Abingdon Air & Country Show 2012 !

[Oldtower]

I know i know its a very early heads up but for those interested, the 2012 show is set for Sunday 6th May, which after a year falling a week later than our normal slot (early bank hols), it will be back on the early Bank Hols for various reasons & to not conflict with another big event in Abingdon town (annual Dragon Boat racing).

One of the themes i will be looking at in some form is its the Stations 80th anniversary of existence.. so will try and 'promote' that idea if i can.

Thanks....

[Oldtower]

Still too early for that yet Soxy, still paying the bills off from the recent one and awaiting the remainder! Then we will know how much to put by for 2012 & remainder to Air Ambulance Trust.

[Mr OAG]

At the 2011 RAF Benson Families Day, a cheque for £7,000 was presented
to members of the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance trust to whom
we support and are based at Benson, by members of the Air & Country
Show committee. Included in this total were donations made from the
Abingdon MG Car Works Centre rally entrants, Nationwide, a small amount
of participants, & Enterprise which were generated for the show. The
total donation given to the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance
Trust since 2007 now stands at £22,500.


Our previous charity, The Helen & Douglas House in Oxford recieved a
further £14,000 from shows held in 2001 -2006.


The donation is decided after all the essential bills have been paid
(which are high!), with the remainder split, with a large proportion
held back in the show accounts so to kick start the following years
show, with the rest donated to the chosen charity.

The organising committee would like to thank everybody for their support
and hope to welcome you back to Abingdon on May 6th 2012

Colin

[Oldtower]

Just to update but was actually £8,075.63 given to the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust from the 2011 show.

Planning has started & either myself or our pressman 'mroag' will keep this thread updated as time goes on..

[Oldtower]

First Flying Participant confirmed: T28 Fennec (Radial Revelation)

As well as our charity we support the Thames Valley Air Ambulance Trust receiving a sizeable donation from us back in August, two of the committee members, Andy and Sue Porter representing the committee as a whole, attended a function in Oxford with their Band on Friday 30th September to donate a cheque to help with the Lily Gulshat fund - something Andy & Sue have been involved with for some time and we decided to pledge alittle to help. A cheque was handed over for £500, one of the biggest single donations for her funding.
Read more below:

Brave 11 year old Gulshat Kadyrova from Turkmenistan was born without properly formed hip sockets. After trying to find the needed specialists in her own country and in Russia, a specialist at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford generously agreed to perform Gulshat's surgery so that she could walk.
Thanks to many generous donations, the full cost of £15,000 for a corrective hip operation was met in 2006, and Gulshat has successfully recovered. She jumped for the first time in her life a few months after her hip operation - one of her dreams come true!

However, her story is not over yet.

Gulshat also has pronounced curvature of the spine (scoliosis), which will result in breathing difficulties and crushed inner organs if uncorrected. In order to correct the curve, she needs a spinal operation to fuse some of the vertebrae together.
This spinal operation is due to take place in Spring 2012 at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford and will cost approximately £35,000. Gulshat is currently wearing a brace 24 hours a day, but the curve is now progressing despite the bracing. Unless she has surgery, the effects of the curvature will begin to crush her internal organs and make it difficult for her to breathe

http://www.gulshatfund.org.uk

[Oldtower]

Second Flying Display confirmed; 'The Pitts Pair' (Pitts Specials) - Richard Grace & Dave Puleston

Trade Stalls & Craft Stalls now starting to book in.

[Oldtower]

Third Flying Display confirmed: Bucker Bestmann (in WW2 German Air Force markings) - the type seen in the film the Great Escape!

[Sea King]

First Flying Participant confirmed: T28 Fennec (Radial Revelation)

Excellent. Really was a star performer at Abingdon this year!

Looking forward to seeing her once again in 2012,

[Oldtower]

Fourth Flying Display confirmed: World War Two P51 Mustang 'Ferocious Frankie' - Alister Kay

[Jonesy]

Oh yes. Please try and get C-47 Drag 'em oot or the Aces High C-47 to display.

[Oldtower]

BBMF Dakota for a change has been requested so watch this space in the early New Year...

As part of the stations overall 80th anniversary next year, i am hoping to put together a small area of aircraft from over the years aswell as a few past units putting on a display of photos etc... we hope to have included a ex Abbo Chippie / Bulldog, Tiger Moth, Miles Whitney & a Jaguar cockpit... as i say its not a massive area but more of a token area to mark the occasion.

