IWM Duxford Flying Day 'Best of 2021'

摘要

An event which might well have been presented as a full airshow, with a three-and-a-half-hour programme of based aeroplanes and visitors, not surprisingly IWM Duxford's final flying day of 2021 proved a sell-out. Mist covered the airfield at the outset and only cleared slowly, but this was still a very large show for October, the RAF's desire to get some of its display acts 'out and about' as much as possible in this truncated season contributing much to that. The Falcons parachute team duly opened proceedings, dropping from a Dornier 228 and making a choreographed descent streaming red smoke from their boots. Jon Gowdy in P-47D Nellie B and Andy Durston in TF-51D Contrary Mary put on an aerobatic routine giving new meaning to 'tight formation! The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight made its appearance from crowd rear with Lancaster PA474 flanked by two Spitfires, MkIIa P7350 and LFXVTe TE311. This was the Lancaster's first full showing with fighters away from Coningsby this year, while Sqn Ldr Mark Discombe, flying TE311, was giving his final public display as OC BBMF before handing over to Sqn Ldr Mark Sugden later in October.