I look at this and the years gone by with immense gratitude for all the wonderful moments we have lived with you our faithful and fanatical community. It is with a heavy heart that we confirm 2019 was the final Flying Legends with our friends at IWM Duxford. We truly hope that our team will find an alternative location to welcome this iconic event and that we will have the privilege of seeing you all again. Thank you for your support and kindness.

Given the financial pressures which have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic over the past few months, IWM Duxford has been required to examine all future events and consult with key partners to ensure that, as a charity, the organisation is able to maximise income and remain financially stable. It was therefore mutually agreed that TFC would seek an alternative location to host Flying Legends, which will be confirmed at a later date.

It is now home to the Imperial War Museum with aviation, tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits as well as the Fighter Collection, The Old Flying Machine Company, The Aircraft Restoration Company, Historic Aircraft Collection, B-17 Preservation Society and others.

Duxford was an airfield in the First World War and was an RAF fighter station and then an American fighter base in the second. It was the base of the first operational Spitfire squadron during WW2.

The 2020 show was cancelled because of the Coronavirus outbreak. The IWM and The Flying Collection have issued statements to announce that the show will no longer be held at Duxford. An alternative venue is being sought.

Flying Legends is one of the most popular warbird air shows and possibly THE heritage air show of the UK aviation calendar. The show traditionally features historic piston engined aircraft in rare combinations in the air and an authentic 1940s atmosphere on the ground with the occasional, more recent, flying legend. The traditional finale has been a 'balbo', a massed-formation featuring many of the aircraft that took part in the flying displays.

It is now home to the Imperial War Museum with aviation, tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits as well as the Fighter Collection, The Old Flying Machine Company, The Aircraft Restoration Company, Historic Aircraft Collection, B-17 Preservation Society and others.

Duxford was an airfield in the First World War and was an RAF fighter station and then an American fighter base in the second. It was the base of the first operational Spitfire squadron during WW2.

One of the most popular warbird air shows and possibly THE heritage air show of the aviation calendar. Historic piston engined aircraft in rare combinations in the air and an authentic 1940s atmosphere on the ground. The finale is a 'balbo', a massed-formation featuring many of the aircraft that took part in the flying displays.

It is now home to the Imperial War Museum with aviation, tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits as well as the Fighter Collection, The Old Flying Machine Company, The Aircraft Restoration Company, Historic Aircraft Collection, B-17 Preservation Society and others.

Duxford was an airfield in the First World War and was an RAF fighter station and then an American fighter base in the second. It was the base of the first operational Spitfire squadron during WW2.

This year there were no fewer than 4 Hispano Buchons and a similar number of Hurricanes and Mustangs, notably the return of Miss Velma, now repainted as 'Contrary Mary'; the arrival of 'Trusty Rusty' and the return after about 7 years of N351MX, now painted as WR-Z ‘The Hun Hunter \ Texas’. Also appearing were more than a dozen Spitfires. Other highlights were a good showing from the Flying Bulls including the rarely seen DC-6B; the Classic Formation and Air Leasing's Republic 47-D Thunderbolt.

One of the most popular warbird air shows and possibly THE heritage air show of the aviation calendar. Historic piston engined aircraft in rare combinations in the air and an authentic 1940s atmosphere on the ground. The finale is a 'balbo', a massed-formation featuring many of the aircraft that took part in the flying displays.

Flying Legends Airshow

Golden show on Silver Anniversary

Last year the buzz around Flying Legends surrounded the inclusion of a jet - the F-22 Raptor - and the new layout, designed to minimise the impact of the safety regulation changes. This year the layout of the museum followed the pattern established in 2016, with no 'tank bank' and most of the crowdline from the central area eastwards further forward, but it barely raised a mention amongst fans or commentators. Perhaps that just goes to show how well the changes were designed and managed in 2016.

