Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow 2022 - 10th & 11th September

[5944]

I thought about the cost for families at Duxford also £45 each adult plus £5 parking. Not sure if kids are free. The foods expensive there now in the cafe's and food stalls. So most will take cool boxes/sandwiches? Why go there for a day out when you can go to another proper child friendly venue that's cheaper entry and caters more for families, food wise. Biggin Hill managed to combine families/enthusiasts at their big air show years ago. Maybe they can dumb down the aircraft offering to the public and save money? But losing it in the long run as ticket sales on the last show were dismal and trade and food stalls sparse. Why did they change something that was winning combination with everyone?

No kids aren't free, so for two adults and two children general admission (no add ons such as grandstands etc), it's actually a quid cheaper to go to RIAT than Duxford.

[G-CVIX]

Hi G CVIX! Duxford wants to attract families more than anything to the airshows. They would not appreciate specialist aviation books, obscure aircraft models (pricey sometimes) Oddball aviation related items and other related items. We were at their last show 2021 and it was mainly families who did not know one end from the other, our goods were way over their heads most of the time, very few enthusiasts were there.
We were told they wanted to dispense with traders (or as it seems pick and choose corporate type traders) We spoke to some at Capel Military show, all regulars for years who applied for a space recently and were ignored.
A few years ago we and a few other traders were removed from the Historic Zone and moved to past the American Air Space, as we did not 'fit' their idea of what they wanted as traders. although us and ones moved still outsold the ones left on their original pitches (some of the other bigger traders had a hand in our removal from what we heard)! We could change our goods to appeal to the public that does attend now, but not paying nearly £400 for a space in the Market Place to sell kids toys, we can do that at smaller, cheaper shows.
Duxford also once said they did not like traders setting up early as they did not want them in the museum? Can't think what they thought we were up to? Apart from buying food/drinks in cafe, using loo's (we are house trained). We used to book Duxford shows, loved Legends best of all! and booked other shows around them. One of my relatives sponsored the American Air Space (Canadian), I saw his name recently on the sponsor list inside, so it's doubly gutting for me.

Wow! This makes some sad reading and thank you for taking the time to respond. I last went to Duxford in September 2019 so I haven't yet experienced the new regime as far as I know.

I can help but think that all of these airshows that are determined to stray from their core product are destined to fail.

One of the worst aspects of the Cosford show for me was the relatively minimal relevant trade stalls amongst a sea of tat.

[catwomanofkent]

G-CVIX - It is sad reading, I agree. We started out 20 years ago selling model kits there, aircraft, boat, military kits. Mostly obscure, odd kits. But sold very well. Then introduced some toys, diecast models, planes, cars etc. But a few years into trading were experiencing a lot of negative vibes from the newly appointed trade organizers, always sniping, trying to move us into silly trade spaces that did not accommodate our luton van, whilst fawning over some pointless trader who had minimal stock, small stall with handbags or silly cheap chinese electrical rubbish, which for some reason they loved to have there as a trader? no connection with aircraft whatsoever. Last few years they were looking at our stalls during the day and doing some sort of evaluation with clipboards, some staff we'd been previously friendly with were a bit standoffish suddenly, so knew we were for the chop. Finally told us we were being shipped out to American Airspace with other selected traders who were deemed 'market traders'. When I protested, I was told if this space was not available you would not be here. It backfired the first time we traded up there, ALL public came flooding down to where we were, to the 'rubbish zone' as Duxford staff had called it, the 'posh zone' was where we used to be. We really miss Duxford but it's not worth setting up for two days selling to a few enthusiasts that still have not been put off!

[jasonT1981]

There will now be a shuttlebus from Cambridge for the airshow.

Shuttle buses
A free shuttle bus will run from Cambridge rail station to and from both Duxford Summer Air Show and our Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show. The shuttle bus will also stop at Trumpington Park & Ride.

Buses will run from approximately 8:30am to 1pm and then from approximately 3pm to 6:30pm. Please have your pre-booked Air Show ticket available to show on the day (print or download).

