Getting the Ball Rolling - Duxford VE Day Flying
Posted: Sat May 10, 2025 8:10 pm
A visit to Duxford today for the first flying day of the summer, photos in the order taken...
The Jungmann-Ballerina pair to open the show was followed by a dogfight between the ARCo Buchon and Hurricane P3717 & Spitfire N3200. John Romain in the Buchon was the best (from the perspective of an M11-end spectator) take-off of the day, the only one using the grass to then keep rather close, banking round early.
Hispano HA.1112 M-1L | G-AWHK | ARCo by Professor M, on Flickr
Supermarine Spitfire I | N3200 | IWM | Hawker Hurricane I | P3717 by Professor M, on Flickr
Having not seen the Tiger Club's Turbulent Team display for a decade, I was very pleased to see the routine remain just as I remembered it (though today they displayed as only a three-ship, with a fourth Turbulent remaining on the ground). Whilst the Flour-bombing and Balloon-bursting was too far away from my location for any good photos, it was good fun to watch (the winds put paid to any limbo flying).
Druine D.31 Turbulent | G-APVZ | The Tiger Club Turbulent Team by Professor M, on Flickr
The star item for me from todays Flying Day was the Comanche pairing of Spitfire LFIXe ML417 & Ia AR213/"P7308".
Supermarine Spitfire LFIXe | ML417 | Supermarine Spitfire Ia | AR213 | Comanche by Professor M, on Flickr
The flying concluded (after a brief display from a late addition L-4H Grasshopper) with TFC's Bearcat alongside the Fighter Aviation Thunderbolt (a change from the Fury ISS listed in the run-up to today). The two of them did seem to display to good effect for those of us at the east end, even if their initial formation pass on arrival was rather loose and didn't come sweeping round the corner in the way that the Spitfires and Hurricane had earlier.
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt | 'Nellie B' | G-THUN | Fighter Aviation Engineering by Professor M, on Flickr
Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat | G-RUMM | The Fighter Collection by Professor M, on Flickr
Two intended flights from the R4D didn't come to fruition after it taxied out and held at the end of the runway before the flying display, only to taxy in again with the wind out of limits - remarkably everything else was able to display as hoped. Overall, a lot of distant flying and a lack of M11-end topsides, but not a bad day of flying.
The Jungmann-Ballerina pair to open the show was followed by a dogfight between the ARCo Buchon and Hurricane P3717 & Spitfire N3200. John Romain in the Buchon was the best (from the perspective of an M11-end spectator) take-off of the day, the only one using the grass to then keep rather close, banking round early.
Hispano HA.1112 M-1L | G-AWHK | ARCo by Professor M, on FlickrSupermarine Spitfire I | N3200 | IWM | Hawker Hurricane I | P3717 by Professor M, on FlickrHaving not seen the Tiger Club's Turbulent Team display for a decade, I was very pleased to see the routine remain just as I remembered it (though today they displayed as only a three-ship, with a fourth Turbulent remaining on the ground). Whilst the Flour-bombing and Balloon-bursting was too far away from my location for any good photos, it was good fun to watch (the winds put paid to any limbo flying).
Druine D.31 Turbulent | G-APVZ | The Tiger Club Turbulent Team by Professor M, on FlickrThe star item for me from todays Flying Day was the Comanche pairing of Spitfire LFIXe ML417 & Ia AR213/"P7308".
Supermarine Spitfire LFIXe | ML417 | Supermarine Spitfire Ia | AR213 | Comanche by Professor M, on FlickrThe flying concluded (after a brief display from a late addition L-4H Grasshopper) with TFC's Bearcat alongside the Fighter Aviation Thunderbolt (a change from the Fury ISS listed in the run-up to today). The two of them did seem to display to good effect for those of us at the east end, even if their initial formation pass on arrival was rather loose and didn't come sweeping round the corner in the way that the Spitfires and Hurricane had earlier.
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt | 'Nellie B' | G-THUN | Fighter Aviation Engineering by Professor M, on FlickrGrumman F8F-2P Bearcat | G-RUMM | The Fighter Collection by Professor M, on FlickrTwo intended flights from the R4D didn't come to fruition after it taxied out and held at the end of the runway before the flying display, only to taxy in again with the wind out of limits - remarkably everything else was able to display as hoped. Overall, a lot of distant flying and a lack of M11-end topsides, but not a bad day of flying.
