Airbourne, Eastbourne International Airshow 2025
Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow is now the largest seafront airshow in the UK, and probably within Europe. Despite the financial challenges it has retained its four-day format and in 2025 celebrated its 31st edition. This year saw some superb military support for the event with the Royal Navy returning to the show with the Black Cats Helicopter Display Team as well as the usual strong showing from the Royal Air Force. There were also some lovely historic displays including a debut performance under UK ownership for P-51D Mustang ‘Moonbeam McSwine.’
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author. Video highlights by Aeroview.tv
2025 felt like a return to form for Airbourne. Four days of great weather certainly helped, but overall, the event just felt more buoyant with big crowds, a lot more going on and a stronger, slightly bigger flying display. 2024 had felt a little bit cut to the bone, particularly flying wise with a long hour-long break in the flying each day. Though the ‘half-time break’ was still present this year during the Friday, Saturday and Sunday displays there were more flying displays either side. The military village area on the Western Lawns also seemed that bit more engaging this year with plenty of attractions including a field kitchen and some live music!
Airbourne is seen by Eastbourne and Lewes Borough Council as an important annual investment into the town bringing in large numbers of visitors for a long weekend and giving the local hospitality industry a significant boost. It is now also a very important event for the UK air display ‘industry’ as the four-day event brings the largest audience of the year.
The council have made great efforts to make Airbourne more financially sustainable bringing in more funding through sponsorship and donations as well through sales of car parking, hospitality and merchandise. This reduces the amount that must be sourced from the usual lines of council income which is has significantly reduced over the years.
Hopefully, this year’s ‘bigger’ event is the first sign these efforts to make Airbourne more self-funding have started to bear fruit. The event certainly felt busier with more visitors, particularly on the Thursday and Friday afternoons.
Perhaps the biggest boost to the flying displays for 2025 was the allocation of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows, on all four days of Airbourne. Their late display slot each day certainly allowed the crowd numbers to swell throughout the day, and they did not disappoint. Equally well received were the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight who presented an unusual combination of Avro Lancaster B1 flanked by both Hawker Hurricane IIcs. It was a particularly apt formation for the weekend which also saw commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day. Lancaster PA474 had been earmarked for service in the far east, and Hurricanes were widely used by the RAF’s South-East Asia Command. On the Friday, VJ Day itself, a two-minute silence was held at midday joining countless other memorial events as well as the main event at the National Memorial Arboretum.
Completing the line-up of RAF displays teams were the solo displays from Flt Lt Bob Dewes in the Grob Tutor T1 and Sqn Ldr Nathan Shawyer in the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4. The Tutor Team had a particularly colourful presence with both the red, white and blue display aircraft and the ‘Bumblebee’ yellow and black aircraft appearing across the weekend.
Thursday and Friday saw a real star turn from the Royal Air Force in the form of low flypasts by a 70 Squadron Airbus A400M Atlas C1 from RAF Brize Norton. The crew on both days were completing a three-hour low-level navigation tasking and had links to Eastbourne. The Co-pilot on both occasions was Flight Lieutenant Weaver who said, “I came to Airbourne every summer growing up, so it’s really special to be flying the A400M Atlas down this year. I’ve got a lot of happy memories of staying with my grandparents and watching the displays from the seafront or from up on Beachy Head. The airshow definitely kindled my desire to apply for the RAF, and if I was lucky enough to get to come back this week as aircrew then it’s got to be worth a shot for anyone considering it!” The sight of the large transport low over the see was spectacular, particularly as it arrived from the Beachy Head end and then banked steeply over towards Pevensey and flew a return leg over the fleet on small boats on the other side of the Maritime Exclusion Zone.
2025 saw a highly anticipated return by the current Royal Navy to Eastbourne’s flying display with the Black Cats Helicopter Display Team. It has been several years since their last contribution, and it was also the first time the Leonardo Wildcat HMA2 had taken part in an Eastbourne flying programme. Thursday saw a solo display while the rest of the weekend saw the display back up to full strength with the full duo routine. Their aerial ballet was certainly an eye-catching addition to the flying.
Joining the military displays were a good number of civilian operated aircraft. While sadly Melenie Astles withdrew for technical issues, there was still some eye-popping aerobatics thanks to Rich Goodwin in his Pitts S-2SE Special. He was without his jets, but still put in an incredible display of fast paced aerobatics in the highly modified example of the classic aerobatic biplane. The Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers have long supported Eastbourne and did so again this year with a solo display from Dave Barrell with Emma Broadbent on the wings. The solo allows Dave to explore more aerobatics during display with loops, barrel rolls and stall turns all included in their routine.
More biplanes came in the form of the four Stampe SV4s of the Stampe Formation Team. It was the team’s first Eastbourne appearance which is perhaps surprising considering they are based fairly locally at Redhill and Headcorn aerodromes. Led by Richard Ward, the team of Richard Meredith, Roger Bishop and Richad Berliand gave four delightful displays across witj weekend with their colourful aircraft.
As ever, Eastbourne’s displays featured some very fine historic aircraft. Mark Discombe displayed the Rolls Royce Heritage Flight’s potent Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX from Friday through to Sunday. However, the most notable ‘warbird’ of the weekend was North American P-51D Mustang ‘Moonbeam McSwine’ which was flown at Eastbourne by Alistair ‘Steg’ Williams. The aircraft has recently returned to Europe and is operated by the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar for experience flights. It was previously in Europe until 2018 when it was flown by Frederic Akary in France. The aircraft wears the colours of an aircraft flown by Capt. William T. Whisner who was attached to 487th Fighter Squadron who were known as “the Blue-nosed Bastards of Bodney.”
Classic jets got a good look in too. During Thursday and Friday’s displays, Phil Bird gave a superb aerobatic display in the BAC Jet Provost T.5 operated by Viper Classic Aircraft. The linage of the Jet Provost continued to be represented in the displays on Saturday and Sunday with the BAC Strikemaster Mk82 from North Wales Military Aviation Service piloted by Sean Chiddention.
The Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron have been regular attendees at Eastbourne since their formation with their unique collection of early combat jets. In 2025 they returned with the single seat de Havilland Vampire FB.52 flown very elegantly by Kenneth Aarkvisla on all four days. For their summer tour of UK events, they have retained Royal Air Force markings on their aircraft which now wears the colours of Nos 3 and 72 Fighter Squadrons.
Over the four days, it looked as though Eastbourne enjoyed bumper crowds helped by the four-day Red Arrows allocation and some decent, stable weather. While the Saturday may have been overcast, the remaining three days all enjoyed stunning sunshine and clear air. We do hope the success of the event this year is reflected in the monies raised for the event this year and Airbourne grow and continue for many more years to come!
