Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

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tankbuster81
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Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by tankbuster81 »

The great and intimate airshow at Headcorn returns in June 24th-26th, with the Red Arrows appearing on the Friday.
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tankbuster81
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by tankbuster81 »

Strikemaster pair now added along with a plethora of warbirds
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Roughcutter »

Any updates on the Battle of Britain show? We'll coming down to Headcorn for the Sunday show (to bury the ghost). We were present last year for the two days, and it was an absolutely brilliant event - sadly curtailed on Sunday by the inclement weather.

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grant_w
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by grant_w »

From their website:

All Days:

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire
Boeing B17 ‘Sally B’
Spitfire TD314 ’St George’
Spitfire NH341 ‘Elizabeth’
Spitfire PL983 ‘ The NHS Spitfire’
Spitfire MT928
Hurricane P3717
Hurricane R4118
Hurricane V7497
ME109 G-AWHK (Buchon)
C47 G-ANAF ‘Pegasus’
C47 N473DC ‘Drag ’em Oot’
Harvard G-BGHU ‘Carly’
Harvard G-DDMV
Harvard G-BGPB ‘Taz’
Harvard G-CUIW
Harvard G-BJST ‘Wacky Wabbit’
Tiger Moth G-AOIM
Tiger Moth G-PWBE
Jackaroo G-AOIR
Stampe SV4C G-BPLM
BAC Strikemaster G-RSAF
BAC Strikemaster G-SOAF

Friday Only:

The Red Arrows (Full Display)

Sunday Only:

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster

Gt5500
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Gt5500 »

I was planning on going on the Friday but I think I'm going to give it a miss now. The website still has no showground map so no one has any idea where they will be sitting, very poor from the organisors. I've since emailed them and been told it will be as last year i.e. unless you stump up £65😱 you won't be able to access the crowdline at all.
Smacks of greediness to me... It was a good show last year but not £65 good.

Edit- yes I know I could sit further back but I don't know any other airshow that has no crowdline access at all for standard punters.

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by wdg »

Gt5500 wrote:
Fri 10 Jun 2022, 2:31 pm
I was planning on going on the Friday but I think I'm going to give it a miss now. The website still has no showground map so no one has any idea where they will be sitting, very poor from the organisors. I've since emailed them and been told it will be as last year i.e. unless you stump up £65😱 you won't be able to access the crowdline at all.
Smacks of greediness to me... It was a good show last year but not £65 good.

Edit- yes I know I could sit further back but I don't know any other airshow that has no crowdline access at all for standard punters.
Not to mention the "crowdline" ticket doesn't necessarily guarantee a crowdline spot. Last year they sold three or four rows of "crowdline" tickets. Was an enjoyable show last year but I think I'll give it a miss this time.
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LN Strike Eagle
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by LN Strike Eagle »

The crowdline is everything at this show - been to several pre-pandemic and the flying was so far away, it was the ground shots and proximity to the warbirds starting/taxiing that made it worthwhile. If that's gone now, it's another airshow I'll not be returning to.
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ted633
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by ted633 »

I've been to the last 2 shows and didn't think the flying was anymore distant than other venues (bar Old Warden of course). Yes, almost the entire crowdline is taken up with enclosures, but personally I never sit at the front anyway as it can be a bit crowded and having the enclosures probably keeps the cost down for the rest of us. £25 per person or £59 for a family of 4 is pretty good value now.

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Mike »

I enjoyed last year’s event but the programme this year is pretty much a copy-and-paste of 2021’s, so I’ll be giving it a miss. It’s a nice event to have done once but I won’t be rushing back. I get it that it’s a showcase for Aero Legends’ fleet, and the airshow-starved people of Kent seem to like having a show with lots of Spitfires to cheer, I’m quite happy to leave it to them in future.

