Jets Magazine Jets May 2012 Back Issue

I’ve been out an about quite
a bit (again!) this month,
including trips to the newly
formed Hunter F l i ght
Academy and to Duxford to
see the Imperial War Museum’s
freshly restored de Havilland
Vampire T.11. My travels also
took me to the British Air Display
Association (BADA) AGM at
Fairford where I literally walked
in the footsteps of the giants from
the airshow world.
It was good to see BADA
honouring its own with awards
during the day. As well as
individual personalities, special
mention was made of the
organisers of the Bournemouth
Air Festival and the local council,
staff and volunteers. You may
recall that the first day of the
event was cancelled due to
torrential rain and appalling
weather that made the cliff tops
unsafe. The council and event
volunteers worked through the
night to clear the site for the
following day, displaying a stoic
‘the show must go on’ mentality.
However, the team would be
tested even further later in the
weekend when Red Arrows pilot
Flt Lt Jon Egging crashed after
displaying at the seafront. Once
again the council and organisers
sprung into action to ensure
the spectators and media were
looked after so that Flt Lt’s
Egging’s family were free to grieve
in peace. Books of condolence
were opened and a tribute was
played on large screens before
the following day’s display began
with a minute’s silence. I and my
fellow delegates at the BADA
event were pleased to see the
organisers recognised for their
unfaltering efforts throughout a
very difficult weekend.
Memories
This month I also spent two days
lecturing on the history of British
airshows to audiences at aviation
groups in the Southampton area.
I really enjoy the occasions I get
invited to do this as I invariably
meet fascinating people and learn
something new from my audience.
On this occasion a lady
approached me after I’d finished
speaking and began to tell me
about her experience flying as a
passenger with Sir Alan Cobham
in the 1930s.