aircraft, from the initial T1 design, through the T3, T4 & Strikemaster armed variant. A Piston Provost – the aircraft on which the Jet Provost was based – will also form part of the display.

Air Show Director, Mr Clive Elliott said, “We are delighted to have this exciting display to celebrate the Jet Provost through the decades. We look forward to seeing them take to the Shropshire skies, as well as getting up close to these great aircraft in the static display.”

With the Air Show just over six weeks away and tickets selling fast, organisers are encouraging those wishing to attend to purchase their tickets soon. Air Show Tickets, priced £29.00, are currently available from the www.cosfordairshow.co.uk , RAF Museums in Cosford and Hendon and selected Tourist Information Centres. Accompanied under-16s enter the Air Show for free, making the event a superb family day out. The RAF Cosford Air Show is an advanced tickets only event, tickets will not be available on the gate.

The RAF Cosford Air Show announced exciting news today that the Attack Helicopter Display Team will be returning on Sunday 9th June, with their explosive display showcasing the Apache gunship helicopter.

The Apache is the Army Air Corps’ primary attack helicopter and its display, accompanied by ground-based pyrotechnics, is always one of the crowd favourites at the Air Show. Today, organisers also confirmed an assortment of other helicopters for static display: The Royal Air Force will send a Puma HC2 troop transportation helicopter, the Royal Navy will showcase their Merlin HM2 submarine hunter and the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity will exhibit their newest H145 life-saving helicopter.

Air Show Director, Mr Clive Elliott said, “We’re pleased to have a number of exciting helicopters on display at the Air Show, big and small, military and civilian, which our visitors will be able to interact with.”

With the Air Show fast approaching, and with no tickets available at the gate, those wishing to attend are being encouraged to purchase their tickets soon. Air Show tickets, priced £29.00, are currently available from the Air Show website and RAF Museums at Cosford and Hendon, as well as selected Tourist Information Centres. Accompanied under-16s enter the Air Show for free, making the event a great family day out.

www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

With just two months to go until this year’s RAF Cosford Air Show, tickets are selling faster than ever before and visiting Air Forces continue to confirm their participation in the Midlands’ largest one-day event.

Today, the Air Show organisers announced that the Slovak Air Force will be participating in the Air Show for the first time and they will be sending one of their LET-410 transport aircraft for static display on Sunday 9th June. This will be on display in a special area dedicated to celebrating 70 years of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), alongside other NATO aircraft such as a Belgian SF.260M and German Sea Lynx. In total, six nations have already confirmed their attendance to the Air Show, with more expected to notify of their plans in the coming weeks.

One of the key themes for this year’s show is celebrating the NATO 70th anniversary. In 1949, the United States and 11 other Western nations formed NATO, with its membership growing larger over the course of the Cold War era. Now an Alliance that consists of 29 independent member countries, its purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

Air Show Operations Manager, Mr Peter Reoch, said, “We’re grateful to the Slovak Air Force for supporting the RAF Cosford Air Show 2019 with this interesting aircraft, which will be a great addition to our NATO celebration.”

With the Air Show fast approaching, and with no tickets available at the gate, those wishing to attend are being encouraged to purchase their tickets soon. Air Show tickets, priced £29.00, are currently available from the Air Show website www.cosfordairshow.co.uk and RAF Museums at Cosford and Hendon, as well as selected Tourist Information Centres. Accompanied under-16s enter the Air Show for free, making the event a great value family day out.

Today’s Media Launch of the RAF Cosford Air Show 2019 revealed further details of this spectacular annual event. The Air Show organisers were excited to announce the iconic Chinook helicopter will be performing in the skies over Shropshire on Sunday 9th June, and the RAF Chinook Display Team was present at the Media Launch.

The Royal Air Force has one of the largest fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters in the world, primarily used for troop movements, resupply, and battlefield casualty evacuation. However, despite its size, the Chinook is an extremely agile aircraft and the flying display will showcase its incredible manoeuvrability to Air Show visitors.

Also on hand at the Media Launch, Flt Lt Jim Peterson from 29 Squadron talked about the Eurofighter Typhoon’s display sequence, which he will be performing at the Air Show demonstrating the aircraft’s speed, agility and power.

The display pilots for the Tutor and Tucano were also present today. Both aircraft will be performing in the flying display in June.

The RAF Cosford Air Show will also be one of the few UK opportunities this year to see the world-famous Red Arrows performing their thrilling show before they depart for a tour of North America.

As well as dazzling displays in the air, there will also be an array of aircraft on static display across the airfield on Sunday 9th June, allowing visitors to get up close and even climb into some of the cockpits. A full list of British and overseas aircraft coming on 9th June is available on the show website, www.cosfordairshow.co.uk, more aircraft will be announced over the coming weeks.

The sell-out centenary RAF Cosford Air Show 2018 raised £189,000 which will be donated to the RAF100 appeal and local charities, to further support and encourage those who are involved with the Royal Air Force and the local community.

With the Air Show fast approaching, and with no tickets available at the gate, those wishing to attend are being encouraged to purchase their tickets soon. Air Show Tickets, priced £29.00, are currently available from the Air Show website and RAF Museums at Cosford and Hendon, as well as selected Tourist Information Centres. Accompanied under-16s enter the Air Show for free, making the event a great family day out.