[Oldtower]

Flying Display addition: Hawker Hurricane ( Peter Vacher, based down the road!)

[D1Scafellpike]

BBMF Dakota for a change has been requested so watch this space in the early New Year...

As part of the stations overall 80th anniversary next year, i am hoping to put together a small area of aircraft from over the years aswell as a few past units putting on a display of photos etc... we hope to have included a ex Abbo Chippie / Bulldog, Tiger Moth, Miles Whitney & a Jaguar cockpit... as i say its not a massive area but more of a token area to mark the occasion.

So no chance of a static VC 10 to represent those stored there circa 1990 then ?

[Oldtower]

Nope re VC10 static - better bet is a flythru like in 2010 subject to ops / tasking

[Oldtower]

Flying Display list so far looks like:

P51 Mustang - Alister Kay
Pitts Duo - Richard Grace & Dave Puleston
Bucker Bestmann - which now could be a trio display with the booked Jungmeister and a Jungmann - so a 3 ship 'Bucker' display of a kind - being discussed & kinda unique.
Hawker Hurricane I - Peter Vacher
T28 Fennec - Martin Willing

Trade Stalls are starting to book in, ground exhibits are being looked at and have been out and about with the publicity stall over the past few months at Banbury, Abingdon, Benson, Brize, and working glove in hand with the Thames Valley Air Ambulance Trust (our charity we support) sharing also a pitch with forthcoming Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford & Oxford Xmas Street Fayres, amongst others.

[Father Ted]

BBMF Dakota for a change has been requested so watch this space in the early New Year...

As part of the stations overall 80th anniversary next year, i am hoping to put together a small area of aircraft from over the years aswell as a few past units putting on a display of photos etc... we hope to have included a ex Abbo Chippie / Bulldog, Tiger Moth, Miles Whitney & a Jaguar cockpit... as i say its not a massive area but more of a token area to mark the occasion.

You've just reminded me.....I flew in an Abbo Chipmunk with 6 AEF in 1985 if I recall correctly.

Remember being awe struck by the sight of the stored Vicky 10s !


http://www.vc10.net/Photos/vc10s_in_storage.html

[Oldtower]

One of our regulars - the United States Army SHAPE Flight UH60 Blackhawk will try to make it for static - operational commitments depending (as was the case for 2011).

[D1Scafellpike]

One of our regulars - the United States Army SHAPE Flight UH60 Blackhawk will try to make it for static - operational commitments depending (as was the case for 2011).

lets just hope they can make it in 2012.

Does anyone know how man Blackhawks SHAPE have at their disposal ?

[Oldtower]

I think there are normally two UH60s on the books of SHAPE - could be wrong. In 2011 we had at one point both attending so mus be at least two thinking about it.

[Oldtower]

One air asset i am hoping for (or rather bid for!) is the Tornado GR4 role demo - in thinking of the stations 80th anniversary and 15sqn who i believe supply the role demo assets, were (15sq) stationed at Abingdon way back in the 1930s.. so watch this space for more news.. a big tbc at the moment (if the role demo is on for 2012).If successful, they will operate from i guess Brize.

Cockpits - hope to have a Hunter, Jaguar, and 2 possible others.

[Rick]

One air asset i am hoping for (or rather bid for!) is the Tornado GR4 role demo - in thinking of the stations 80th anniversary and 15sqn who i believe supply the role demo assets, were (15sq) stationed at Abingdon way back in the 1930s.. so watch this space for more news.. a big tbc at the moment (if the role demo is on for 2012).If successful, they will operate from i guess Brize.

Cockpits - hope to have a Hunter, Jaguar, and 2 possible others.

Wow, if it comes off that would be , can't wait.

Is there any chance the Dutch will be attending again next year ?
Keep up the good work , the show just gets better & better

Cheers

Rick

[Oldtower]

I can confirm the Dutch have had an invite.. again will see what transpires as they are on a pretty tight budget now.Still, you never know, i / we try our best but still not to loose sight of going bigger each year, just keep it lower key and affordable and keeping our adage of something different each year.

[Oldtower]

Flying Display addition: Miles Whitney Straight

[Oldtower]

Polish Navy to hopefully send one type of aircraft for static display but very much TBC at this stage.

Abbey Brass band to play, Vintage Vehicles coming along nicely featuring a London bus and potentially a Formula One Car again, Live Music by Rock vocalist Rick Chase, Crafts......... its progressing!

[someguy1]

This would definatly be one of the shows i would attend if i lived closer
Its progressing very well