Take to the skies in a series of Spitfire flights from Biggin Hill, the historic World War II fighter base in Kent. Experience the power of this iconic fighter plane as you soar through the skies of southern England, just like the young RAF pilots did 80 years ago. The engineers and pilots that make…
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. The base was originally opened on 1 April 1916 as an RNAS training establishment (Royal Naval Air Service). RAF College Cranwell is now the RAF’s only officer training establishment in the UK, and also provides basic flying training for aircrews. RAF History at Cranwell…
For anyone who is a fan of flight and of warbirds in particular, flying in a Spitfire at Duxford is an opportunity not to be missed. At the Imperial War Museum Duxford you can enjoy flight experiences with some of the most iconic planes from World War II. You can fly wing to wing with…
Do you have a love for all things aviation? If so, you’ll want to add diecast aircraft models to your collection. These reproductions can be used as desk accessories, decorative pieces on display on shelves, or even as paperweights. Here are 9 examples that would make a great addition to your fleet. Who buys diecast…
In this post I introduce you to the Vulcan XM655 Maintenance and Preservation Society based at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield, near Coventry, Warwickshire, in England. Like so many other people I was captivated by the sight and sound of a Vulcan at air shows during the past three decades. Seeing a Vulcan fly and hearing that…
This is the earliest footage I still have for the Goodwood Revival. Apologies for the poor quality but it gets better in parts. There are shots of the static displays of aircraft including Ferocious Frankie (P51 Mustang), Hawker Hurricanes, and the famous Spitfire MH434. Lots of take-offs and landings, and some aerobatics. One year, about…
After 19 years of thrilling the crowds with spectacular air displays it seems the Goodwood Revival 2018’s aviation activities will be confined to the static displays and pre booked pleasure flights. The days of a Goodwood Revival air show are over, for this year at least. The 2018 Revival’s timetable contains no mention of any…
Chilbolton Observatory is one of Hampshire’s finest abandoned airfields. During World War II it was once home to squadrons of Spitfires, Hurricanes, Mustangs, Typhoons, and Vampires. Opened in 1940 as a satellite airfield for RAF Middle Wallop it was used by the RAF and USAAF. After the war it was used for flight tests before…
In times of war women have always wanted to serve their country and this impulse lead to a sharp rise in the number of women in aviation, just as it did with me. At the onset of World War I, many women pilots attempted to volunteer but were turned down. At the onset of World…
There were plenty of women in aviation after World War II as many had been recruited and trained as pilots in the United States. There were former WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) pilots who had flown for the Civil War Patrol and pilots who hadn’t flown at all during the war years but who were…
Both women and men had always been fascinated by the dream of flight. Women had gone up in hot air balloons soon after they’d been invented in the 1700s, and as soon as practical airplanes became available, women wanted to learn how to fly them, too. This post introduces us to a few of the…
Oshkosh is arguably one of the biggest events on the global aviation calendar, so in this post we thought we’d provide a history of AirVenture Oshkosh from 1953 to recent times. Way back in 2000, Jill Rutan Hoffman, the daughter of Dick Rutan, put together a book of essays written by pilots called, “First Flights:…
The Ultimate High flying school is now firmly established at Goodwood airfield. This post is a record of its move to Goodwood from Kemble (Cotswold Airport) in 2012. Ultimate High – the UK’s leading aerobatics training school, advanced flying academy and provider of flying adventures for non-pilots – is moving its operations base and aircraft…
Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is – one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a…