Other features of Flying Legends that maintained the usual high standard were the impressive number and variety of aircraft - 44 plus the Red Arrows - access to the museums; three hours of access to the Flightline Walk; the ability to attract fans from all over the globe and the special atmosphere in the wartime airfield that is unique to this Imperial War Museum venue.

Although there was spectacle all around, the most significant were in the air and one of the most memorable was the sight of five Hurricanes (four on Saturday) flying in formation with three Mk. 1 Spitfires and the Blenheim. Amongst the quintet on Sunday was Anglia Aircraft restoration's Mk 1 P2902 at its first public show since its recreation from the parts rescued from Dunkirk, where it was crash landed by Pilot Officer Kenneth McGlashan. P2902 became the world's 15th airworthy Hurricane when it took its first post-restoration flight on 19th June 2017, less than three weeks before its debut at Legends: the five Hurricanes in the Sunday formation representing a third of all airworthy Hurricanes in the world.

The display began with the Spitfires and built into the Battle of Britain flypast before the Hurricanes broke off for their display, including gently flowing aerobatics by P2909, followed by alternating Blenheim and IWM Spitfire N3200 solos. A first class section of the show and for many the highlight of Legends 2017. (... continued below the pictures)

There were other massive achievements leading up to Legends 2017 that make Flying Legends one of the greats amongst airshows worldwide. Notable amongst them in 2017 were the arrival of two Mustangs from the USA. One, 'Frenesi', a P-51D, was dismantled and crated for the journey. The other, P-51B 'Berlin Express', was brought over the hard way by Lee Lauderback. With nearly 10,000 Mustang hours in his log book he is the most experienced pilot of the type in the world, ever. The 5,470 mile journey via Goose Bay, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland was followed by enthusiasts via several web sites. Once, this would have been a regular journey as aircraft were ferried from the USA to the UK, but these days it qualifies as a rare, epic flight, ending at Duxford on July 4th, in time to allow its new owner, Dan Friedkin, to display at the show alongside Steve Hinton and Ed Shipley as part of the Horsemen Flight Team. Well, that was the plan and Lee did his bit. Unfortunately on Saturday, the first day of Flying Legends, Berlin Express lost its 'Malcolm hood' canopy during Nick Grey's thunderously fast and very low pass over the hard runway. Some reports say the canopy disintegrated and fell; others than it fell and disintegrated on impact with the ground. Either way it is evident that part of the canopy came into contact with the empennage, causing visible damage to the vertical stabiliser, preventing further flight over the Flying Legends weekend and also a planned appearance at the following week's RIAT.

Without Berlin Express the much-anticipated return to Legends of The Horsemen Flight Team, the world's only P-51 Mustang formation aerobatic team, was delayed for a day. On Sunday, following an aircraft change to Frenesi, Miss Helen and The Shark, the trio, led by Steve Hinton with Ed Shipley and Dan Friedkin on either side, did make their first Mustang three-ship display at Flying Legends for eight years. Those who were at the show on Sunday witnessed a majestic close formation display, worthy of the reputation the team brought with them. On Saturday the gap in the programme left by their absence was filled by an extra solo display by Pete Kynsey in the Grumman Bearcat F8F: a fine display in its own right but inevitably a disappointment, especially for those unable to come back on Sunday to see The Horsemen.

The Bearcat had previously been in action as part of a Naval Fighters trio comprising, as well as the Bearcat, the Goodyear Corsair and Anglia Aircraft Restoration Company's Mk ll Hawker Fury, playing the role of a Sea Fury. As with several of the displays, there were two displays in one: the Corsair performing solo aerobatics, alternating at stage centre with the Bearcat and Fury flying repeated formation passes including a feast of topsides. (... continued below the pictures)

Just as 2016 was memorable for the inclusion of the F-22, so 2017 will be remembered as the year the Red Arrows made their Legends debut. Before the show, the discussion was around whether it was an appropriate display for a Flying Legends airshow, whose reputation rests on the variety and quantity of piston-engined aircraft. The retrospective discussion will be less about the appropriateness and more about the display itself.

