If the Shuttleworth Collection's Spring Air Display on 2 May 2010 epitomised the spirit of the men and women who are the driving force behind the Collection's events, the Evening Air Display on 15 May captured the unadulterated magic of Old Warden. Fantastic clear blue skies, a gentle breeze and a large crowd helped make this a truly special evening that, to me, was quintessential Old Warden.
Arriving straight from Duxford, where I had been enjoying the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's photocall, shortly after 5pm, I was immediately struck by the sizeable crowd that had assembled on the airfield. By my estimate, there were more cars on the field by the time the flying commenced at 6.30pm than there had been at the peak of the Spring Air Display. A consequence, undoubtedly, of a good forecast and the allure of some welcome sunnier conditions to bask in.
For the early comers, there were pleasure flights avaliable from Classic Wings, who brought their de Havilland Dragon Rapide and Tiger Moth to Old Warden for the first time in 2010. The Collection also wheeled out the Hawker Cygnet replica for engine runs, and later demonstrated use of the Hucks Starter to fire up the Hawker Hind; a nice touch for visitors who usually miss seeing this unusual method of starting an engine on show days. The fine weather also presented visitors with the perfect opportunity to savour the delights of the Swiss Garden and Birds of Prey centre throughout the afternoon.
Approximately an hour before the main flying display commenced, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire IIa and Hurricane IIc, flying in from their weekend base at Duxford, made three passes over Old Warden. Led by Flt Lt Antony Parkinson in the Spitfire, the duo's flypasts were wonderfully close to the crowd, curving in from over the hangars to position themselves for a topside pass along the dog-leg crowdline. Unfortunately, the Spitfire and Hurricane were limited to three passes, as they were required elsewhere to perform flypasts at numerous other events and memorials on their way to and from Duxford. Nonetheless, they were a lovely sight in the skies over Bedfordshire.
The Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society Vehicle Section laid on a fine precession of immaculately maintained vintage vehicles and motorcycles shortly before the main flying display commenced. It is often forgotten that Richard Shuttleworth, after whom the Collection is named, had equally as great a passion for automobiles as he did for aviation and as such, it is always good to see these fine vehicles paraded for our viewing pleasure. Indeed, a great deal of care and hard work goes into keeping these vehicles running, and on a beautiful day like Saturday 15 May, it was lovely to see the fruits of the engineers' labours displayed up and down the crowdline in front of the Collection's aircraft.
The display proper began at dead on 6.30pm with the arrival of Golden Apple's F-86A Sabre, making the short trip from Duxford in the hands of Mark Linney. Classic jet displays are always a treat at Old Warden, and the Sabre's display was no exception, with plentiful topside and high-speed passes. The Sabre has, in 2010, reverted to its 'clean' configuration, with the drop tanks being removed over the winter. While my personal preference is to see the tanks in place (as with the Hunter, the under-wing tanks seem to suit the Sabre's classic 1950s lines), this configuration gives the Sabre a more aerodynamic, streamlined appearance. This was a cracking opening to the flying programme and I look forward to the Sabre's return later in the season.
The next display item on the programme saw the long-awaited return of a Collection favourite in the shape of the Hawker Hind bomber. Having been grounded for much of 2009 with major engine problems, this was the Hind's first aerial appearance in almost a year. Pete 'Willy' Hackett joined Paul Stone in the Gloster Gladiator for a number of formation passes, before the duo broke into their individual routes. As the Hind had only recently flown, it was restricted to performing only a couple of flypasts before breaking into the circuit to land. Paul Stone then brought the Gladiator back in front of the crowd for a fine display, with the light glinting off the silver scheme throughout, producing some excellent photographic opportunities.
Sir John Allison followed the biplane duo, displaying the Sea Hurricane in a scintillating routine, demonstrating all the hallmarks of a traditional Old Warden warbird display including arcing wingovers, topside passes and high speed runs along the crowdline. Having habitually ended the Evening Air Displays with the "heavy" aircraft in various combinations - including the Sea Hurricane, Hind and Gladiator - for several years, it is pleasing to see the Collection putting these aircraft earlier in the programme, allowing the audience to enjoy them in arguably the best light of the evening; something that the photographers in attendance were surely grateful for!
One of the highlights of the evening had to be the display by the visiting Bucker Jungmann from Headcorn airfield in Kent, demonstrating a meticulous routine of precision aerobatics in the hands of Michael Pickin, son of the legendary British aerobatic pilot, Richard Pickin. Michael's display was all the more impressive given that he is only 19 years old! Watching his Jungmann display, one would be forgiven for assuming that he is a far more senior pilot, such is the skill he exhibits in this aircraft.
