TERRY SMITH visits this airshow in Kent.
While I was perusing the list of UK air shows earlier this year, I was disappointed to see how many had been cancelled. This one stood out of the gloom, though - the Battle of Britain Airshow over the weekend of 25th-27th June.
The event was being held at the ex-WW2 RAF airbase at Headcorn, just south of Maidstone and only around 20 miles from where I live. The ticket prices were very reasonable, at £20 per day, although you had to pre-book as you couldn’t buy tickets on the day so they could limit the numbers attending. Unfortunately, I forgot to pre-book and when I looked on their website in early June they had sold out, apart from some very special enclosures.
Always one to take a chance, I packed a cool box and drove up on the Saturday, with the lure of C47s, the B17, up to nine Spitfires, and a ME109 in attendance. Checking on Google Maps and on satellite images there seemed to be places nearby where you could be close to the airfield, and this proved to be correct. Parking is a leafy lane just opposite the main entrance we walked up to the main road and joined just a couple of other people who planned to watch the event from an area near a bus stop.
The Goodyear Blimp made an appearance, making its way slowly across the field and then turned north, before the sound of two C47 transport planes could be heard taxiing to the runway for take-off. Various combinations of the C47s, Spitfires, Harvards, and Sally B plus Tiger Moths did displays after the 12pm start, and there was a buzz that the Red Arrows were going to be there. The spectacle I was most looking forward to seeing was the nine Spitfires flying together. However, in the end, watching different combinations of same aircraft go up got a little samey, and we left Headcorn at around 4pm. Ok, so I shouldn’t be moaning as it didn’t cost me anything, but I'm glad now I didn’t go for the Spitfire enclosure tickets at £99 each!
The USAF liveried C47 transport flanked by two North American T6 Harvards.
A nice, graceful display of 'Moths' over the Kent countryside.
You could get up nice and personal as the planes crossed the main road on their landing approach at Headcorn.
The B17 Flying Fortress 'Sally B', with one of her engines 'on fire' routine she performs at every show.
This is the RAF decorated C47, this time escorted by Spitfires P-FX and E-DB all resplendent in their Invasion Stripes.
The T6 was a trainer and never used in anger. It was known as the Harvard in Europe while in the US it was referred to as the Texan. I am lucky enough to have flown in one of these planes.