Wallop Wheels & Wings 2025
The Army Flying Museums’ annual Wheels & Wings event has been growing steadily each year and 2025 was by far the biggest, most ambitious edition to date. The collection of cars and bikes was bigger than ever as was the fly-in, helped enormously by some very warm, sunny weather. The flying displays were back and for the first time, the current day Army Air Corps took centre stage with their new display team performing with supporting pyrotechnics for the first time in public.
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports from a sweltering Middle Wallop. All photography by the author.
The Army Flying Museum has slowly been growing Wheels & Wings since it was introduced in 2021. Wheels and Wings takes place in the Museum ground and on Middle Wallop Airfield, adjacent to the Army Aviation Centre. Though from the start it always featured an aviation element with a vintage fly-in and a few flypasts, it was not until 2024 that the event formally held a flying display.
The ground based activities have grown considerably since the first event. 2025 saw more cars and bikes than ever for the display as well as a well-respected ‘Concours de elegance’ competition for various classes of vehicles.
Wheels and Wings has gained huge support from the aerospace and technology which sponsors various elements of the event including the flying display items – it is a fund raising event for the museum after all. However they also contribute to ground shows with their own exhibitions including the ‘Discovery Den’ which was full of engaging displays from the likes of GKN, Airbus and Boeing aimed at the younger visitors. There were also history talks as well as an impressive collection of model tanks and local traders.
Aviation occurred throughout the day. For much of the morning, Middle Wallop’s grass runways are kept busy with a quite significant fly-in of civilian and vintage aircraft. Given the connections with British Army aviation, it was not surprising to see a large gather of Auster AOP aircraft of various marks as well as a Piper L4 Grasshopper and a Agusta-Bell Sioux. There were also multiple examples of de Havilland Canada Chipmunks and Aeroncas on top of a smattering of more modern light aircraft.
Around the showground were a number of static aircraft including the Historic Army Aircraft Flight with a full line-up of Sioux, Scout, Chipmunk, Auster and Beaver. At the centre of the showground was something of a homage to early helicopters with the beautiful Bell 47H-1 parked with a Westland Scout AH1. However towering over these two aircraft was a further partly restored Agusta-Bell Sioux AH1 sat on a trailer. This aircraft has been restored by Henry Cole and his team from the Discovery Channel TV Show ‘Shed and Buried.’ They had hoped to have the aircraft airworthy in time for Wheels and Wings but alas it was not to be. The modern day Army Air Corps also participated in the ground show with their recruitment trailers and travelling Westland Gazelle AH1 exhibit. However, garnering most attention was the static Boeing AH-64E Apache AH2 complete with a display of its armaments.
An added bonus for the event was a flypast by the Red Arrows and nine of their BAE Systems Hawk T1s as the event opened to the public. The team had a busy weekend supporting the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the RAF Waddington Families Day over four days. Middle Wallop gained the flypast complete with coloured smoke as the team transited from Bournemouth back to Waddington to the families day.
That was not the end of the support from the Royal Air Force. The RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team jumped in near perfect conditions from 7,000ft giving a spectacular display of formation canopy work before landing in the drop zone in front of the audience. Completing the RAF support was the superb Grob Tutor T1 solo display piloted by Flt Lt Bob Dewes from 115 Squadron. The Tutor is no stranger to Middle Wallop as it is used by the Army Flying Grading Flight based at the centre. Here potential aircrew are assessed for their ability to learn and adapt to basic flying tasks before potentially being streamed in to the military flying training system.
There was a strong heritage element to the flying displays. The NavyWings Heritage Flight’s CCF Harvard IV made the short hop from RNAS Yeovilton in the hands of Al Mclaren to open the flying displays with a smooth aerobatic routine. Later in the day the Rolls Royce Heritage Flight also made a very welcome contribution with a solo display by Chris Hadlow in the Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX.
For many of the former and current Army Air Corps members present, the star heritage item was the solo display by the Westland Lynx AH7 from Project Lynx XZ179. The Mark 7 Lynx was always a favourite of Army pilots due to its power and superb handling. It was also a superb airshow performer fully capable of aerobatics and able to perform the iconic ‘backflip.’ The AH7 was retired from Army Air Corps service in 2015 as the service moved towards the Wildcat AH1. Displaying the Lynx at Wallop Wheels and Wings was former Blue Eagles pilot, Clive Clark who now flies for the National Police Air Service. Though not permitted to fly the full aerobatics he once did while in the military, he gave a superb account of the type’s agility bring back many memories, particularly as his display was set to Queen’s ‘A Kind of Magic’ which often accompanied Blue Eagles displays.
Adding to Middle Wallop’s airshow nostalgia trip were the Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers with their two Boeing Stearmans. The team were often a part of the Middle Wallop International Air Show which ran at grass airfield until the year 2000, 25 years ago. Pilots Dave Barrell and Mike Dentith with wingwalkers Kirsten and Emma put on a tremendous display despite the heat which can make the aircraft a little less powerful than usual much to the delight of the crowd watching on from the flightline.
Last year Wallop Wheels & Wings caught the eye as it featured some flypasts from a French Army NH90TTH and SA342 Gazelle. This year, it was the turn of the home team to provide the highlight of the afternoon with one of just three display appearances by the Army Air Corps Display Team. Consisting of a Leonardo Wildcat AH1 and a pair of Boeing AH-64E Apache AH2 helicopters, the display team recreated the tactics used by the Army’s battlefield helicopters to support various operations around the world. The team made their public display debut at the IWM Duxford Summer Air Show at the end of June, but their appearance at Middle Wallop was their first public display with supporting pyrotechnics supplied by special effects company Event Horizon. They have long supported military displays at airshows, notably the RAF Role Demonstration Team between 2007-2008, RNAS Yeovilton Air Days and more recently the Army Air Corps Apache AH1 displays. The combination made for an awe-inspiring finale to the flying displays that no-one could fail to miss, particularly the closing wall of fire!
It was great that the Army Air Corps were able to finally support a public event on home ground after the long hiatus since the last International Air Show. Those events were just so special because of the efforts the Army Air Corps put in to some unique spectacles such as the massed approach and this year it felt that in a small way, that magic was back with the spectacular contribution of the Display Team.
It is wonderful that with the generous support of sponsors that the Museum of Army Flying has been able to continue to develop and grow Wheels & Wings. It is the centrepiece fundraising event for the Museum which is one of the very best aviation museums in the country. With the added home support from the Army Air Corps, 2025 was a very special Wheels & Wings. While many may not consider it to be a major airshow alongside the likes of Cosford or Duxford, it is certainly one to keep an eye on in the future as these smaller events are often just as, if not more enjoyable to attend than the larger ones.
