Clacton Airshow 2025
Clacton Airshow is developing into one of the UK’s most unique seafront airshows. After last year’s ‘Classic Clacton Airshow’ which featured a strong historic line-up, the heritage feel of the event was retained for 2025 with ‘Legends of the Sky’ set as the main theme. The show commemorated the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day, and in particular the loss of Flying Officer Raymond E. King in P-51D Mustang ‘Little Zippie’ on 13th January 1945. Joining the historic aircraft were many airshow favourites from both military and civilian operators.
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author.
Over just a few years Clacton Airshow has gone from an event that nearly disappeared off the calendar to one of the most intriguing Seafront Airshows. It is rare for such events to grow quite like Clacton has done over the last 10 years or so. It now boasts perhaps one of strongest line-ups of any seafront airshow with a healthy focus on heritage aircraft. In turn that has meant is far less reliant on some of the more familiar displays associated with such events. The event is said to worth £12 million to the local economy and enjoys good support from the local population and companies.
Even though poor weather interfered with the 2024 ‘Classic Airshow,’ it was one of the best airshows of the season with a very varied line-up of vintage biplanes, warbirds and classic jets. That event set the scene for the 2025 Clacton Airshow which welcomed back the airshow favourites but still retained a stellar cast of heritage aircraft from the Second World War and Post War Eras under the ‘Legends of the Sky’ theme.
The 80th Anniversary of VE and VJ Day was very much at the forefront of the event. However, Tendring Borough Council also took the opportunity to mark Clacton’s own wartime aviation heritage saluting Flying Officer Raymond E. King. On 13th January 1945, King was flying with the 436th Fighter Squadron, part of the 479th Fighter Group of the United States Army Eighth Air Force. The squadron were on an escort mission over Europe from their base at Wattisham. One their return, King was escorting a fellow P-51 which had developed engine issues. As they were approaching the coast, King’s aircraft also experienced an engine failure forcing King to ditch just off the Clacton coastline. Sadly, though rescue boats were at the scene of the ditching within minutes, King succumbed to icy cold waters. The aircraft he was flying named ‘Little Zippie’ sank where it remained for 30 years. It was recovered in the 1980’s and is now preserved as a wreck in East Essex Aviation Museum at nearby Point Clear, St Osyth.
Central to event to mark Raymond E. King and ‘Little Zippie’ were Fighter Aviation Engineering Ltd’s North American P-51D Mustang ‘Jersey Jerk’ which flew on both days of the show and the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt ‘Nellie-B’ which appeared on the Thursday. Their displays were joined by those of the Rolls Royce Heritage Flight’s Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX, the Fairey Swordfish from the NavyWings Heritage Flight plus on the Friday, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight with Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX PM631 and Hawker Hurricane IIc PZ865.
Plans for the for the Cold War Era flying displays were even more exciting with the prospect of Frederick Akary’s Canadair CL-13B Sabre joining the flying displays. Sadly, a technical snag encountered during preparations for Thursday’s display ruled the aircraft out of the show. It was therefore left to Clacton regulars, the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron and North Wales Military Aviation Services to supply the classic jet flying. They reprised their joint displays with the Norwegian de Havilland Vampire FB52 leading a solo BAC Strikemaster Mk82a on Thursday and a pair during Friday’s display.
Tony de Bruyn and his North American OV-10B Bronco are firm favourites at Clacton. The Bronco is one of few aircraft able to support the event operating from the small Aero Club behind the town. It is also one of the larger aircraft in the flying with great presence and its superb agility means Tony can stay closer to the display lines.
One very welcome addition to the Cold War flying was the Westland Lynx AH7 from Project Lynx XZ179 based nearby at North Weald. Ex Blue Eagles pilot Clive Clark gave a near aerobatic and very tight display of the former Army Air Corps battlefield helicopter.
Joining the heritage aircraft were a very select group of civilian acts for the daytime displays. Rich Goodwin tore up the skies with his Pitts S-2SE Special even without his jets fitted in a solo display. The Firebirds by contrast gave a much more gentile display for formation and synchronised aerobatics in their two Vans RV4s. Completing the civilian daytime line-up were Team Raven now back to their usual six-ship formation of Vans RV8s for the rest of 2025. They have really developed their display over the course of the past few years into a very slick presentation that keeps flying in front of the crowd through their display and contains some unique manoeuvres.
However, it was the modern-day Royal Air Force that were the biggest draw for the crowd during the main daytime shows. Clacton often feels overlooked by the services, particularly as it often attracts crowd numbers closing on, if not exceeding a quarter of million over two days. The only military solo display in the flying was the Grob Tutor T1 which gave a very impressive aerobatic display in the hands of Flt Lt Bob Dewes. But it was the return of the Red Arrows to Clacton that really filled the seafront and pier. They last appeared at Clacton in 2023 but this was their first display over the Essex resort with local boy, Sqn Ldr Jon Bond leading the team.
Thursday Evening’s evening display is another of the major highlights of the Clacton Airshow. With the ‘Little Zippie’ theme, the organised introducing a sunset warbird display for the first time. This came from North American P-51D Mustang ‘Moonbeam McSwine’ making its second airshow appearance under the care of the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. It was flown beautifully by Alistair ‘Steg’ Williams with the silver and chrome paint reflecting the last embers of sun against the darkening backdrop. It was then left to the Firebirds and OTTO the Helicopter flown by Alex Garman to close the evening in spectacular style with two very colourful pyrotechnic displays.
With two decent days of weather, Clacton enjoyed another very successful airshow with an impressive and enjoyable line-up of flying displays despite some late cancellations. It is great to see the event grow year-on-year and remain so vibrant. The next Clacton Airshow is schedule for the 27th-28th August 2026.