The May Evening Air Display was the first opportunity of the 2010 season to see the Collection's splendid World War One aircraft in action, with a superb line-up up Bristol F2b, Se5a, Sopwith Triplane and Sopwith Pup scheduled to appear. Opening the Great War segment were Rob Millinship and Roger 'Dodge' Bailey in the Bristol F2b and Se5a respectively, with the Bristol Fighter leading the smaller Se5a in a formation sequence before the aircraft performed their individual routines.
Providing some welcome rotary flavour were the Sopwith duo of Triplane and Pup, with Chief Pilot Trevor Roche putting on a positively awesome routine in the Triplane and Dave McKay piloting the Pup, providing "top cover". Trevor's Triplane solo was one of the finest displays I've seen at Old Warden, with some fantastically low and close passes. It was one of those displays that lingers with you long after the aircraft has landed, such was the impact and choreography of this tightly flown routine. The Triplane's display here will live long in the memory - the perfect blend of man and machine, if ever I saw one.
Another noteworthy display was that of the Bucker Bestmann, owned and flown by Peter Holloway. The Bestmann is due to depart the UK for new owners in Germany at some point in the near future, meaning that this may very well have been its final UK appearance. In a fitting formation of contemporary monoplane trainers from the 1930s, the Bestmann was coupled with the resident Miles pair of Magister and Hawk Trainer for a three-ship routine, with Peter leading Jim Schofield and Paul Shakespeare for a number of formation passes.
An interesting debut at Old Warden was the Minimoa glider, a sailplane whose inverted gull wings give it a unique appearance that somewhat resembles a seagull. The Minimoa, released at altitude by the Collection's Piper Super Cub tow plane, flew a surprisingly lengthy routine of passes up and down the crowdline, slowly descending before ever so gently reconnecting with Earth. The crowd's initial hush and eventual round of applause showed this to be a popular performer; the Collection is certainly onto a winner with its glider routines in 2010 and I look forward to seeing more both the resident glider collection and visiting sailplanes in future.
Trainers from 'across the pond' were represented by the Ryan PT-22 pair, flown again by owners Steve Roberts and Tracey Curtiss-Taylor. The training theme was continued with two 1950s stalwarts in the form of the de Havilland Chipmunk and Piston Provost, piloted by Chris Huckstep and Paul Shakespeare. The segment was rounded off by the delightful pairing of Hawker Tomtit and Avro Tutor, with Jim Schofield and Rob Millinship doing the honours. By this stage, the sun had dipped beneath the horizon and the air had cooled, bringing a sense of serenity to the airfield.
Some of the major attractions at Old Warden events are the seldom seen Edwardian aircraft. Often kept firmly on the ground by inclement weather, the 'stick and string' Edwardian fleet are unique in the UK, their relative lack of air display appearances making them all the more unmissable. The Old Warden crowds were treated on this occasion to the Collection's full airworthy compliment, comprising Bristol Boxkite, Avro Triplane, Bleriot XI and Deperdussin. The hush that falls over the airfield as the Edwardians gracefully fly gentle circuits over Old Warden is remarkable. Whether you're seeing them for the first time or for the tenth, you can't help but be overwhelmed by the sheer spectacle of these ancient machines.
As Trevor Roche and Dave McKay elegantly steered their mounts through the twilight, it was hard not to marvel at how we've come since the early 1900s, when the technology that we now consider primitive was rendering previously undreamt of possibilities for the manifestation of man's desire to soar in the clouds,. The Deperdussin and Bleriot may be restricted to short hops, but that doesn't make them any less remarkable. That machines like these can even get off the ground, let alone display never ceases to amaze.
As the show drew to a close, Frank Chapman took the Collection's Westland Lysander into the near darkness for an evocative routine that provoked thoughts of the Lysander's clandestine operations into occupied Europe during the 1940s. There is something spine tingling about seeing the Lysander approaching an airfield at twilight, landing lights on, before pitching up into a wingover, the last of the sun's rays reflecting off the aircraft's underside. It is in moments like these that it becomes clear just how special Old Warden really is. It is more than an airshow venue; it is almost a portal into a time that has long since passed into the history books. Unless you've visited Old Warden and experienced the thrill of these magnificent machines first hand, it is very difficult to envisage the intangible feeling and emotions experienced at this most extraordinary of places.
With the flying display ending shortly after 9pm, the engineers and volunteers began the task of returning the aircraft to their hangars. The magic of Old Warden continued, with aircraft being manually pushed back to their positions in the hangars by the dedicated crew who keep Old Warden alive. Indeed, it was almost 10pm by the time I finally left the airfield, and there were still one or two aircraft to be hangared. As I drove the short distance to my hotel, I reflected on what I would consider to have been a classic Old Warden show. The whole experience was just overwhelming and filled one with an immense satisfaction and wonderment that you just don't get elsewhere. Words cannot do airshows like this justice and so I implore you to travel to the hallowed grounds of Old Warden to witness the unadulterated thrill of a Shuttleworth Collection airshow first hand.
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