Top 10 UK 'Airshow Moments' of 2013

[LN Strike Eagle]

Top 10 UK 'Airshow Moments' of 2013 - Now into it's fifth year, our team rate ten moments that shaped the 2013 UK airshow season.



Do you agree with our choices? Have your say in this thread, and let us know what your airshow highlights from the summer of 2013 were.

[redskin301]

You have to change the title to: Top 10 'UK Airshow Moments' of 2013
All airshows which you show here are in the UK
But if I look to the photos they are well chosen

My Highlights were the

1. Kesckemet Airshow
2. Phantom Pharewell at Wittmund
3. Volkel Airshow "100 years Dutch Military Aviation"

All the best whiches for 2014!

[Mike]

The two Gladiators at Legends, something over 2 decades in the making, should have made the top 10 IMHO

[strangelookingalien]

I know it's not really out of the ordinary but the sight and sound of a Mig-29 display is always a highlight for me. It never gets old and is always a great thrill. Hopefully we'll see another this year!

My *personal* highlight was one particular pass by the Vulcan at Clacton. I was in the right place at the right time with an on-crowd wind and got the full benefit of four Olympuses at full power. I'll never forget the sight, sound or smell!

[Abingdonman]

A great 4 hours watching the Rafale,2 Typhoons,Mig 29,F16,Gripen, A400,BBMF & Red arrows amongst others display at RIAT on the Sunday ....I doubt I will better it anytime soon!

[Private Custard]

Can I add my own honourable mention?

August 11th, Old Warden........the day the Hawker duo went mad!!

The wind was up, a lot couldn't fly. So the Hind and Demon put on one of the displays of the year. Tail chasing, opposition passes. They really threw them around. Amazing, considering the rarity!


Hawker Pair - Hind & Demon by Private Custard, on Flickr

[Mike]

Good call!

And then the following act was also one of my favourite of the year, Charlie Huke flying Jan Cooper's lovely Klemm 25 in gusty conditions for what I think was its first display since 1984.

[Private Custard]

Good call!

And then the following act was also one of my favourite of the year, Charlie Huke flying Jan Cooper's lovely Klemm 25 in gusty conditions for what I think was its first display since 1984.

I was utterly amazed that he braved the gusts. A great bit of flying, over all too soon.


Klemm L25-1A by Private Custard, on Flickr


Actually, that was also the day the Sea Hurricane hit the pigeon, and gained its first ever kill!!

[Tommy]

Generally I agree.

Though, imo, I think the Cosford's Harrier GR3, restored and put under a harrier hide should probably have come somewhere within the Top Ten this year.

[boff180]

Generally I agree.

Though, imo, I think the Cosford's Harrier GR3, restored and put under a harrier hide should probably have come somewhere within the Top Ten this year.

That was another nominee.

[stuart n]

Surprised there is no mention of the Dambusters flypasts, especially given it was the 70th anniversary. The BBMF Lancaster flying over the Derwent reservoir and the flypasts at selected shows with the 617 squadron Tornado were more of a highlight than the P-40 being rolled out of a hangar.

[LN Strike Eagle]

Surprised there is no mention of the Dambusters flypasts, especially given it was the 70th anniversary. The BBMF Lancaster flying over the Derwent reservoir and the flypasts at selected shows with the 617 squadron Tornado were more of a highlight than the P-40 being rolled out of a hangar.

I don't think Derwent should be on an airshow list, and the flypasts at RIAT and Waddington were underwhelming IMO. Would have been a much better spectacle with both Tornados in tight formation off either wing of the Lancaster, but even then probably wouldn't have troubled the list.

P-40, as it says on the page, is included for being an unusual event - compare it to how the Canberra paint was revealed, for example. Opening up for an event like that and sharing his collection with fans/supporters/enthusiasts deserves recognition IMO.

Assembling this list was quite contentious though, as there were some big disagreements. Personally, I'd have had the Gladiators in if it were my choice, not the Northolt C-130, and a static Canberra is way too high up the list for my liking.

[Mictheslik]

Surprised there is no mention of the Dambusters flypasts, especially given it was the 70th anniversary. The BBMF Lancaster flying over the Derwent reservoir and the flypasts at selected shows with the 617 squadron Tornado were more of a highlight than the P-40 being rolled out of a hangar.

I don't think Derwent should be on an airshow list

By that reckoning, neither should a P40 rollout or a nightshoot, both of which are not really airshows....

All in all a very odd selection...but most of the rest I could agree with (of those I saw )

.mic

[LN Strike Eagle]

Surprised there is no mention of the Dambusters flypasts, especially given it was the 70th anniversary. The BBMF Lancaster flying over the Derwent reservoir and the flypasts at selected shows with the 617 squadron Tornado were more of a highlight than the P-40 being rolled out of a hangar.

I don't think Derwent should be on an airshow list

By that reckoning, neither should a P40 rollout or a nightshoot, both of which are not really airshows....

