Wallop Wheels & Wings
Wallop Wheels & Wings is a fast-growing event organised by the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop. With the support of the Army Aviation Centre, the event combines an impressive car show with an aviation element. Previously this has been a fly-in event, but for 2024 organisers added a small air display over the beautiful grass airfield. As well as heritage displays, the flying also featured some surprise visitors from the French Army.
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author.
The Army Aviation Centre at Middle Wallop is no stranger to airshows. For many years it was home to the incredible Middle Wallop International Airshow which was supported by the team behind the then International Air Tattoo. The all-grass airfield often played host to some amazing line-ups of military helicopters from across the world and the flying featured the ‘Massed Approach’ – one of the most outstanding airshow spectacles. Aside from the massed approach, MWIAS also spawned some other unique displays including the ‘Grey Owls’ – a formation team of de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T10s
Though the MWIAS came to an end in 2000, it was succeeded by Music in the Air which pitched flying displays set to live music plus several other smaller events held in conjunction with the Museum of Army Flying such as the Centenary of Army Flying in 2012 and the Gazelle 50th Anniversary Fly-in held in 2017.
Wallop Wheels & Wings (WWW) came to fruition in 2021 and is the Museum of Army Flying’s flagship fund raising event. The event takes place in the area of land immediately outside the Museum and a small adjoining part of the Middle Wallop airfield. The Army Air Corps lend some great support to the event with many of its personnel giving up their time to help staff it.
The ‘Wheels’ part come from a display of over 300 vintage, classic and prestige vehicles from a plethora of clubs. Amongst the automotive activities were the motorbike engine roar and cavalcade and a Concours D’Elegance competition.
The ground shows also industry displays from Rolls Royce and GKN who were sponsors of the event, live music and stage interviews plus historical displays. A centrepiece was a D-Day 80th Anniversary zone featuring a Horsa glider fuselage plus a Taylorcraft Auster AOP1, Miles Magister and Slingsby Kirby Kite. The Historic Army Aircraft Flight were also out in force on the ground with a full line-up of Auster AOP1, Auster AOP9, De Havilland Canada Beaver AL1, SARO Skeeter AOP12, Agusta/Bell Sioux AH1 and Westland Scout AH1. There were of course displays from the current Army Air Corps and one of the new Boeing AH-64E Apache AH1 was brought out of the hangars to be seen outside the Museum.
A fair-weather forecast meant that WWW enjoyed quite a significant fly-in during the morning. I took advantage of the ‘Photographers ticket’ which allowed access to a small enclosure away from the main showground administered by Threshold.aero and offering an uninterrupted view of the airfield. Amongst the eclectic collection of light aircraft were a number connected with the history of army aviation including the Westland Scout AH1 helicopters, multiple examples of the Taylorcraft Auster and the de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T10. Added to the army cooperation theme was a beautiful example of the Piper L-21B Super Cub in the colours of US Navy Airship Squadron 32.
The previous three editions of WWW did see some flypasts during the event, but no formal flying displays. For 2024 some formal display flying was added to the entertainment with contributions from the present day military and historic aircraft.
An early display came from the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team dropping from their Dornier Do228. Though the day had started with clear blue skies, it had clouded over by mod-morning but the Falcons found a welcome gap in the clouds to present their ‘mid’ show.
It was a shame the Army Air Corps was unable to take part in the flying display, but there was some modern rotary action with what was surely one of the airshow coups of the year. The Army Air Corps does work closely with its NATO allies including the French Army who maintain a liaison at Middle Wallop. This was marked at WWW by the presence of a NH Industries NH90TTH and a pair of Aérospatiale SA342M Gazelles from Aviation légère de l’armée de Terre. These aircraft were in the UK for some exercises with their British counterparts, but were also willing to be part of WWW. While one Gazelle was pushed into the showground, the NH90TTH and other Gazelle stayed on the live-side to take part in the flying display. The two helicopters flew three flypasts for the crowd enjoying some low level flying in front of the rolling hills. French Army static display participation at UK events is a rare thing, but it has been many years since the service appeared in a formal flying display in the UK and a great surprise for the WWW visitors.
Rolls Royce lent great support to WWW by sponsoring the event. In the air, their Heritage Flight presented all three of their aircraft in successive displays. Graham Pemberton was the first to display in the flight’s Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB KF183/G-CORS. This aircraft was the last Harvard on the UK military register as it was used by the Empire Test Pilots School and subsequently QinetiQ at Boscombe Down, just a few miles west of Middle Wallop. Following on from the Harvard were the familiar pairing of Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX and North American P-51D Mustang flown by Jim Schofield and Alistair ‘Steg’ Williams. For Steg, the display was something of a homecoming as he started his flying career with the Army Air Corps. With some towering rain clouds drifting to the south of Middle Wallop, both the Spitfire and Mustang displays were set against the most dramatic of backdrops during their display.
Further historic flying followed, this time from the NavyWings Heritage Flight. The Stinson Reliant I is a relatively new addition to the collection based at RNAS Yeovilton. FK877 (42-46703) was one of 573 aircraft transferred to the Royal Navy during the Second World War under the lend-lease arrangement. Its colourful markings are authentic and it was used for navigation training and communication tasks.
The finale to the afternoon flying was the Gazelle Squadron with their four Westland Gazelle HT2/3 helicopters. The AH1 variant of the Gazelle was part of daily life at Middle Wallop from the 1970s through ton 2023 when the last example was retired. As well as front line duties as air observation post and communications aircraft, the Gazelle was an important part of helicopter training when it was conducted at Middle Wallop at what was then called the School of Army Aviation. During that time the Gazelle featured in many airshows and display teams, not least the famous Army Air Corps Blue Eagles. It also formed the bulk of the fleet of helicopters used in the Massed Approach demonstration at Middle Wallop airshows. The Gazelle Squadron’s beautifully choreographed and dynamic display as part of WWW was very reminiscent of those classic displays, particularly as they flew low in front of Danebury Hill.
Middle Wallop has always been the perfect venue for aviation events and it is so good to see the Museum of Army Flying spearheading one of the latest additions to the calendar and growing it so successfully. The Wheels and Wings format is really enjoyable matching some very beautiful cars and motorbikes with some very fine aviation activity. We look forward to seeing how the event develops in future years.