The primary focus of the RAF Cosford Air Show is to give visitors the opportunity to engage with the Royal Air Force, and to better understand the work they do, not only in the West Midlands and the United Kingdom, but across the world. Air Show Chairman Wing Commander Jamie Thompson, said “RAF Cosford Air Show is a fantastic opportunity for the public to see what goes on behind the scenes on an operational Royal Air Force base. We are delighted that the Chinook Display Team will be joining us as it is a great addition to the Air Show line-up.”

A number of star attractions today confirmed their attendance at the RAF Cosford Air Show, all set to wow the crowds as part of the flying displays on Sunday 9th June.

The awesome power and agility of the RAF’s Typhoon will be showcased in the flying display. The Typhoon is the Royal Air Force’s primary air defence fighter protecting UK skies, as well as reinforcing NATO in the Baltic and Black Sea regions.

Another Air Show highlight from the Royal Air Force will be the distinctive demonstration of freefall and canopy skills from the RAF Falcons, the UK’s premier military parachute display team.

The well-known Grob Tutor T1 will also display its aerobatic skills above the airfield. Tutors are no stranger to the skies over Shropshire as they are based in RAF Cosford with the University of Birmingham Air Squadron, but their Air Show display will be sure to show off their impressive aerobatic capabilities.

We are delighted to confirm there will once again be an iconic display from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. This classic trio of a Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster is always an evocative display and a special addition to the already impressive line-up.

Lastly, making its swansong display, the Tucano T1 will return to the RAF Cosford Air Show for the first time since 2014. This aircraft has been used by the RAF to provide basic training for fast jet pilots and retires from service later in 2019 after 30 years.

Air Show Director, Mr Clive Elliott, said, “We’re thrilled to be offering such a diverse array of aircraft as part of our six-hour flying display, showcasing the best of the Royal Air Force in the skies above RAF Cosford, the Home of RAF Engineering.”

The RAF Cosford Air Show is an advance ticket-only event, with last year’s event completely selling out in the week prior to the show. Tickets are on sale at www.cosfordairshow.co.uk and will be available from a selection of Tourist Information Centres from the beginning of April.

The RAF Cosford Air Show is thrilled to announce that the RAF Red Arrows will be headlining the flying display on Sunday 9th June.

The Red Arrows team is one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams, famous for the patriotic red, white and blue smoke. Officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT), the team is made up of pilots, engineers and essential support staff with frontline, operational experience. Flying with nine distinctive Hawk T1 jets, they represent the speed, agility and precision of the RAF and act as ambassadors for the United Kingdom, promoting the best of British.

The RAF Cosford Air Show will be one of the few opportunities to see them performing their thrilling show across UK skies this year. This summer, the Red Arrows will display at several US air shows and areas with strong UK links – the first time they have done so in more than a decade.

Air Show Director, Mr Clive Elliott, said, “We’re excited to be welcoming the Red Arrows, once again, to the RAF Cosford Air Show this summer. They are always one of the most spectacular displays and I’m sure they will be a highlight of the day for all of our visitors.”

The RAF Cosford Air Show is an advance ticket-only event, with last year’s event completely selling out in the week prior to the show. Tickets are on sale at www.cosfordairshow.co.uk and will be available from a selection of Tourist Information Centres from the beginning of April.

Jets from the Czech Air Force will perform thrilling aerial displays in the skies over Shropshire in June, as part of the NATO 70th Anniversary theme at the RAF Cosford Air Show 2019.

Visitors will have the chance to see the SAAB JAS-39C Gripen perform an impressive solo display showcasing the power and agility of the fighter jet. All 14 Gripens operated by the Czech Air Force are based at Cáslav AFB, with their primary mission being Air Defence of the skies over the Czech Republic.

Accompanying the Gripen on Sunday 9th June, the Czech Air Force will also contribute a pair of Aero L-159 ALCA aircraft to the flying display which will perform an airfield attack role demonstration, accompanied with ground-based pyrotechnics. This is the first time either of these aircraft types have been seen at the RAF Cosford Air Show, so both are expected to be highlights of the event.

Air Show Operations Manager, Mr Peter Reoch, said, “We’re very excited to have the Czech Air Force participating at this year’s Air Show, becoming the 4th nation to confirm aircraft attendance so far. The participation of the Czech Air Force is particularly notable for us due to RAF Cosford’s role as a Czechoslovak Depot during WWII, where thousands of Czech airmen enrolled to the Royal Air Force.”

Tickets for the Air Show are selling fast. The RAF Cosford Air Show is an advance ticket-only event, with last year’s event completely selling out in the week prior to the show.

For more information about the displays planned at the Air Show, and to purchase your admission tickets, visit the Air Show website: www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

Two aircraft from the German Navy will be heading to Shropshire later this year to join the exciting array of aircraft displays planned for the RAF Cosford Air Show on
Sunday 9th June, including an extremely rare flying display by a Lockheed P-3C Orion.