All in all a very odd selection...but most of the rest I could agree with (of those I saw )

.mic

As above, I agree with you on Northolt.

What does the Derwent flypast have in relation to airshows? It was a military unit marking their anniversary in the middle of the week. The flypasts at RIAT/Waddington were nominated, but not Derwent.

Hangar 11 are a big player on the UK Airshow scene, and the new scheme on the P-40 was one of the things people were looking forward to seeing in the airshow summer of 2013. The fact H11 made an event of it (also a first display in the new markings was flown that day) meant there was something tangible to put on the list. Airshows are in Hangar 11's DNA.

[boff180]

It certainly was contentious

Northolt made it in as it was the only public event that recognised the C-130K and its end of service. Making it unique in 2013. Afterall, the definition of an airshow seems to be changing and anything where aircraft are "shown off" to the public could now be classed in the category.

The list of nominees that spawned 5 pages of debate (we aren't joking when we said contentious) was:-

Eagle Squadron - Duxford
Solo Turk - Waddo
Swedish Viggen - Waddo and Leuchars
Lancaster/Tonka Formation - Waddo, RIAT and Leuchars
Reds mixed formation Flypasts - Duxford, Waddo, RIAT, Leuchars
Vulcan - Little Grandsen
LG Extra 300 and model "synchro" display - Little Grandsen
Rafale - RIAT
C-27J - RIAT
Mig-29 - RIAT
A400M - RIAT
Meteor - RIAT & Dawlish
RAF Typhoon Display - Multiple Shows
Austrian QRA Demo - Leuchars
Tristar Flypast - Abingdon
Canberra debut - RIAT/Goodwood
MERT Demo - Cosford
PREOCH - RIAT
Nightshoot Rarities at Northolt (this became the C-130K)
2x Gladiators at Legends
Bremont Horsemen in 3x Spitfires at Legends
Hangar 11 P-40 reveal

Andy

[tu16]

Well, that's a bit more like it... with the flypasts, RIAT gets 9 "considerations" in a "difficult" year.

C130K static & the P40 rollout "best Airshow Moments"....are you the RIAT PR department in disguise?

[boff180]

Well, that's a bit more like it... with the flypasts, RIAT gets 9 "considerations" in a "difficult" year.

C130K static & the P40 rollout "best Airshow Moments"....are you the RIAT PR department in disguise?

As one of those nominations is a member of the UKAR Staff team who was looking after a static item, it's 8 nominations...

Anything can be nominated, being chosen as moment is quite another

Andy

[tu16]

I didn't include PREOCH, the Typhoon display counts as number 9.

Shame no mention of the GAF Tornados on arrival at RIAT.

[tankbuster81]

For me by a country mile this year my favourite Airshow moment was the Airfield Attack Sequence at the end of The Yeovilton Air Day.Lots going on in the skies,plenty of Pyro's, and action,and in a way it kind of gave me that Patriotic feeling.
The Rafale at Riat was phenomenal!! as was the Spartan. In fact i was extremely impressed by the Atlas,and one of the best Aerobatic teams I've seen in many a year,and one that i didn't think would impress me to the lengths it did was The Swiss Aerobatic Team of PC7's.

[CH2]

Hello UKAR staff; I take it this was done between yourselves, and not a poll?

[LN Strike Eagle]

Hello UKAR staff; I take it this was done between yourselves, and not a poll?

Yes, as has been clearly stated several times already this year, and the four previous years in which we have run this article...

[phreakf4]

I have little argument with that list other than I would have rated the Spartan at RIAT and the full-size/model Extra 300 routine at Gransden much higher. My son unfortunately missed the latter, but to say that he was "gobsmacked" by the Spartan display is a major understatement. The Spitfire/P-51 tail chases at Duxford (and also this year at Shoreham) are also, to me, highlights of any aviation year. That is what I think air shows should be about. Stuff the "perfect topside shots"; I want to see aircraft flown in an exciting (but safe) manner which displays the capabilities of machine and pilot/crew. Successive "topside passes" do not really do that.

[stuart n]

It's purely opinion based, people have to understand that.
For me one THE moments of last year was THAT pass by XH558 at Little Gransden, would have had that on the list rather than the P-40.
As already said I'd have put the Dambusters flypasts on the list rather than the C-130K. It's hard to argue with the number one choice

[CH2]

and..

It's a nice piece of work but perhaps a UKAR poll of the members would have been more interesting and engaging.

[LN Strike Eagle]

XH558 at LG was nominated, but it was much the same as the passes a year earlier. If something happens year in year out, it's not a unique moment to that season, which is what this list was supposed to be about. I wouldn't have put the C-27 on my list for that reason (it featured in 2011), and it counted against the MiG etc too. Always very nice to see these things, but the idea of this feature originally was to celebrate the variety of the UK Airshow scene - we'd be failing to do that if the list is nigh on identical year after year.