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Gt5500 »

ted633 wrote:
Sat 11 Jun 2022, 5:09 pm
I've been to the last 2 shows and didn't think the flying was anymore distant than other venues (bar Old Warden of course). Yes, almost the entire crowdline is taken up with enclosures, but personally I never sit at the front anyway as it can be a bit crowded and having the enclosures probably keeps the cost down for the rest of us. £25 per person or £59 for a family of 4 is pretty good value now.
You may choose to not sit at the front but the point being made was most shows give you the option to if you wish. This show does not give you the option, the whole crowdline is taken up by enclosures (which are very expensive in comparison to the standard admission).
In 2020 and 2021 there were a couple of small areas that were not taken up by enclosures but when I tried to stand in one I got moved on only to see 100's of people there a few hours later...

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by lynothehammer »

I've done the last 2 years and whilst i love the venue the price is just too much to sit in the enclosure (I stumped up last year for it).

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tankbuster81
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by tankbuster81 »

Well I'll be there as per, only live 30 minutes away. Been attending Airshows for over 30 years, never do the enclosure thing, as like to wander all day, and over priced. It is a pain in the arse,as a small venue, and not easy to get to the front, mind you looks uncomfortable and caged in like chickens. Nice additions this year with Strikemaster pair and a few others, so I'll enjoy myself.
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by ted633 »

Wingwalkers (wing walk company), Yak-3, Staggerwing (Sat only) and Jungmann added

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by UKTopgun »

Still no site plan on the website and the show starts tomorrow! Do they wish to hide the lack of crowdline for ordinary punters I wonder?

Also it says due to the high quality of food concessions on offer, they ask that you don't bring your own food/drink. That must be a joke right?

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Wrexham Mackem »

UKTopgun wrote:
Thu 23 Jun 2022, 5:55 pm
Also it says due to the high quality of food concessions on offer, they ask that you don't bring your own food/drink. That must be a joke right?
Dear oh dear, that is shocking!

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by SEMAE »

This is what it says on their web site -

'Please see below a map of the airshow this year. This is subject to change. To get full directions to the Headcorn Aerodrome click here'.

Except the map is not there!

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Last edited by SEMAE on Thu 23 Jun 2022, 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by UKTopgun »

Very fishy!

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by clearstone »


Gt5500
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Gt5500 »

UKTopgun wrote:
Thu 23 Jun 2022, 5:55 pm
Also it says due to the high quality of food concessions on offer, they ask that you don't bring your own food/drink. That must be a joke right?
This was raised in 2020 as they also said the same thing then, for their socially distanced event! They effectively told people to go and stand in a massive queue for overpriced poor quality food at an event where you had to stay in a 2m box, stupid doesn't begin to describe it.
I went last year as well, there were no where near enough food outlets, the ones that were there were the usual standard (i.e. not great) and expensive (as always). There were also no where near enough toilet. At the entrance end the toilets were outside the ticketed area and there was no dedicated exit to them, an absolute shambles.
It's a shame as it had potential to be great but poor management and money grabbing have put me off. The southern model show is another event that was great at paddock wood but completely destroyed by poor management at Headcorn.

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by UKTopgun »

The commentator is cringe (never heard him before) , a lot of mysogeny going on and he didn't know the Buchon was built by Hispano!

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by 5944 »

clearstone wrote:
Fri 24 Jun 2022, 6:55 am
What's with all the tents?

Gt5500
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Gt5500 »

That looks horrendous for the general punter, but, this has annoyed me, it looks like there is an area of fence line for the general admissions, why did they say there wouldn't be? Once again useless management.

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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Pen Pusher »

I still don't understand why it's called 'Battle of Britain' show. It's not September.
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Roughcutter »

Apparently (according to Facebook), there are roadworks along the A274 as well as a road closure. Go early to avoid the nightmare traffic jams.

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Flyforfun
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Re: Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

Post by Flyforfun »

Yes there are roadworks just before Sutton valance with the road being closed, tried 2 different routes and both had road closures for 1 reason or another.

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