Old Warden's association with aviation stretches back to 1932 when Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth inherited the Estate on his 23rd birthday. A military man, Richard had passed out of Sandhurst as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 16th/5th Lancers, but his inheritance enabled him to pursue his mechanical interests, and in doing so saw him assemble quite a collection of both old cars and aircraft. At the outbreak of war in 1939 he joined the Royal Air Force and was posted to RAF Benson for night-flying experience where, on the night of the 1st-2nd August 1940, whilst flying a cross-country training exercise in a Fairey Battle, he was killed when his aircraft crashed into a nearby hill.
His mother, Dorothy, set up the mansion as a Red Cross Convalescent Home for injured airmen following his death. In 1944 she decided to place the estate in a charitable Trust in Richard's memory, wanting to ensure that it would continue as one entity to be used for the purpose of agricultural and aviation education, two interests that Richard was especially keen on.
Today, the Shuttleworth Collection hosts a series (twelve for 2009) of both daytime and evening air displays between May and October, and while a good number clash with other events, I always like to get along once a season - typically that visit has co-incided with their Military Pageant, and this year proved to be no different.
With a forecast promising some of that all too rare commodity, sunshine, and a line-up boasting no less than five classic jets, an ex-Royal Navy helicopter, plus many of the Collection's residents and regulars, it wasn't a hard decision to make.
To some, the £25 admission price (accompanied U-16s go free) might seem a tad steep, but when you consider it not only gets you access to watch the flying display but also includes entry to the Collection's hangars (save for two which were being used to host a Hawker Hunter reunion), the Swiss Garden, the Bird of Prey Centre and the childrens' Jubilee Play Centre, it actually represents extremely good value.
My companion for the day was Shuttleworth virgin and occasional GAR contributor, John Higgins, and I was very keen to see what he'd make of it all.
The first thing that strikes you about Old Warden is the civilised nature of it all. Ladies in dresses, gentlemen in shirts and ties and sporting Panama hats, while not in the majority, all are in plentiful supply.
For many it's clearly a very social occasion with fold-out tables, picnic hampers, bottles of wine and champagne all evident down the crowdline. Windbreaks are banned and with nothing but a small three foot high fence between yourself and the resting display aircraft, it's about as close as you'll ever get to being 'liveside' without actually being so. It's all very pleasant, and John, even before a single aircraft had displayed commented on how, even if the sun hadn't have made an appearance, that he still felt as if he was going to enjoy the show because of its atmosphere and surroundings.
While this is primarily an airshow, the Collection does like to play up the fact that it's not just about the aircraft, and as is the usual precursor to the flying display, a procession of historical military vehicles paraded up and down the crowdline.
The layout of Old Warden is such that the display line sits on a natural dog-leg, something which the resident pilots take advantage of with great aplomb, sadly the same can seldom be said of the visiting crews. Completely blowing that statement out of the water, however, was Andy Foan, MD and Head of Training at Blue Sky Aviation in their Hunter FGA.9, G-ETPS, better known to the enthusiast world as XE601 and still resplendent in the 'raspberry ripple' colours of its former operator, the Empire Test Pilots School. Foan's first couple of passes were in company with Gnat T.1 G-TIMM/XS111, painted to represent the late, great Ray Hanna's aircraft from when he led the Red Arrows, before he went on to perform a superb solo routine, while the Gnat joined up with its mate, G-RORI/XR538.
It was the third time I'd seen the Gnat Duo this season and while the display features a lovely sweeping, topside, paired pass, the rest of the display seems, to me at least, to pose more questions than it answers. The Gnat is, by definition, a particularly small aircraft and the distance it's flown from the display line doesn't help the impact at all and there are one or two parts that feel rather disjointed. As was proven with the Hunter, the idea of coming closer to the crowd's not something they're totally averse to, so...?
In total there were three 'new' display items on show for me. The first of those came by way of a Yak-52 triumvirate going by the name of Team Osprey, based at Swansea Airport. Programmed as a four-ship only three aircraft were present at Old Warden, but the team were very definitely responsible for providing the most striking scheme on display during the day with G-YFUT wearing a yellow, green and brown camouflage in addition to its Russian star markings. Their display suffered from some of the worst light of the day, but they were very tidy and I look forward to seeing them again, hopefully with their full four-ship routine.
