D-Day Anniversary Air Show, IWM Duxford - 6th June 2004

The 60th Anniversary of D-Day is perhaps the last time many of the veterans of the Normandy campaign will gather again to remember their comrades. Though on the scale of the 50th Anniversary, a number of high profile events including three different airshows around the country. Perhaps the biggest celebration of the aerial component of Operation Overlord was held at Duxford, and where better to be we ask? Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports.

It seems rather a lot of people thought there was no better place to be than Duxford going by the events on Sunday morning. Duxford has imposed new car parking arrangements for 2004 following the start of construction work on the old Super Hanger to turn it into the AirSpace exhibition. This has meant the eastern car parks have been closed to the general public and that all public parking is now on the northside of the A505 or down at the western end of the airfield. The large crowds for this event started to arrive early (infact I've never seen Duxford so busy before 9am before!). By 10:30am the airfield car parks had filled up and people should have been moved on. By all accounts there seems to have been communication breakdown and some general confusion in what to do with all the rest of the public trying to get in! It seems not even the police knew the extent of the situation. Many people failed to get in clearly causing a lot of dissappointment. Getting out of the northside car park was also a nightmare. There was no body to control the traffic lanes and therefore a number of people were stuck for hours. This wasn't Duxford's finest hour by a long shot, and it's clear that something will need to be done very soon. RIAT is a prime example to use here, there was great annoyance from the public in what happened in 2002 traffic wise, and since then a professional consultancy has been put in charge of traffic and car parking to great effect (Famous Last Words!). A similar approach is clearly needed at Duxford soon.

This bad news came on top of some bad pre show publicity for the Imperial War Museum after the press found out that veterans had to pay to attend the show. Despite the fact the veterans received a VIP marquee and treatment for a much reduced rate the story made the newspapers and a number of people reacted. The generosity of people made it possible for the veterans attendance to be sponsored which was good news all round. Many people simply overlook the fact that airshows are very expensive and without sponsorship something has to give.

The airshow itself though was a highly fitting tribute to the courage of those who fought 60 years ago. Prior to the show, the RAF supplied a rare flypast by an E-3D Sentry AEW1 from RAF Waddington . The show itself got underway with an act of rememberance led by the Royal British Legion infront of the parked aircraft and a moment of silence. As the service ended, the airshow got underway with it's first act, the RAF's Tornado F3 display from No 56(R) squadron. The display itself, while good did seem to lack a few important types from Operation Overload. Perhaps the biggest dissapointment was a lack of any DC-3/C-47 Dakota. Though quoted in the pre show publicity there no no P-51D Mustang either largely though unservicability.

The RAF gave tremendous support to this show, with most of it's fast jet displays taking part thoughout the afternoon. The RAF also supplied the Nimrod MR2 and the excellent Tucano T1 displays. The Tucano is currently the only RAF type able to use Duxford's hard runway after a number of issues with the surface that's been laid over the winter. It is hoped that normal service will resume at some point later in the year. Though not represented in the flying display, the Royal Navy did put in a creditable appearance on the ground with a Lynx HAS3 and a Sea King HC4, the latter operating as a crew shuttle between Duxford and Cambridge Airport. However, it was the Army Air Corps which provided the star turn in the static park and all too briefly in the flying display with it's Westland WAH-64D Longbow Apache AH1 which departed early in order to make an appearance at Old Warden. For the first in several years, there was a display by a european air arm at Duxford. The Belgian Air Force sent their ageing Fouga Magister solo display in tribute to the men who started the liberation of mainland Europe. The little Fouga's days are numbered with the Belgians as the last instructor pilot on the type is set to leave the service very soon. It's a great shame as this is one of the most famous display types in airshow history. The RAFGSA also provided Team Condor, their pair of K21 Gliders  in an amzing formation duo routine of aerobatics in tribute to the Glider assault that preceeded the beach landings to secure vital bridges. Further tribute to the airbourne assault was prvided at the end of the display by the Parachute Regiement's Red Devils who were allowed to preform their full show.

Despite the absence of some key types, many types that were on operations at the time of the landings 60 years were well represented. Most prolific of these were the Spitfires. Taking a staring role in this was Carloyn Grace's Spitfire T9 ML407 which is credited with the first kill on the 6th June. Joining her was John Romain in Spitfire MkXVI TD248 now seemingly wearing the markings of a Hawker Typhoon HF-L and invasion stripes. Actually, those are the initials of the company that restores Spitfires at Duxford - Historic Flying Limited. Finally, Rod Dean made a welcome return to the display circuit putting on a powerful solo display in HFL's Spitfire MkXVIII also adorned in invasion stripes for the anniversary. TFC's Spitfire MkVb made an all too brief appearance at the end of their routine departing to the D-Day display at Sandown on the Isle of Wight.

The US involvement in the D-Day operations was well represented by Stephen Grey flying his beautiful P-47M Thunderbolt through a typically polished routine for such a large fighter. As well as representing the US Armey Air Force in general, the P-47 also potrayed Duxford's own role in the landing as the P-47 carries the markings of the 78th Fighter Group based at Duxford. TFC also displayed their Grumman FM-2 Wildcat alongside Tony Haig Thomas' Grumman TBM-3E Avenger representing the naval air power used on D-Day.

A much lighter side of aviation at the time of D-Day, though no less important was also well represented. A Miles Messenger carrying the markings of General Montgomery's own private aircraft made a stark contrast to the Tornado which has proceeded it keeping the display well within the airfield boundary before departing to Old Warden. A new sight for 2004 was the Grasshopper Team. Led by the afternoon's only Luftwaffe representative, the Fiesler Storch from HAC, the team also includes two Piper L-4 Cubs from FRAZERSBLADES and Glenn Denney. The allies called all aircraft of this type (Austers, Pipers etc) Grasshoppers due to their ability to land in very short spaces like farmers fields. Cubs were used for Liason as well as artillary spotting duties.

Overall, most people who actually attended the show will probably agree that the actual air display was very good. Not only were there a number of interesting types and displays that gave an insight into a number of operations that went on during the 6th June 1944, but the actual running of the display was very slick with very few gaps, despite the last minute cancellations and the incident with the BBMF Hurricane during the morning. This was Ted Inman's last airshow as the Director of IWM Duxford. Over the year Ted has been the driving force of Duxford and it's airshows and he had brought in several innovations for the museums as well as at the airshows. He is moving on to become Chief Executive Officer of the South Bank Employers Group in London. We wish him well in his new post.

 copyright Flightline UK 2004