In 2018 4Aviation travelled to the Flying Legends air show at RAF Duxford for the ninth time already. Since the show was scheduled in the same weekend as the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford we visited on the Sunday (15 July) with a group of 74 participants that had visited RIAT on the Saturday.
After saying goodbye to the hundreds of other 4Aviation participants at Fairford, those that joined us for both shows in that weekend spent the night in Baldock, Hertfordshire. This town is strategically located for an early ‘approach’ to RAF Duxford.
The weather was awesome during this 26th edition of the biggest and best classic aviation event in the world (quoting the organisers). Before the show starts you can get close to the aircraft and re-enactors on ‘The Flight Line Walk’. The museum is open to the public. It all adds to the relaxed atmosphere at the event.
An interesting aircraft on static display was a rare FIAT CR42 ‘Falco’. This one is owned by the ‘The Fighter Collection’. Only four complete airframes of this type remain around the globe.
This year the air show featured no less than four Hispano Buchons, four Hurricanes and four Mustangs. Also taking part were fifteen Spitfires! Other participants; two Sea Furies, P-40s, Corsairs, Beech 18s, C-47, etc. Many of the fighters also flew in the Balbo at the end. The USAF ‘Heritage Flight’ gave a stunning performance by flying a formation of the F-35A Lightning II, P-51D and Spitfire MkVc.
At 19.00 local is was time to board the coach again and return to Dover. No issues were encountered. The rest of the return journey (from Calais to Nijmegen) also went according to plan and the last participants stepped out of the bus on Monday 16 July very early.