[AJC]

The Participation List has just been updated and now reads as follows:

RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia (G-CFGJ)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb (G-MKVB)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc (G-IBSY)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc (G-IBSY)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc (G-AWII)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII (G-BKMI)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.T9 (G-LFIX)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.T9 (G-CCCA)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.T9 (G-CTIX)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (G-AVDJ)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (G-PTIX)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX (G-BRSF)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXb (G-ASJV)
Supermarine Spitfire PR.XI (The NHS Spitfire) (G-PRXI)
Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk.XIV (G-SPIT)
Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk.XIVe (G-BSKP)
Supermarine Seafire Mk XVII (G-KASX)
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (G-HITT)
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (G-HRLI)
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (G-HUPW)
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb 'Pegs' (G-HHII)
Hawker Hurricane Mk.XIIa (G-HURI)
Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk.Ib (G-BKTH)
Hispano HA-112 M1L Buchon (G-AWHK)
Hispano HA-112 M1L Buchon (G-AWHH)
Hispano HA-112 M1L Buchon (G-AWHE)
Yakovlev Yak-3UTI (F-AZIM) 17
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 'Sally B' (G-BEDF)
Westland Lysander Mk.III (G-CCOM)
Westland Lysander Mk.III S.D (G-AZWT)
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IF (G-BPIV)
Fairey Swordfish Mk.I (G-BMGC)
P-51D Mustang 'Miss Helen' (G-BIXL)
F8F-2P Bearcat (G-RUMM)
Grumman FM2 Wildcat (G-RUMW)
Curtiss Hawk 75 (G-CCVH)
Hawker Nimrod Mk.I (G-BWWK)
Goodyear Corsair FG-1D (G-FGID)
Gloster Gladiator Mk.I (G_AMRK) L8032
Beech D-17S Staggerwing (G-BRVE)
Beech D-17S Staggerwing (N18V)
Tiger 9 Aeronautical Display Team

[5944]

https://www.iwm.org.uk/airshows/duxford ... lying-list

Bit of an update today. Now up to 17 Spitfires and a Seafire, and 7 Hurricanes. The other Lysander, Gloster Gladiator, and Blenheim added too.

[darkman]

Do we know when flying starts and ends. Couldn't find it on website
Trying to see if I can arrive and leave same day

[Alpha Delta 210]

Do we know when flying starts and ends. Couldn't find it on website
Trying to see if I can arrive and leave same day

Hi. The DX shows often start about 1330 -1400 and finish around 1730.

HTH.

[darkman]

Do we know when flying starts and ends. Couldn't find it on website
Trying to see if I can arrive and leave same day

Hi. The DX shows often start about 1330 -1400 and finish around 1730.

HTH.

Thank you

[darkman]

Flight and ticket booked

[G-CVIX]

Ticket booked - line-up is superb. Fingers crossed for good weather!

[darkman]

Is this a final list or are other participants likely to be added over the coming weeks

[rockfordstone]

Is this a final list or are other participants likely to be added over the coming weeks

they normally keep adding up until the show

[darkman]

Is this a final list or are other participants likely to be added over the coming weeks

they normally keep adding up until the show

Hopefully a few more surprises then

[Wyvernfan]

That’s a ‘Flying Legends’ line up, albeit under another banner!

[Mike]

Not really, no. Legends was always about bringing the cream of European warbirds together (and often something from the US too) and generally featured aircraft never before seen in the U.K., like the Fiat G59B, French Skyraiders, Polikarpov I-15bis, Saab B17, Caudron, P-26, A-36 Mustang and the like. This lineup mainly consists of emptying the Duxford hangars onto the flightline.

[Unknown74]

Just booked for the Saturday so now have something to look forward too........

[Wyvernfan]

Regardless of what else turned up the bulk of Legends was always made up of Duxfords resident aircraft, just as is advertised above.

As I said it’s a Flying Legends lineup but without the title!!

[Mike]

I guess you just never “got it” about what Legends was all about then. I suppose either you do, or just don’t.

Put it another way. Friends used to come from all over the world for Legends. It was always about far more than just a bunch of Duxford-based aeroplanes flying up and down for an afternoon. None of those friends have shown the slightest interest in coming over for a Duxford September show. Not one.

