RAF Waddington International Airshow 2011
by Baron Halpenny, LincsMag Editor.
Date: 07 July 2011
The flypast by the RAF Waddington-based Sentry, of 8 Squadron, provided the curtain-raiser to this year’s RAF Waddington International Airshow, the 16th Air Show to be held at RAF Waddington.
I’m sorry that this honour had not at least been shared with one Nimrod R.1, which had only just been formally withdrawn from loyal active service, a few days before the Airshow, due to the government’s defence cuts.
There were plenty of air activity and thrilling the crowds was the familiar and much loved Avro Lancaster bomber escorted by a Spitfire and Hurricane from the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. This nostalgic sight still brings a stirring of pride in every true Brit and respect from every honourable foreigner.
Also of vintage World War Two credentials was a wonderful B17 that still looks impressive in the air today.
Returning to the RAF Waddington International Airshow after 11 years (they last flew at the show in 2000) were the USAF Thunderbirds demonstration team, who were also making this air show their only UK appearance for 2011.
There were also the RAF’s own and familiar to the skies of Lincolnshire, ‘Red Arrows’ stunning the crowds with precision flying, and not to be outdone were the UK's only full-time civilian aerobatic team, the Blades, showing that ex RAF pilots don’t just melt away but still bring joy to the skies.
Heli Raising Displays
Talking of Blades, there were blades of another kind that thrilled the crowds and these were what belonged to the helicopters that were displaying and showing the incredible agility of these machines.
A Chinook HC3 of 18 Sqn based at RAF Odiham showed an amazed crowd the surprising ability and power of this machine, as did also a display by an Army Apache AH1 from 7Regt at Wattisham.
The Royal Navy’s Black Cats flying two Lynx helicopters showed skill and well coordinated flying with an opening having one Lynx hide behind the other and then both breaking. It was suprising how close they flew to each other and especially when you take into account those large rotor blades.
The Royal Navy’s Black Cats name derives from the Lynx wildcat of 702 Naval Air Squadron’s badge and also the naval slang of “Black Catting” which implies having done or owned something better than anyone else, which they were certainly setting out to show with their impressive display.
Speaking at the show, Group Captain Chris Jones, Station Commander at RAF Waddington, commented, "Thanks to superb assistance from the local emergency services and the local authorities, we have been able to hold a wonderful event, allowing us to showcase the RAF’s capabilities to families and aviation enthusiasts alike. I hope everyone has an enjoyable and memorable day at RAF Waddington,"
Flying High and Static
The RAF Waddington International Airshow had over seven hours of flying displays and fifty-five interesting static display aircraft ranging from HM Armed Forces (RAF, Army and Navy) to International Participants that featured aircraft from the Belgian Air Component, Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, French Air Force, German Air Force, Italian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force and United States Air Force.
There was also a very interesting collection of aircraft from various Civilian Participants that meant there was something for air enthusiasts to be kept busy with.
Naturally the appearance of the Vulcan on both days of the air show saw the crowds looking to the sky to witness the nostalgic 10-minute flying display and for Lincolnshire to be once more shaken by the mighty power of the might Vulcan V-Bomber.
Fun For All
On the Saturday (2 July) Miss England, Jessica Linley, presented the RAF on AIR audiovisual experience in Hangar 4.
On a 20ft x 9ft screen Video Wall and live stage RAF on AIR showcased interviews with display pilots as well as showing in-cockpit video, past RAF Waddington Air Show flying displays, future military capability exhibits and behind-the-scenes RAF activity.
There were of course also a huge amount of other activities and events away from the aircraft and visitors could easily find something that would be of interest... even to finding a couple of Star Wars Storm Troopers, no sign of old Darth Vador though, he was probably watching the Air Display! "May the 'Air' Force be with you!"
Held annually each July at Royal Air Force Waddington, the RAF Waddington International Air Show is the largest of all the RAF air shows held throughout the year.
All the proceeds from the RAF Waddington Air Show are donated to the RAF Association (RAFA) and the RAF Benevolent Fund (RAFBF). Since the first air show in 1995 around £2.6 million has been raised with this year’s (2011) total said to be around £100,000.
RAF Waddington International Airshow 2011 Pictures
