Flying Legends air display 2018

I just got a new motorcycle. Well not new exactly, but it's a year newer than my last one which got pranged last September and written off - see previous posts.... My new machine is also only a third of the mileage of my last one as well as being faster and considerably more powerful. I had to go on a Speed Awareness Course soon after getting my last one (after managing to keep a clean licence for many years) so I'm going to have to be even more careful on this one.... Having had the bike for less than a week I am itching to go out for a decent run on it to try it out properly - and what better than a trip out into the country on some fast roads that I know well. Even better - England are playing in the World Cup the same day so there is less traffic on the roads, and less crowds at Duxford airfield for the Flying Legends Airshow.

I take it fairly easy on the trip up to Duxford as I'm still getting used to my new machine and it has the potential to get me into a lot of trouble very quickly! It's a beautiful summer's day - hardly a cloud in sight and one of the hottest days of the year - perfect to be out on a fast motorcycle. The bike goes like a dream and I arrive without any unwanted drama. No queues to get in on the bike (unlike for cars) straight in the VIP entrance and to the bike park right by one of the hangers - no long walk from a distant car park (unlike for car drivers) and I'm ready to enjoy my day out. Going by bike is by far the best way to go to an air display - apart from flying in of course! But bike would still be quicker overall after having to travel to a local airfield first and do pre-flight checks etc.

I arrive with plenty of time to spare before the flying started for a change. It got going with a scramble by eleven Spitfires - nearly a whole squadron!

I didn't really bother taking any pictures the aircraft while airborne - unless you have a telephoto lens there is no point - zoom on a digicam or phone just doesn't cut it - just a big blue sky with some little dots. I got some half decent pictures of some aircraft after they landed though as I knew the best place to stand where they would pass close by on their way to park up after giving their 'performance'. I didn't get all of them though as some aircraft took a different route back over the grass to park.

Spitfires are always likely to be well represented at this historic airfield as not only did they fly from here during the Battle of Britain but the first ever squadron to be equipped with Spitfires was 19 Squadron at Duxford in 1938. There were actually three rare Mk1 Spitfires flying today to represent those early days of the Spitfire in service around 1939-1940 but none of them came close enough for me to get a decent picture. The earliest ones I got any close up pictures of were  MkVs - see above and below.

Mk IX

Mk IX (2 seat conversion)

Mk IX (2 seat conversion)

Mk IX (2 seat conversion)

PRXI

Mk XIV

More Spitfires than you can shake a (joy)stick at. And that's not even all of them!

Hurricanes were well represented too.

I remember a time when you were lucky if you got to see just one Hurricane flying at an air display - but today we see four flying together!

The Germans were also well represented.

There were four 'Messerschmitt Bf 109s' flying - actually post-war Spanish built Hispano HA-1112 Buchons. This is a licence built version of the Bf 109 with a British Rolls Royce Merlin engine - ironically the same as fitted to the Spitfire and Hurricane. These are aircraft that featured in the 'Battle of Britain' film made in the late 1960's.

Needless to say - the Yanks got a look-in too!

P-40, P-47 & B-25

P-51 x2, Hawk 75, P-40 x2 & P-47 Thunderbolt

Mustangs have been a common sight at UK air shows for many years - today we get four of them - three shown here.

One of the Mustangs along with a Spitfire also took part in 'The Heritage Flight'. This involved it flying in formation with a modern F-35A 'Lightning 2'. stealth fighter. This was the only appearance by a jet at this air show.. I was interested to see this as it was the first time I'd seen a real F-35. To be honest I got the impression this was more of a PR exercise than a meaningful 'tribute'. Although I was glad to see an F-35 fly at close quarters, I can't say I was very impressed by it's performance - I have seen far more impressive performances of power and manoeuvrability from an RAF English Electric Lightning over 30 years ago. To be fair, this stealth aircraft can't show it's real potential at an air display as most of it's attributes can't be seen and it's whole concept relies on being able to detect and shoot down other fighter aircraft at extreme range before it has been detected itself. If it fails in this then it is in deep trouble as if can't cut it as a close range dogfighter and is easily outperformed in this role even by 1970's designs like the F-16.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 'Sally B' has been a Duxford resident for many years.

Naval aviation is strongly represented.

Grumman Wildcat

Goodyear built Corsair

Chance Vought Corsair

Chance Vought Corsair

Hawker Sea Fury .T20

Hawker Sea Fury Mk.II

Grumman Bearcat

It wasn't all purely military aircraft - this DC-3 in formation with 3 Beech 18 was a very unusual sight.

This DC-3 flew in from Norway.

I'm not normally that interested in civil aircraft, but I really enjoyed the contribution made by the Flying Bulls team. The P-38 Lightning was a particular favourite of mine and looked absolutely stunning in it's polished aluminium finish - it looked amazing in the air too!

Like the P-38 this Flying Bulls B-25 wasn't strictly a 'civil' aircraft either but...

An unexpected highlight of today's show for me was actually a display by an airliner! The Flying Bulls DC-6 put in a very spirited display indeed - tight turns and vertical banks like a fighter!

Like most the other aircraft in the Flying Bulls team this looked amazing in it's polished aluminium finish!

As usual Flying Legends was a terrific day out with a great variety of classic vintage aircraft.

The weather could hardly have been better. As usual I hang around for a while after the show has finished to soak up the atmosphere after the crowds leave... And also so I can just jump on the bike and ride straight out without dealing with any traffic queues.

For a full list and more details of all the aircraft involved including some I saw but didn't get pictures of like the Bristol Blenheim, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-40 Warhawk and F-35 (the only jet and the only modern aircraft) click this link to the official website.

Same time next year then?