Abingdon Air & Country Show Sunday 14th May

For the past two years we have given you an insight into the helicopters, the crews and the kit they use but this year we thought we would give you some idea of what we do to put the show on.

The show is a charity event, raising money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance and takes about 6 months to prepare although some aspects can take much longer. Once the de-brief is over mid-year we are back on it again looking out for acts that would appeal to our visitors and, in Neil Porter’s case listening to flying display pilots who believe their aircraft should be at our show next year!

As we get closer to the show everything ramps up from advertising and publicity to ticket distribution to our outlets, from taking bookings for traders and classic vehicle owners to doing all the paperwork you need to put on a show like ours. Post-Shoreham we got through last year’s show under the new guidance from the CAA and MAA, the Civilian and Military Aviation Authorities but this year there seems to have been even more work for Neil and our aviation experts to consider.

The decision has been taken to move the show through 180deg. For those that have been to the show before you will be on the eastern side of the airfield facing west, meaning our displaying aircraft will fly over a far less densely populated area. What we have to do now is prepare the airfield and any work that needs doing is done by us and we pay £11,000 for the privilege!

By the time you get to us everything will be done and we hope to have another exciting day for all the family. As well as all the usual attractions we welcome the following:-

On the ground we have The Mangelwurzels and Britain’s Got Talent contestant Ellie May joining us in the music tent. In the arena we have the Buckingham Search and Rescue Dogs and the Cotswold Pheasant and Poultry Club have a stand. From today’s Army, 3 & 4 Regiments RLC, No. 7 Rifles and RAF 4624 Auxiliary Squadron, RAF Brize Norton will give presentations. We also offer a very special welcome to No. 322 Sqn Royal Netherlands Air Force with their highly advanced Spitfire Simulator, make sure you speak to them and have a go!

It is the same in the air as Classic Jets Model Aircraft get us off the ground, followed by first time displays by a replica CAC Boomerang making its UK debut, the RF4 Motorglider, the Antonov AN2 the world’s biggest bi-plane and the Great War Display Team. Rich Goodwin will display his ‘Muscle Pitts’, a much altered Pitts Special doing things a plane shouldn’t do! Amongst the many other displays we also welcome for the first time the DeHavilland Sea Vixen, a 1950s Royal Navy carrier-borne jet aircraft.

www.abingdonairandcountry.co.uk

We hope you will have a great day with us!

For your chance to win a family ticket to the show:

Please answer the following question and email your answers by May 10th to salesprv@live.co.uk

Name the 1950’s Royal Navy jet booked to appear at the show?