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Thunder In The Skies As Museums Celebrate Flight Centenary
By Penny Parkin
11/07/2003
Image: shows a bright yellow Sea Vixen jet fighter zooming past showing its wing form.
Photo: Sea Vixen naval fighter from the 1950's in last year's show. © Ian Jacobs Photography.
East Lothian's Museum of Flight celebrates 100 years of powered flight this Saturday, July 11 with a visual feast of Spitfires, Vixens, Tiger Moths and many more.
Entitled, 'Fantastic Flight', the airshow commemorates Orville and Wilbur Wright and their successful 1903 maiden flight in a powered aircraft over the dauntingly named Kill Devil Hills.
The Museum's Centenary of Flight Parade will also offer a rare opportunity to don ancient goggles and flying helmets and join in.
Image: shows the Red Arrows flying right at the photgrapher in formation - just before he ducked!
Photo: the Red Arrows thunder in. © Ian Jacobs Photography.
What's more, The Red Arrows will be paying the show a visit along with a host of hot air balloons; microlites and a model aeroplane display so get down to East Lothian before the action kicks off at 9.30am!
If you can't make it as far as Scotland, Duxford's Imperial War Museum in Cambridgeshire is also running an airshow called 'Flying Legends' on Saturday which should prove a huge hit with World War II veterans, their families and everyone who appreciates piston-powered fighter planes.
Highlights will include a flight by 'Twilight Tear', a wartime America P-51 Mustang fighter plane which will take off from Duxford for the first time in 60 years in homage to the WW2 pilot Lt Hubert 'Bill' Davis.
Twilight Tear flew many missions during WW2 from Duxford, and it was only by chance during a recent restoration that the provenance of the aricraft was discovered. Now the 'Tear, named after a famous 'thirties racehorse in the US, will wheel and zoom across the historic airfield once more.
Photo: at last year's show, the Microlease Duo almost part each other's hair - at a closing speed of 300 mph. © Ian Jacobs Photography.
A Belgian Croix de Guerre will be presented in a special ceremony at the War Museum to the family of the late Roland 'Bee' Beaumont, an air ace and WW2 leader who led the development of the Hawker Typhoon as a lethal ground attack aircraft.
A pictorial history of 609 Squadron, of which Beaumont was a member and is famous for being the first squadron to shoot down 100 enemy aircraft will also be displayed.
RAF Cosford's International Large Model Aircraft Rally - an airshow in miniature with large-scale models flown by UK enthusiasts should also draw a crowd and should be popular with the kids!
National Museum of Flight Scotland
National Museum of Flight Scotland, East Fortune Airfield, East Fortune, East Lothian, EH39 5LF, Lothian, Scotland
Open: 20 March - 31 October, daily 10:00-17:00
(November - March, weekends only 10:00-16:00)
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridge, CB22 4QR, Cambridgeshire, England
Open: Winter 10.00am - 4.00pm
Summer (mid March - mid October inclusive) 10.00am - 6.00pm (last admission 5.15pm)
Closed: 24, 25 and 26 December
Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford
Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford, Shifnal, TF11 8UP, Shropshire, England
Open: Open daily from 10am to 6pm (last admissions 4pm)
Closed: Closed 24-26 December and 1 January
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