Jersey International Air Display 2024
The Jersey International Air Display is one of the longest running airshows within the sphere of UK airshows. In more recent times, it has gained a reputation for attracting some very unusual aircraft which has won it many fans amongst aircraft enthusiasts. It is however an event that has faced more than its fair share of challenges in the last few years with issues regarding how the event is funded and what its future should look like. That has impacted on the scale of the event, but not the ambition.
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author.
We first attended the Jersey International Air Display in 2009. Then it was a bucket-list airshow for many enthusiasts with rare displays from Swedish classic jets, the Vulcan, flypasts from the last UK HS Andover and a BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4. Fast forward some 15 years later and the world is a very different place with significant challenges to attract military aircraft and to find the event. Unlike the mainland seafront airshows, the ground element of the display is quite small with a handful of local traders, some classic military vehicles, stands from the Air Cadets and Royal Air Forces Association plus a hospitality marquee on the lawns opposite the promenade.
The display is organised by non-profit organisation, Jersey International Air Display a.r.l. They stage the event with aim of raising the Island’s tourism profile and hopefully raising money for British services charity. The organisation is led by Mike Higgins. When you meet Mike, you realise very quickly he is a total aviation enthusiast and is very keen to see something different at his airshow. It is his drive to be different that brought the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight jets to prominence with the UK enthusiast before any mainland appearance. He also managed to attract the original Jetman, Yves Rossi, to the show for what I believe was his one UK display.
However, more recently the Jersey organisers have faced challenges on two fronts, both of which are factors for other UK airshows. First is the reduction in support from military air arms. Then were times when the Jersey Air Display was flooded with RAF aircraft and displays from European air forces. However, the ability of the military to support airshows has reduced significantly. In fact, in 2024 no Royal Air Force owned aircraft took part which just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. It was a situation made worse by the RAF Red Arrows being on tour and the loss of the BBMF Fighters and Dakota (it is unlikely the BBMF Lancaster will visit Jersey in the near future due to the available hours on the airframe.)
But perhaps the biggest hurdle is funding. Jersey is a ‘free’ airshow for the public. However, there is no such thing as a free airshow and it does have to be funded through sponsorship and grants from the Jersey Government. The latter in particular was slow to materialise this year as were the necessary permissions for the event to go ahead. Far more successful and perhaps the biggest show of support for the event was a crowdfunding campaign which saw over £30,000 raised. When combined with the eventual £40,000 grant from the Jersey government this overcame the shortfall allowing organisers to push ahead with the event. That short planning period also means that some of the past attractions for the event such as the helicopter static display in the parks near the seafront or the airport static display have been unable to take place in recent years.
Weather across Europe and aircraft availability also became a challenge this year; this is not something unique to Jersey but perhaps the exacerbated by the late confirmation of the event going ahead. Plans for the Swedish Air Force Heritage Flight’s SAAB AJS37 Viggen were scuppered late on by operation reasons and weather caused the cancellation of the planned appearances by the French Brossard/Cri-Cri combination, the Breguet Alize, a Yak-3 and the Edgely Optica.
Despite those losses, Jersey still put together a very entertaining and interesting flying programme with plenty of unusual displays not normally seen on the UK circuit. Opening the displays was the first display that was new to currently incarnation of the Jersey International Air Display, the NavyWings Heritage Flight’s Fairey Swordfish I. The crew flew direct from Jersey from their Yeovilton base the day before the show and flew all the way back off the back of their display! Also from the NavyWings stable came the North American HarvardIV flown through a spirited aerobatic solo by Bill Dean.
Throughout the display, the Jersey audience were treated to some very fine aerobatic displays. Paul Freeland gave a very elegant and smooth flowing performance in his SIAI-Marchetti SF260. A late addition to the flying programme was Rich Goodwin in his Pitts S-2SE Special G-JPIT – the Jet Pitts. The ambience of St Aubin’s Bay gave a completely different feel to his display with the noise of the piston engine and jets echoing off the cliffs and buildings that surround the display site.
But the star aerobatic display came from l’Équipe de voltige de l’armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (EVAAE) and current world aerobatic champion Florent Oddon. Flying an Extra 330SC, Florent’s display was an incredible few minutes of dramatic and incredibly precise flying which at times simply defied the conventions of normal flight.
Aviation heritage dominated the flying. Plane Sailing’s Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina (actually a Vickers Canso) made a welcome return to the Channel Islands. At one point it looked as though it may miss the show after one engine had shown signs of metal in the oil. However, the dedicated volunteers performed an engine change in short order and after a short test flight on the morning of the display were able to transit straight into their display over St. Aubins Bay.
A regular sight at Jersey is the Musée Européen de l’Aviation de Chasse’s North American OV-10B Bronco. As the aircraft operated by the Bronco Demo Team this is an ex-Luftwaffe target towing aircraft but has been painted in the colours of the US Marine Corps at the tiome of the first Gulf War. It gave a quite surprising aerobatic display highlighted its agailuty and slow speed handling.
Another ‘cold war classic’ from France and undoubtley one of the stars of Jersey 2024 was the Conair Turbo Firecat from Amicale Alençonnaise des Avions Anciens. These aircraft are converted from former military Grumman S-2 Tracker carrier-borne maritime surveillance aircraft for firefighting duties. The ‘Turbo’ signifies the original piston engines have been replaced with modern turboprop powerplants. The aircraft displayed in Jersey is a former French Securite Civile aircraft and still wears those colours. Though it did appear in the static display at the Royal International Air Tattoo, its appearance in Jersey was just its second in a flying display. And what a spirited display it was with the fairly sizable twin-engined aircraft performing some steep wing-overs and climbs highlighting its superb performance.
Another exceptional highlight in the flying was the Swedish Air Force Heritage Flight’s Saab B17A Dive-Bomber. This aircraft has been airworthy for many years in Sweden but has only recently come under the care of SwAFHF. It last appeared at a UK in 2005 at Flying Legends, but this was the first time the aircraft had been seen in Jersey. Despite its somewhat ungainly looks, it is quite a potent aircraft able to fly a fully aerobatic display in quite a small area.
Closing the display were the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team jumping from their Dornier Do228 onto the expansive sands of St Aubins Bay. Their display was warmly welcomed by the spectators watching from the sea walls but it was sad to reflect this was the only RAF contribution to the flying – particularly when Jersey Airport is so often used by RAF transport crews for training purposes at other times of the year and when the service has usually contributed so much to Jersey Air Displays in the past.
It may have been small, but Jersey International Air Display 2024 still provided a very entertaining afternoon with plenty of unique flying. However, we really hope that Jersey can overcome the challenges regarding funding and late permissions to go ahead. It is fair to say that booking hotels, flights or ferry crossings felt too much of gamble to some this time around – particularly with the Red Arrows absent. It is interesting that in July just before the final go-ahead the Jersey Government issued a statement to the local press saying ‘It was minded to support the Air Display.’ You can’t help thinking if it were ‘minded to support’ the event a little earlier in the year giving organisers a base to work from things could have been better – both for the air display planning and also the tourism economy!