The Orion is an iconic maritime patrol aircraft of Cold War era, which is currently flown by 18 different countries around the globe, with the German Navy operating a
fleet of eight airframes which perform patrols over the North Sea. On the ground at the Air Show, visitors will be able to get up close and personal with a Westland Sea
Lynx Mk.88A helicopter, also from the German Navy.

Air Show Operations Manager, Mr Peter Reoch, said, “We’re thankful to the German Navy for planning to support the RAF Cosford Air Show 2019 with these two fantastic aircraft, which will be highlights of the 2019 event for many aviation enthusiasts. These aircraft join the exciting aerial extravaganza planned to mark the 70th Anniversary of NATO at the RAF Cosford Air Show this year.”

Tickets for the Air Show are currently available at the discounted ‘early-bird’ price of £25.00, with accompanied under-16s entering free of charge, making the Air Show a great value for money family day out. This discounted ticket price will only be available for a limited time so Air Show organisers advise buying yours today to avoid missing out. Tickets are only available to purchase in advance of the Air Show, and last year’s event was a complete sell-out in the week prior to the show.

For more information about the displays planned at the Air Show, and to purchase your admission tickets, visit the Air Show website: www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

Exciting news arrived today that the Swiss Hornet Display Team will be performing at the RAF Cosford Air Show on Sunday 9ThJune 2019, showcasing their breath-taking fast jet display of the legendary McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet.

The Hornet was designed as a naval fighter with reinforced undercarriage, folding wings and tail-hook, however it is used by many land-based air arms across the globe. The Swiss Air Force operate their fleet of Hornet for air defence duties, armed with a 20mm Cannon and Sidewinder missiles.

Air Show Director, Mr Clive Elliott, said, “We’re excited and honoured to be welcoming the Swiss Air Force, once again, to the RAF Cosford Air Show this summer. The Swiss Hornet Display Team won the award for best flying display on their previous visit to our Air Show in 2015. They are regarded as one of the best fast jet displays in Europe and I’m sure their display will be a highlight of the day for all of our visitors.”

Tickets for the Air Show are currently available at the discounted ‘early-bird’ price of £25.00, with accompanied under-16s entering free of charge. Earlybird tickets will only be available for a limited time so Air Show organisers advise buying yours today to avoid missing out. The RAF Cosford Air Show is an advance ticket-only event, with last year’s event completely selling out in the week prior to the show.

For more information about the displays planned at the Air Show, and to purchase your admission tickets, visit the Air Show website: www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

A collection of aircraft from the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be joining the line-up in a static display at the RAF Cosford Air Show, taking place on Sunday 10 June 2018.

This year’s Air Show will feature a unique mix of aircraft, spanning the 100-year history of the Royal Air Force, which will be showcased in the flying display and in a special RAF100 Static Exhibition. This never before seen collection of aircraft gives aviation fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the revolution of air power over the last 100 years.

Helping to make this display possible, the RAF Museum will be rolling out eight aircraft from its collection to be exhibited outside on the airfield, as part of the ground displays.

Aircraft confirmed to appear will include the Bristol M1C a First World War monoplane introduced into the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to compete with the Fokker monoplanes. Displayed alongside the Bristol and representing the early days of aviation will be the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter, a two seat multi role aircraft used widely by the RFC, the Royal Naval Air Service and by the French, Belgian and United States Air Forces.

The Wolverhampton built Boulton Paul Defiant, a two-seat turret fighter operated by No 307 (Polish) Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain, will be rolled out of the Museums ‘War in the Air’ Hangar to represent the Second World War era in the shows ground displays. Joining the Defiant will be the Gloster Gladiator 1, the first enclosed cockpit and last bi-plane to enter into RAF service, most successfully employed overseas particularly in the defence of Malta.

A collection of post Second World War and Cold War transport aircraft, the de Havilland Devon C2, Percival Pembroke C1, both lightweight communications and transport aircraft and the Scottish Aviation Jetstream T1 pilot trainer, will also be joining the ground displays. This is the first time in many years these aircraft have been moved outside and is a perfect opportunity for aviation fans and photographers to get stand-alone photos.

Organisers are confident the close-up access to some of the RAF’s most iconic aircraft through the ages will prove popular with visitors to the family show which attracts in excess of 50,000 visitors each year.

RAF Museum Cosford Public Relations Executive, Michelle Morgans said:
“We are delighted to be able to support the show again this year and celebrate the RAF centenary in such a spectacular way. In addition to the aircraft being moved out of our hangars for display on the airfield, we will also be bringing the Gloster Meteor F9/40 out of storage exclusively for the show, which we hope will prove popular with visitors.”

In addition to the aircraft displays, the Museum’s Access and Learning team will be running workshops in the Whittle Innovation Hub, situated on the airfield. Families can enjoy some hands-on fun and take part in rocket car activities during free drop-in sessions, just one of the many STEM themed activities running throughout the day within the hub.

Tickets for the RAF Cosford Air Show are advanced sale only and cost £29 per person with free entry for accompanied under 16s. Tickets will not be available to purchase on the gate so to avoid disappointment, visit the show’s website www.cosfordairshow.co.uk and book online. Tickets are also available to purchase in advance from the Museum.