For once, the weather Gods got it absolutely spot on. The Autumn Airshow 2011 couldn't have contrasted any more with last year's event, which had been tempered by some pretty vicious winds that, figuratively and quite possibly literally, blew the flying programme right out the window.
Held in the midst of a very welcome Indian Summer that saw the UK basking in sun for the best part of a week and hot on the heels of the previous week's excellent 'Shuttleworth Uncovered' event, the Autumn Airshow enjoyed utterly glorious conditions - some of the best I can remember for photography - that allowed the Shuttleworth Collection to bow out of the 2011 airshow season on a massive high.
The warm temperatures (soaring to the lofty heights of 28 degrees at midday, according to my car's thermometer), reasonable winds and cloudless blue skies, coupled with a very solid flying schedule, clearly helped draw a good sized crowd to Old Warden, certainly the busiest I've seen it since the Collection's season opener in May.
Early visitors were treated to a number of arrivals from interesting visiting types, notably a Sukhoi Su-31 and, in complete contrast, the Sywell-based World War One pair of BE2c and Fokker DR1, flown into the show by Matthew Boddington and Paul Ford respectively. An additional smattering of general aviation types of all shapes and sizes filled out an already busy flightline.
One of the best parts of the day for me was being able to photograph the resident de Havilland Comet and de Havilland Dragon Rapide (the latter being a long term tenant at Old Warden) sat outside in the sun in the museum car park, set against a perfect backdrop of hedges and trees with the sun in the ideal position for perfectly lit photography.
The Comet in particular looked stunning, though I doubt there's ever a time when it doesn't look like the epitome of art deco beauty. It's one of those aircraft that almost looks like it's doing 100mph when it's stationary!
Personally - and perhaps selfishly, given the notoriety the aircraft developed for its temperamental undercarriage and uncompromising lack of visibility over the nose - I would love to see the Comet fly and it's encouraging to hear that steps are being made to bring the aircraft closer to a point where we'll see light under its tyres once again.
The Autumn Airshow's flying programme presented a pleasing mix of perennial Collection favourites and some nice visiting acts, with a number of formations and sequences interspersed throughout the programme to keep things fresh.
Opening the proceedings at 2pm was an innovative sequence featuring a pair of Prefect gliders, flown by Chris Heames (of Team Viper fame) and Sir John Allison. Towed aloft individually by Rex Moorey in the Piper Super Cub, Chris was able to use the thermal wind currents to stay aloft while the Cub landed and then towed the second glider into the air in short order, enabling them to formate before landing in unison in a unique, perfectly timed set-piece.
No sooner had the gliders recovered, than Peter Teichman arrived from North Weald in his P-51D Mustang 'Jumpin' Jacques' for some low level aerobatics, utilising Old Warden's curved crowdline to good effect in several passes.
In complete contrast to Peter's heavy metal, and providing the indisputable highlight for many was the classically Shuttleworth Miles quartet of Gemini, Falcon, Magister and Whitney Straight. Opening their lengthy display slot with several box-four formation passes, the foursome later broke into individual routines (with the exception of the Magister, though that had participated elsewhere in the flying programme) with the Gemini flying a particularly lively routine in the hands of Sir John Allison.
Jez Cooke's solo in the exquisite Whitney Straight, a truly lovely aircraft, showed the machine's classic art deco curves off to good effect; really, where else other than at Old Warden will you not only see these particular aircraft formating and flown individually, but equally flown in such an elegant and photogenic manner?
Another interesting formation towards the start of the display was the pairing of Bucker Jungmeister and Fieseler Storch, with Jez Cooke pulling double duty to formate with Peter Holloway for a single pass before each aircraft carried out its respective display.
The Jungmeister is a perfect fit for the era that Old Warden often portrays and I can't really ever recall having seen this particular machine at a British airshow in the past. While its display was fairly short, consisting of some high aerobatics and a couple of lower passes, it was still nice to see the Jungmeister in the limelight.
A further noteworthy and rather tasty pairing was that of the Avro XIX Anson and Spartan Executive, with Dodge Bailey and John Morris leading Bob Morcomb through a series of formation passes and a lengthy tailchase, where the Spartan showed its near fighter-like handling capability with steep climbs and dives. Wonderful stuff in the late afternoon sun.
Elsewhere in the flying programme, the crowds were treated to the return of the traditional Old Warden barnstorming from the Tiger Moth, Magister, Super Cub and Chipmunk, the latter later flying a novel ribbon pick-up and aerobatic display.
Representing RAF trainers of the 1950s was Sir John Allison in the Piston Provost, flying a storming display of low passes, topside banking flypasts and precise higher-level aerobatics that showed just what this pugnacious aircraft can do.
The Provost, all grunt and raw engine power, is the perfect display aircraft for a venue like Old Warden and Sir John showed this formidable machine off with the usual Shuttleworth panache.