The display itself was a 'pre-show' to the main traditional part of Sunday's Legends. Just before it got underway, Red 10 announced that the display would be offset from the standard B axis to avoid aerobatics over a residential area. The same arrangement applied at the RAF Cosford Airshow a week earlier but, unlike at RAF Cosford, there was no pre-warning this time. The revised oblique line detracts hugely from the impact of the display, especially for those at the eastern end of the airfield for whom most of the manoeuvres appeared very distant. A further distraction was introduced when a stray para-glider caused a halt for several minutes. There was a further interruption to the flow of the show later in the afternoon, when three Squirrel helicopters arrived to bring members of the team for ground-based PR activities. The norm at Flying Legends, and the other shows at IWM Duxford, is for aircraft to be taxiing, taking off, displaying all at the same time in a meticulously planned entwinement of aircraft activity. That is one of the strengths of shows at Duxford. But when the Red Arrows come - for a display or for a visit - there is a prolonged pause in other activity to satisfy their requirement for clear airspace. (... continued below the table)

Aircraft Flying (tap / hover over icon for more detail)

Beechcraft Beech-18 N21FS & N223CM (flying with DC3: Classic Formation) Boeing B-17G 'Sally B' Bristol Blenheim Mk 1 G-BPIV Bücker Jungmann G-BSAJ Consolidated PBY Catalina G-PBYA Curtiss-Wright P-36C G-CIXJ (DID NOT FLY) Curtiss-Wright P40C G-CIIO Curtiss-Wright P40F Warhawk G-CGZP 'Lee's Hope' Curtiss-Wright Hawk 75A G-CCVH de Havilland DH88 'Comet' G-ACSS: Shuttleworth Collection Douglas DC-3 N431HM (flying with Beech-18 pair: Classic Formation) Douglas DC-3C 'Daisy' SE-CFP Douglas C-53D-DO Dakota LN-WND Gloster Gladiator 'N5903' G-GLAD Gloster Gladiator 'K7985' G-AMRK: Shuttleworth Collection WITHDRAWN Goodyear Corsair FG-1D G-FGID Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat G-RUMM Grumman FM-2 Wildcat G-RUMW Hawker Fury Mk. II G-CBEL Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 G-HUPW Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 G-HITT 'P3717' Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 G-ROBT 'P2902': Anglia Aircraft Restorations Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk 1b G-BKTH 'Z7015/7-L' Hawker Hurricane Mk XII G-HURI Hawker Nimrod Mk 1 G-BWWK Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 F-AZXJ CANCELLED Hispano HA-112 Buchón G-AWHK 'Black 8' Messerschmitt Bf 109E (BHHH) CANCELLED LeVier Cosmic Wind G-ARUL North American P-51B Mustang N431HM 'Berlin Express' (made one pass on Saturday then was damaged. Did not fly Sunday) North American TF51D Mustang G-TFSI 'Miss Velma' North American P-51D Mustang 'Moonbeam McSwine' WITHDRAWN North American P-51D Mustang G-SHWN 'Sharkmouth' North American P-51D Mustang "Frenesi" 'N-357FG' North American P-51D Mustang 'Miss Helen' Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF: Shuttleworth Collection Red Arrows (Sunday only) Supermarine Seafire LF111 G-BUAR 'PP972' Supermarine Spitfire Mk I G-CGUK 'X4650' Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1a G-CFGJ 'N3200' Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia G-AIST 'P7308' Supermarine Spitfire LFVb EP120 G-LFVB Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb 'BM597 G-MKVB Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1X G-LFIX 'Grace Spitfire' Supermarine Spitfire HF Mk IX G-BRSF 'RR232' Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1Xb G-ASJV 'MH434' Supermarine Spitfire Tr9 G-CCCA 'PV202' Supermarine Spitfire FRX1V G-SPIT 'MV268' Supermarine Spitfire Mk XV111 G-BUOS 'SM845' Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX F-AZJS CANCELLED Damaged in accident in France on 11 June Travel Air Type R 'Mystery Ship' G-TATR Additionally, most aircraft involved in the flying displays were on static display beforehand