While the lineup on its own was a particularly strong one, I'm certain that the first public displaying of the immaculately restored Hawker Demon was at least in part responsible for the impressive attendance figures, and it was noticeable how the crowd numbers dwindled slightly following its display. After a restoration by Tim Moore and the team at Skysport Engineering spanning 18 years, G-BTVE/K8203 became the first Demon to fly for more than 70 years.
The aircraft had only received the required paperwork on the Friday prior to the show and all of those present were extremely thankful that it was, as Stu Goldspink showed off the 64 Sqn markings (most recently seen on the Phantoms of 228 OCU) to perfection. The other thing that hit home was just how massively overpowered it seemed! I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the currently out of action Hawker Hind is displayed alongside it.
One of two surprise items on the line-up was provided by Pete Teichman - the Spitfire PR.11 G-MKXI/PL965 from his own Hangar 11 Collection at North Weald. I don't recall seeing a better Spitfire display from Pete and he's very definitely warming to the layout of the venue. During one particularly lovely topside pass he could be seen to have a massive grin on his face!
Peter Vacher's Hurricane Mk1 G-HUPW/R4118 was the other surprise item and together with the Collection's own Sea Hurricane G-BKTH/Z7015 put on arguably the best flying display of the day - really making use of the lines of the airfield and flown in a very spirited manner.
The decision by the organisers to call a temporary time-out on the flying display was rewarded when the wind dropped sufficiently to allow a number of the Edwardian aircraft in the Collection to take to the skies for the first time in 2009.
While the interlude was used to allow visiting aircraft to depart it also gave the conditions overhead the chance to improve and by the time the Piper Cub hauled the Daglin glider into the air around 1830, the light was rather lovely. The latter, in the hands of Willy Hackett, was the third 'new item' for me that was displayed at the show. Something of a trial run had been had earlier in the day, but little more than the release on the downwind-leg and landing had been achieved that time. The follow-up was quite superb, however, and featured a topside pass into the final approach! It was great to see and, like those acts that would follow, really made you appreciate just how far aviation's advanced in the last century or so.
The Avro Triplane was the first of the Edwardians to reach for the skies, piloted by George Ellis, who, having pottered around on his own for a while elected to stay in the air after John Allison and the Bristol Boxkite had also left terra firma. One pass in particular saw the Boxkite in the foreground with the Triplane below it in the background! Anyone who left early to beat the traffic should be kicking themselves!
While the Triplane and the Boxkite were only replicas, the 1910 Deperdussin is 'real' and Roger Bailey took her for a series of hops in both directions down the runway. While she is capable of getting around the circuit, 'hopping' is now the preferred method of operation.
Bringing the final curtain down on the show was newly installed Chief Pilot, Trevor Roche, in the Blackburn Monoplane Type D. Dating back to 1912, Shuttleworth's example was the seventh of the type to be built and rates as the oldest airworthy British plane in the world!
It's all credit to the organisers that they had the vision to call a temporary halt to proceedings to give themselves the chance of taking the Edwardians skywards. It would have been easy to call it quits and I'm sure everyone who hung around greatly appreciated their willingness to do so.
So what was the 'Higgins verdict'? "Nine and a half out of ten. The only way it could've been improved was if the light had have been better during the middle portion, but obviously, there's not a lot the organisers can do about that. It's obvious from the whole setup that the show is very much run by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, and that really comes across - something that makes a very welcome change."
He's right. The Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society do a phenomenal amount of fundraising to assist with the acquisition, restoration and maintenance of the aircraft and vehicles both for and within the Collection. If something's genuinely needed, SVAS will do everything within their power to ensure that it's provided. For the small sum of £25 for an adult membership you receive free entry to the collection on non-airshow days, a reduction of up to 50% on airshow days, a 15% discount in the Collection shop on all purchases over £5, as well as three copies of 'Prop-Swing', the organisation's magazine. In fact, I'm sat here questioning why I've not signed up (yet!) myself!
It is true to say that much of the content is broadly the same at Shuttleworth's events over the course of the season, with the bulk made up of Collection aircraft, with only a smattering of visitors - something they draw criticism for on the forums - but you can see why people go back time and time again.
GAR wants to interact with its readers so if you have a question for the author or a comment to make on this feature, please click on the button below. The best comments will appear right here on GAR.If you would like to discuss using any of our imagery or feature content please contact us.