Shepway Festival Airshow 2003, The Leas, Folkestone, Kent - 31st August

Making a welcome return to the UK airshow calendar this year is the Shepway Airshow. The venue for this show is absolutely unique with the crowdline on 200ft cliffs with the displays taking place over the show allowing the public to get face to face with the pilots, espeacially with display from the Harrier GR7 and helicopters. The airshow is only part of a much bigger event, the Shepway Festival which runs over three days with Firework displays, classic cars, bands and street entertainment. The airshow itself was introduced in 1990 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain and was an instant hit. Split into morning and afternoon shows, vintage world war two aircraft dominate precedings along with the modern day Royal Air Force. Folkestone itself has adopted No 25(F) Squadron based at RAF Leeming with Panavia Tornado F3s. 25 spent much of the battle based at Hawkinge in protection of the Shepway region of Kent. To salute Folkesone, 25 prepare a special formation routine from four of their Tornados for each airshow. Also closely associated with the show are the Fighter Collection based at Duxford and it is unsurprising that their aircraft feature strongly. Particular highlights of the display were the Matadors with an amazing display despite having to use an Extra EA300 in the place of one of their Sukhoi Su-26 aircraft which had gone tech. The Fleet Air Arm involvement in the Battle of the Atlantic was also recognised with formation flypasts by RNHF's Swordfish and TFC's F4F Wildcat with another formation from the Swordfish and Tony Haig Thomas's Grumman Avenger. A rare visitor at the Lunchtime break was a Coat Guard Agency Brittan Norman Islander. Overall, the display was good with a varied mix of aircraft and formations. Sadly a number of the RAF displays, particularly the Tucano seemed to be way out to sea and lost quite a lot of their impact for the crowd.

 copyright Flightline UK 2003