This year’s Old Buckenham Airshow, on the 30th July – 1st August will boast another first; a Hispano HA1112-M1L Buchon. This aircraft was originally developed for the Spanish Air Force from the Messerschmitt Bf109. During the filming of the 1969 movie ‘Battle of Britain,’ several of the ‘Spanish Messerchmitt’ were bought by the production company to equip their ‘Luftwaffe.’
The one you’ll see was an actual “yellow nosed b*****d” flown for and used in filming. There is a major difference between it and the standard Bf109 it played in the movie; Buchons have the iconic Rolls Royce Merlin engine, so they aren’t just more reliable than the original, they sound better too.
WWII dominates the Airshow in 2021. Celebrating, a year late, VE Day, the victory V will be seen everywhere and the aircraft which fought are represented, from the very smallest to the very, very biggest.
The biggest is the unbelievable Sally B; the only B-17 Flying Fortress flying in Europe; a four engine monster which has been kept flying by the amazing Elly Sallingboe and her B-17 Preservation Charity for 45 years. The smallest, the venerable Piper Cub, could be parked quite comfortably many times over on top of Sally B. This small 65hp spotter plane is still very popular today and is responsible for the last dogfight of WWII; an amazing feat which we’ll celebrate. It’s the only dogfight to use pistols in WWII and the American Cub won.
Between those two extremes of aircraft sit a world of horsepower and iconography; the P51 Mustang, North American T6 and Hawker Hurricane will all return. They’ll be led once more by the most famous single engined aircraft in history, Supermarine Spitfire MH434, also an original star of ‘Battle of Britain.’
All airshows have the same aim; to amaze and inspire everyone, especially the next generation of pilots. The Airshow aims to live up to it’s EDPHoseasons “Family Event of the Year” win and visitors can expect all of the family friendly features the event has become known for; the Family Centre with its Nappy Changing and Breast Feeding areas, Philip Gray’s ever popular FunFair and literal acres of things to see and do on the ground before the airborne excitements start.
The skies over Old Buckenham will not be the exclusive preserve of the Display Pilots. Every year, each morning at the Airshow dozens of potential pilots are able to take to the skies at the controls of one of Old Buckenham Aero Clubs’ school aircraft. Norfolk’s best private pilots license flying school will be on hand each day to start the flying careers of tomorrow’s pilots.
Tickets are on sale now at oldbuckenhamairshow.com. As in 2020, if circumstances mean that the Airshow has to re-schedule, all tickets remain valid for the new dates. At this point, organisers are happy that Government Guidance means that one of Norfolk’s biggest events is a go for 2021.