The fantastic weather also gave the resident World War One biplane quartet the opportunity to strut their stuff (excuse the pun...), with the evening air filled with the scent of castor oil and the sound of rotary engines as Trevor Roche and Dodge Bailey brought the Sopwith Pup and Triplane to the fore with their typically elegant routines that demonstrate the manoeuvrability of these early fighters.
Joining them were the Bristol F2b Fighter and SE5a, with Paul Shakespeare and Rob Millinship at the controls. As lovely as these four aircraft are, the returns of the Bristol M1C and Avro 504K are long overdue and it'll be a fine day when all six of these Great War fighters are gracing the skies over Old Warden.
Three of the lesser seen Old Warden residents are the Comper Swift and the Chilton DW1 pair. These colourful, energetic aircraft have bags of charisma and the formation work from Anna Walker and Clare Tector in the two nifty Chiltons was particularly spot on with plenty of low passes below the tree line creating plenty of photographic opportunities for the snappers in attendance.
One participant absent from the pre-published flying programme, and a possible replacement for the sickly Sea Hurricane, was the Polikarpov Po2, still riding the wave of popularity after its debut in May. Flown on this occasion by former Collection Chief Pilot Trevor Roche, the Po2 never fails to raise a smile with its oh-so-Russian agricultural engine sound (something akin to the sound that a bag of spanners cast into a washing machine would make) and less-than-elegant appearance.
Looking quite magnificent with the sun glinting off their silver hides against a crispy blue backdrop were the Hawker Hind and Gloster Gladiator, displayed with tempered vigour by Chris Huckstep and Rob Millinship.
The differing notes of the Hind's snarling Kestrel and the Gladiator's deep, throaty Mercury engines always make for an interesting contrast. To pick a favourite would only serve to do the other engine an injustice! It's a shame the Hawker Demon wasn't scheduled to appear, as it would've looked tremendous alongside its contemporaries in such brilliant light. Still, you can't have them all, and the Gladiator and Hind's displays ensured that the heavier end of the Collection was well represented.
With the sun setting, a brief slot was dedicated to the departure of the visiting aircraft, giving the crowds who stuck around to the end the chance to see the likes of the Fokker DR1, BE2c and P-51D in some beautiful evening light with a soft golden hue you'll only find in the autumn. On that note, the DR1 and BE2c simply have to appear as a duo at Old Warden next year. They were very welcome participants on the ground, but these excellent replicas deserve more than to sit out the event on the bench.
Following the departures, the Collection's Westland Lysander, always an evocative sight in the skies at dusk, flew with Paul Stone at the helm for a typically spirited display. The Lizzie always looks so at home flying at that time of night and on this occasion, the sun's warm glow reflected beautifully off the aircraft's black paintwork.
Thankfully, for the first time in several years at an Autumn Airshow, the conditions were such that the crowd were in for a real treat; there could be no finer way to round off Old Warden's airshow season that with an all too rare appearance by the seldom seen Edwardians, this time in the form of the Avro Triplane and Blackburn Monoplane.
Flown with unusual gusto by Sir John Allison and Dodge Bailey, the Triplane and Monoplane seemed to fly somewhat tighter displays than usual, even flying topside passes around the famous Old Warden bend; certainly a first for me!
These aircraft are always highlights when they are able to appear and I doubt I'll ever grow tired of seeing their fragile looking, primitive designs being given the opportunity to flourish in front of an appreciative audience.
With the show officially over, you would've thought - given that we were entering the twilight realm with darkness shrouding the eastern fringes of the horizon - that there would be nothing else to see in the air. In a very pleasant surprise, Colin Essex's superlative Hawker Cygnet replica took to the skies (piloted by Rob Millinship) for a test flight, its fourth according to commentator Tim Callaway.
The Cygnet flew a couple of high circuits against a dark, moonlit sky before landing to warm applause from the spectators who were still gathered on the flightline, even at this late hour. Colin's Cygnet really is a masterful piece of work, rebuilt in the man's living room over several years - I look forward to hopefully seeing it become a regular fixture at Old Warden in coming years.
With the fading of the last lingering embers in the autumn evening sky, the curtain came down on Old Warden's 2011 airshow season. There have been plenty of highlights along the way and while it hasn't necessarily been a classic year for the Collection, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't think the final two airshows of its season were anything but superb. If nothing else, it really went out on a high.
The Autumn Airshow was just a fantastic show that was really made by the weather. After numerous washouts and dingy days throughout the season, to be able to get out in the heat in October, surrounded by wonderful aircraft at arguably the home of vintage aviation in the UK was just immense. Some of the formations, set pieces and little touches showed a depth of understanding that, while the classic Old Warden formula doesn't need changing, it never hurts to mix things up a bit with the odd innovation here and there.
The Collection's last hurrah for the year delivered on the every level. The flying was great, the banter flowed thick and fast, the atmosphere was buzzing, the weather behaved and it all ended safely with as many pilots driving (or flying) away from Old Warden as had arrived. Honestly, what more could you ask for at this point in the season?
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