East Kirkby RAF Benevolent Fund Airshow

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16th September 2012

Saturday 15th September saw the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby host to its annual RAF Benevolent Fund Air Show.

This year saw many attractions for the crowd of over 3,500, thankfully all displayed in glorious weather, from the Large Flying Model Club to a superb flying display, visiting aircraft and of course East Kirkby’s resident Lancaster ‘Just Jane’.

Before the flying commenced Avro Lancaster B.Mk.VII NX611 ‘Just Jane’ undertook her first taxy run of the day. Formerly the gate guardian at RAF Scampton up until the late eighties she has been lovingly restored by owners Fred and Harold Panton as a tribute to their brother Chris a Halifax Flight Engineer who was killed on the night of 30/31 March 1944.

With the taxy run complete the flying kicked off with the Pitts S-1D’s of the TRIG aerobatic team. Pilots Richard Grace and Dave Puleston put on a very impressive display against pure blue skies.

The next item on the programme astounded many of the spectators as we were treated to some extraordinary flying during the air observation demo by Peter Holloway in his Fieseler Storch. Peter showed the excellent slow handling and STOL performance of this extraordinary aircraft. The demo also included the world’s only Auster AOP.11 and Justin Needham’s Cessna Bird Dog.

The show’s warbird section was opened by Sqn.Ldr. Dunc Mason in Spitfire PR.Mk.XIX PS915 ‘The Last’. After a brief break in the flying whilst ‘Just Jane’ completed her second taxy run of the day the air then reverberated to the sound of Packard Merlin engines and the beautiful lines of Hardwick Warbirds two P-51D Mustangs ‘Janie’ and ‘Marinelle’. These aircraft, flown by Maurice Hammond and Dave Evans, made up half of Hardwick’s visiting machines the others being the Harvard and a Stearman.

Another Boeing Stearman provided the next set of thrills as a young lady from Aerosuperbatics wing walked whilst being treated to a stunning set of aerobatic manoeuvres. Keeping with the barn storming theme was Dennis Nevilles Flying Circus who performed a variety of stunts in their two Chipmunk’s, Jackeroo, Tiger Moth, Queen Bee and Piel Emeraude.

There followed aerobatic displays by a Taylor Titch and an Edge 360 before returning to the fighter theme and wrapping up another great show at East Kirkby with Cliff Spinks’ immaculate Spitfire Mk.XVIe TD248 and a Messerschmidtt  Me108 Taifun which was displayed in great style.

The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is open all year round Monday-Saturday (excluding Christmas). For further details of their events programme please see www.lincsaviation.co.uk

Stephen Elsworth
BCAR Contributor

Event gallery slideshow