Overall, bearing in mind the restrictions that prevent the best display, and the pauses that are uncharacteristic of Duxford shows, some may be forced to wonder if displays by the Red Arrows add anything to such a show as Flying Legends. This is not to criticise the team, whose skills are beyond question. Rather it was the way in which their involvement caused stops and starts in an otherwise flowing airshow. Perhaps they drew additional visitors but surely the vast majority came for the variety and quantity of legendary aircraft that no other show displays as well as Flying Legends.

Many of the highlights this year, as most years, were once-in-a-while displays, such as The Horsemen, who last flew three Mustangs here in 2009, or the five Hurricanes including an airshow débutante. But two highlights that are Flying Legends regulars are the Balbo and the opening Spitfire formation.

The opening formation this year comprised nine Spitfires. They began in a single formation before breaking into two groups, six of them demonstrating a tailchase whilst the remaining three: SM845; the Grace Spitfire ML407 and Boultbee's RR232 made a series of low, close passes.

Regular it may be, but the Balbo is no less spectacular for that. Just as exciting as the superbly assembled and choreographed mass flypasts is the gathering and take-off from the airfield of such a number and variety of warbirds, each taking their position on the grass or hard runway and each lifting into the sky solo, in pairs or trios. Surely at no other airshow is there such a merger of aural harmony and visual delight.

The Balbo this year comprised 19 aircraft, led by Pete Kynsey in the Bearcat. This is not as many as some years but there was the usual variety with eight Spitfires and a Seafire; three Mustangs; a Wildcat, Bearcat and Corsair; P-40C, Hawk 75, Warhawk and a Buchón. Following the spectacle of the massed take-off, it inevitably takes a while for the aircraft to move into formation. Rather than leave a gap, centre stage is taken by the 'Joker'. The Joker has nothing to do with the character of the same name in the Batman films. The origin is the jester, employed since ancient times to entertain, notably in the royal courts on several continents, especially in a gap before a feast or the delivery of news. At Flying Legends, the Joker fills the interludes whilst the Balbo forms up and between the first pass and its return.

On Saturday Richard Grace filled both slots in the Hawker Fury but on Sunday the Fury shared the role with Comanche Fighter's Mk 1 Spitfire X4650, flown by Nick Grey, who performed Flying Legends 2017 solo finale.

Apart from the carefully choreographed balbo split and breaks for landing, that should have been the end of the show. On Sunday, however, there was an unwelcome extra act when Mustang 'Miss Velma' suffered an engine problem, causing pilot Mark Levy to make an unplanned landing in a wheat field on the other side of the M11. There was some anxiety following the standard advice that car parks would remain closed for the time being to allow emergency services unhindered access to the surrounding roads, but thankfully news soon broke that the Mustang was upright and the pilot out of the aircraft: which was successfully recovered to the IWM Duxford site the following day. Huge credit is due to the team for dealing with the incident so quickly and for keeping the crowds informed.

Flying Legends 2017 promised much and delivered on most of its promises. It would be unfortunate if it were remembered for a few mishaps. Yes, people will recall that this is where Miss Velma was damaged and yes, it will long be lamented that after an arduous but successful transit from the USA, Berlin Express did not get to complete any of its planned public displays. But the successes were more numerous than the mishaps. The rare sighting of Mustangs from the USA; the display of the Horsemen; the debut of Hurricane P2902 and especially, very especially, the formation of five Hurricanes and three Mk 1 Spitfires surrounding the Bristol Blenheim. This may have been the silver anniversary of Flying Legends, but the content was golden.