Headcorn Battle of Britain Airshow

摘要

Now maturing into a welcome season regular, the eighth Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn delivered the heady sights, smells and sounds of Spitfires, Hurricanes and more, all at close quarters, set against the rolling Kent countryside. While hampering all but B-17G Sally B and the Aero Legends C-47 G-ANAF from flying during the opening Friday evening, the weather progressively improved so, by Sunday, blue skies and sunshine were predominant and a full programme was flown, although pilots had to work hard with a blustery off-crowd wind. This proved especially challenging for the opening biplane 'Balbo', and the intrepid Tiger Nine. The Battle of Britain set-piece saw Antony 'Parky' Parkinson and Charlie Brown in the Aero Legends Spitfire IXs, TD314 and NH341, seeing off John Romain with the Aircraft Restoration Company's Buchon. The Spitfires would be joined later in the afternoon by Neil Parkinson in Martin Phillips' HFIXc RR232 for a polished three-ship and tailchase routine. A trio of Hurricanes, namely Mike Collett in MkⅫ 'BE505,' James Brown with his MkⅠ R4118 and Frank Chapman at the helm of MkⅠ P3717, did the same near the end of the show.