Red Arrows schedule has them displaying at Newtownards for Armed Forces day on 21st June
Newtownards Airfield is a good spot for displays except for photos you are shooting into the sun from mid-day, assuming the sun comes out.
Hopefully this might be a good nudge to bringing an airshow back to Ards,just have to get the NIMBYS onside.
BBMF and RAF Falcons also confirmed today by RAF Northern Ireland
https://x.com/RoyalAirForceNI/status/1902997851342352607?t=7acfDaNZpxARMhehdAJaZw&s=19
Quote from: angry turnip on Mar 20, 2025, 15:49Newtownards Airfield is a good spot for displays except for photos you are shooting into the sun from mid-day, assuming the sun comes out.
Hopefully this might be a good nudge to bringing an airshow back to Ards,just have to get the NIMBYS onside.
I'd love to see the airshow back there, especially as you could get a good static display going. Seaside shows seem to be the way forward though, around the UK.
PS does anyone remember the time a Harrier burst a tyre after a hard landing from a low hover? Must have been early 2000s or very late 1990s?
Harrier tire was 2000 i think. It was probably the last airshow i went to until 2010
I have that on video,there was a big airshow at Baldonnel the same weekend,if I recall correctly a spare tyre/wheel was sent up from there.
I wasn't aware of Baldonnel back then,but it had a great lineup from what I read.
BBMF Dakota will be the BBMF display
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1064625185710269&set=a.310890001083795
Fingers crossed it makes it. I wonder if they'll send the p8 again too. My mate was at the Larne one when it came over but due to the cloud you couldn't see it he said. The Bangor Armed forces was the last one I attended with my daughter where they had the puma.
Dakota has a new paint scheme for 2025. It is in South East Asia Command. It looks fantastic
I'm not able to make Armed forces day as I am at Duxford that weekend, but I hope to see it at some other shows this year.
(photo not mine)
(https://vintageaviationnews.com/wp-content/uploads/Battle-of-Britain-Memorial-Flight-Dakota-Receives-New-Paint-Scheme_David-Whitworth_2-1-1024x576.jpg)
Possible addition to flying (not confirmed) Aerosuperbatic Wingwalkers have a map with their display locations for 2025 and Newtownards is shown as one. However, is not listed on the schedule.
They are for Duxford on the same day, but not unusual for them to do 2 displays in a day
Maybe I`m not looking in the right place, but their website has not been updated since 2024.
https://www.aerosuperbatics.com/
Quote from: angry turnip on May 23, 2025, 22:12Maybe I`m not looking in the right place, but their website has not been updated since 2024.
https://www.aerosuperbatics.com/
It was via their FB page on their 2025 schedule release last week. (17th May)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1798561360976019&set=pcb.1798561420976013
I've noticed alot of displays no longer seem to update their website, or do so late into the season. FB seems to be the go-to place now.
Looks like the BBMF are out. Latest press releases only mention the Red Arrows and Falcons. Dakota is still at Duxford and not flown yet apparently.
I haven't seen anything about the BBMF fighters returning to flight as yet.
Spitfire PM631 is airborne south of Sheffield at moment (1344),but it has a Griffon engine version which are not subject to the grounding, neither are those in civilian ownership.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyw99edk0eo#:~:text=%22I%20was%20onboard%20on%20BBMF%27s,quickly%20established%20as%20the%20cause.
BBMF Fighters returned a few weeks ago. I saw 2 separate displays from the fighters at Cosford last weekend
First up was Lancaster with a Merlin Spitfire & a Hurricane.
Later on the Merlin Spitfire came back alongside a Griffon Spitfire for a display.
They were not part of the Kings flypast or VE day though as it seems they have not got operational clearance to fly over London city as of yet according to chatter.
That's good that least some are flying again,I see P7350 is up now (1527).
I expected there would have been some sort of an announcement by the RAF/ BBMF to say they had resumed operating the Merlin powered fighters as they are so important and popular.