Flightline UK 2004 - AIRbourne 2004, Eastbourne Seafront = 12th-15th August = REVIEW

AIRbourne 2004, Eastbourne Seafront - 12th - 15th August 2004

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RAF's Show of Force
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The largest airshow in August is argueably AIRbourne, or the Eastbourne International Air Show as it has now been headlined. Although the show is very much the work of Eastbourne Borough Council, much of the show is aimed at an RAF recruitment exercise. It is therefore fitting that much of the flying display is organised by Ian Sheeley from RAF Benevolent Fund Enterprises, otherwise the organisers of RIAT. This year saw Eastbourne advertising itself to several Air Attachees from London, eager to build up what is already a formidable international flying display. Paul Johnson/Flightline UK headed to the seaside to capture the action. All photographs are copyright of the author.

Airbourne 2004 was something of RIAT-by-sea nowadays with a display dominated by current military types from the UK forces and NATO nations. Again massive crowds gathered in Eastbourne for four days of flying displays that would be the envy of many organisers with participation from the Belgian, Dutch and US Air Forces on top of a very strong RAF contingent.

Eastbourne's Intruder

Unbelievably for the second time in three years, the Red Arrow's display was interupted on the Saturday by airspace infringements by light aircraft. Two years ago, microlights got dangerously close to the display box near Beachy Head, but the 2004 incident was far more serious. A Cirrus CR22 aircraft flew down the seafront during the display. The ever professional Reds dissappeared to the west until the offending aircraft had left the area before resuming their display, though it was curtailed. The passengers in the light aircraft could clearly be seen taking photographs of the assembled audience, though quite what the pilot thought he was upto remains a mystery. the Civil Aviation Authority are investigating.

The weather wasn't as kind as previous years for the show with most days blighted by overcast conditions, though at least Saturday saw clear blue skies for a large part of the flying display.

The RAF's recruitment exhibtion is reflected in the fact that all but two of the RAF's official display teams were present at the show along with two role demonstrations from the Helicopter fleet and a rare appearance by a Merlin HC3 transporting the Reds to the show to meet the audience.

Another RAF aircraft on a rare outing was the Westland Puma HC1 giving a combat support demonstration with a semi rigid speedboat while a Chinook HC2 gave a Search and Rescue demonstration with the local lifeboats.

The Army also had a good showing on the ground and in the air with the Blue Eagles display team operating from nearby Shoreham. The Royal Navy could only muster a solo Lynx HAS3 demonstration for the first day of the show which was a little disappointing although they did have their usual ground unit at the event.

However, it was foreign participation which stole the show. Thursday and Friday both saw scheduled flypasts by a MC-130P Hercules from the United States Air Force based at Mildenhall. However, it was the Belgian And Royal Netherlands Air Forces that stole the show. They both provided trainer aircraft from their fleets with the Belgians sending their ever elegant Fouga CM170 Magister solo display and the Dutch with their colourful Pilatus PC-7 Turbotrainer. But it was the "Viper Shootout" that really turned heads as both countries brought their solo F-16AM Fighting Falcon displays. In the end it was the Dutch that won over the crowd more, though the better weather the Dutch enjoyed for their displays may well have helped along with the familiar "Teamwork" colours!

No seafront airshow would be complete without some crowd pleasers from the warbird and civilian world of flying. The rasping note of the Utterly Butterly Barnstormers and the intrepid wingwalkers is always assured to turn heads and get cameras pointing skywards. The Aerostars too won much praise for another stunning routine with big formations kept well within sight of the crowd for the duration of their display.

Solo displays came from aerobatic aces Will Curtis and Denny Dobson in their Su-26M2 and Extra 300XS respectively. The letter being sponsored by CSMA, the main sponsor of Airbourne who also provide a large ground exhibition of classic cars.

No show would be complete with a Spitfire and Eastbourne is no exception with the BBMF's examples joined by John Romain in the Aircraft Restoration Company's Spitfire XVI which looked glorious in the late afternoon sun back in it's 41sqn air racing scheme.

Again, Eastbourne have surpassed themselves with an excellent display and show along the seafront. While much of the display is dominated by the military, there can be no doubt that the display is well varied with some excellent and unique displays - Where else can you see RAF battlefield helicopters attacking boats and rescuing sailors from lifeboats? It was just a shame the sun didn't shine more often!

That's Entertainment
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