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Airbourne - Eastbourne International Airshow 2005

This is a review of the 2005 show. There are links to reviews of other shows, including more recent Eastbourne airshows, in the box on the right.

It was lucky 13 for visitors to the 13th Airbourne. Always a spectacular family show, this year's Airbourne provided something special with two firsts.

Airbourne was the first outing at a family airshow of the American B1. The long-range bomber from Air Force Base Dyess in Texas made three passes each day on all four days of the show.

The other first was an outing for the Typhoon in its first year on the display circuit.

Other unusual additions to Airbourne's display list were an American KC-135 "Stratotanker" in-flight refueller, based on the Boeing 707, and a Boeing 757 freighter in DHL livery.

As well as these innovations, the 800,000 crowd enjoyed the more traditional displays. The Red Arrows are always amongst the most popular displays at Airbourne. In 2004, one of the displays had to be cancelled because of the weather and the other two had to be curtailed. No such misfortune this year.

The display on Sunday was delayed slightly when the Arrows had to hold off just seconds before commencing their display, because word arrived that the Air Ambulance may be launched. In the event the medical emergency was dealt with by road. Despite having to hold off, the Arrows were able to perform a full display on this and their other two days.

Following their display on Saturday the pilots made a slow fly past in a Merlin and landed at a nearby college, arriving shortly afterwards by road to meet some of their fans and sign autographs in the arena.

The F16 Fighting Falcon from the Belgian Air Force displayed each day, although its counterpart from the Royal Netherlands Air Force was one of the very few 'no-shows'.

The only others expected at Airbourne 2005 who did not make it at all were the Matadors, who fly a pair of Sukhoi 26 aerobatic aircraft. The weather also prevented the Falcons jumping on Saturday, but they were able to complete their drops on the other three days of the show.

Most of the consequent gaps in the displays were filled by a pair of Yaks and the addition of an extra sortie from John Romain in the Aircraft Restoration Company's Mark XIV Spitfire.

Airbourne has a focus on recruitment for the RAF and there is invariably a demonstration by the sequence of aircraft recruits would expect to experience in their training and service careers.

At Airbourne 2005 this full range was represented by the basic trainers, the Grob 115e (known as the Tutor) and the Tucano T1; the Hawk T1 advanced trainer and craft that provide front line service, the Jaguar GR3, the Tornado F3 and, always a hit at Airbourne and other shows, the Harrier GR7, with its variety of fast manoeuvres, slow flypasts, hover and the famous bow.

Lighter aircraft were represented by the Yaks, who filled the gap in the programme left by the non-appearance of the Matadors; Denny Dobson flying his Extra 300XS, two wingwalkers aboard Utterly Buttery Boeing Stearman biplanes and a pair of Patrouille Revas.

But king of the aerobatics had to be Will Curtis performing his amazing display in a Sukhoi Su-26.

Will, the holder of the Guinness Book of Records for flying upside down between twelve sets of poles just one metre above the ground, hovers the Sukhoi like helicopter, flicks, loops and tumbles like a falling sycamore seed.

The plane has been specially modified with a 9 cylinder 460hp radial engine and massive specially designed propeller.

During the display, Will broadcast live from the cockpit; his calm chatter with Peter McNamara, the commentator, being relayed over the public address system and Radio Airbourne.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire are usually on the programme for Airbourne, but frequently at least one of the craft is unable to make it, usually for technical reasons.

This year the full trio displayed on Thursday and Friday, although the flight had other commitments on both days of the weekend.

Rotaries were well represented at Airbourne. As well as the Blue Eagles, displaying in their Lynx and four Gazelles, and the Squirrel that brought Red 10, the Merlin made an appearance on three days.

The Chinook is a regular at Eastbourne and flew on all four days but, unusually for Airbourne, the display did not include the enactment of a rescue, troop landing or other exercise.