[Stagger2]

I'm afraid that rose-tinted glasses were never seen at Flying Legends. The annual festival of 'Legends' spoke for itself. Mike is absolutely on the money, Flying Legends was not just about the flying content, although that greatly helped.

[DaveBr]

One could list dozens of aircraft which would never have been seen at Duxford (or even in the UK) without the efforts of the Fighter Collection and Flying Legends team.

[ozplane]

I don't know whether the same difficulties faced by the classic car brigade in moving their vehicles to and from Europe after Brexit apply to the warbird world but it has made life more difficult and expensive for them. Perhaps this is why the Legends-type "star turns" aren't coming?

[Wyvernfan]

I guess you just never “got it” about what Legends was all about then. I suppose either you do, or just don’t.

Put it another way. Friends used to come from all over the world for Legends. It was always about far more than just a bunch of Duxford-based aeroplanes flying up and down for an afternoon. None of those friends have shown the slightest interest in coming over for a Duxford September show. Not one.

Who says I never “got it”?? You? And you are??

My point and this thread isn’t about the people or the ‘add ons’- is it Mike, it’s about the aircraft content of an airshow, the content of which is almost exactly as what you would expect to see at a past Flying Legends airshow. Not ground Legends, not speaking Legends, FLYING LEGENDS.

Even for you your argument is extremely pedantic and biased!

[DaveBr]

The point, really, is that you are wrong - about aircraft content.

I have very quickly cobbled together a list of aircraft from the last half-dozen editions of Flying Legends that have never been seen at any other Duxford show. In no particular order, badly formatted and likely containing errors, but it illustrates the point:

Douglas DC-3 42-24133 N431HM Hugo Mathys/Classic Formation
Beech 18 1538 N21FS Hugo Mathys/Classic Formation
Beech 18 2344 N223CM Hugo Mathys/Classic Formation
Beech 18 N184KP Hugo Mathys/Classic Formation
Vought Corsair F4U-5N 124724 F-AZEG AJBS Les Casques de Cuir
Hawker Hurricane IIa P3351 F-AZXR Jan Roozen
North American P-51D Mustang 44-74923 (Trusty Rusty) PH-JAT Stichting Vroege Vogels / Early Birds Foundation
Douglas C-53D-DO Dakota 11750 LN-WND Foundation Dakota Norway
Lockheed P-38 Lightning 44-53254 N25Y Flying Bulls
North American B-25J Mitchell 44-86893 N6123C Flying Bulls
Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair 96995 OE-EAS Flying Bulls
Douglas DC-6B OE-LDM Flying Bulls
North American P-51B Mustang 43-24837 (Berlin Express) N-515ZB Comanche Fighters
North American P-51D Mustang 44-73656 (Moonbeam) F-AZXS Mistral Warbirds - Fred Akary
Grumman TBM Avenger HB-RDG Charlies Heavy Association
Lockheed 12A Junior Electra NC14999 Patrick Donovan
Hawker Sea Fury FB11 WH589 F-AZXJ Spitfire Warbirds (Jacquard)
Hawker Fury ISS 37514 F-AZXL Jan Roozen
CASA 352L - Junkers Ju 52/3m T2B.212 F-AZJU JBS
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 J-143 Mobile Air Services
Douglas DC-3 2204 HB-IRJ Breitling Super Constellation Flyers
Chance Vought F4U-5NL Corsair 124541 D-FCOR Max Alpha Aviation
Boeing P-26A Peashooter 33-123 N3378G Planes of Fame
Lockheed C-121C Super Constellation 54-1056 HB-RSC SCFA

No other airshow or organising team in the historic scene has ever had the same ambition to put different types or different examples of common types in front of a UK crowd.

[Mike]

I don't know whether the same difficulties faced by the classic car brigade in moving their vehicles to and from Europe after Brexit apply to the warbird world but it has made life more difficult and expensive for them. Perhaps this is why the Legends-type "star turns" aren't coming?

Plenty of U.K.-based aeroplanes going the other way to shows such as La Ferté and Melun, so I guess where there’s a will, there’s a way.