Abingdon Air and Country Show

Abingdon Air and Country Show

May 18

Sioux

Sioux

Traditionally held at the beginning of the airshow season, the date of the Abingdon Air and Country Show was changed three times in 2021, culminating in a successful September alternative to the original May date.

For 2022 the show retained this later September slot until it was postponed because of the death of Her late Majesty. The replacement date returned the show to its more traditional May slot, which it retains for 2024.

The Abingdon Air and Country Show is a blend of flying displays - aerobatic, warbirds and helicopters - with an impressive static display and huge fly-in. The flying and static displays will be listed in the table when known.

On the ground expect a range of musical and dance enterainment as well as re-enactments and there are usually also radio controlled jet models, ex-military & classic vehicles and a cockpit or two. Add to this the Arts and Crafts Marquee, trade and charity stands and a catering area and it is clear there will be lots going on in addition to the air display.

You can take to the air, too, as Northrumbian Helicopters will be offering Helicopter Pleasure Flights on showday. Details and a booking link are on Northumbrian Helicopters web site.

More aircraft flying in 2024 will be here when announced
Flying and static
BAC Jet Provost XW324BAC Jet Provost T5 G-BWSG 'XW324'
Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 R4118Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 G-HUPW R4118: James Brown
Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PS853 Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX PS853 G-RRGN: Rolls Royce Heritage Flight
Gazelle SquadronGazelle Squadron: four Westland Gazelles
The TitansThe Titans (Xtremeair XA42 and upgraded American Decathlon)
Rich Goodwin Pitts S2S G-JPITRichard Goodwin, Jet Pitts S2S racing a car
Auster AOP6 TW536Auster AOP6 TW536
North American P-51D Mustang 'Jersey Jerk' (Fighter Aviation)
Harvard FE695Noorduyn Mk.IIb Harvard 'FE695' G-BTXI (Isabel Rutland)
RAF Falcons parachute display teamRAF Falcons Parachute Display Team
Flypasts only (no display)
BBMF Hurricane PZ865Hawker Hurricane (BBMF)
Spitfire P7350Supermarine Spitfire (BBMF)
Static Display (not flying)
de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Taylorcraft Auster AOP9 (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Westland Scout AH Mk.1 (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Agusta-Bell Sioux AH Mk1 (XT131 G-CICN) (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
deHavilland Chipmunk (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Harvard 4 G-NWHF (Navy Wings)

Abingdon Air and Country Show

September 11 2021

Sioux

Historic Army Aircraft Flight Sioux

The Abingdon Air & Country Show 2021 returned after 2020's cancellation with a three-hour afternoon Flying Display program featuring old and new, including Abingdon favourite Richard Goodwin, as well as a varied range of ground attractions and plenty of static aircraft. The date was moved from May to June and finally to September 11th where it seemed to thrive. The very early May date had caused some problems in earlier years so perhaps a slightly later date than early May will be here to stay.

As usual, in the morning there was a fly-in of various aircraft. In the afternoon, before the flying display, there was a Jensen classic car parade down the crowd line. As well as the traditional aircraft flying display in the afternoon there were also two radio controlled model jet displays. Some other details are offered below.

Scheduled Aircraft
Flying and Static
Richard Goodwin (with car runs)
Boeing B-17G 'Sally B'
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX 'PT879 Karina': The 'Russian Spitfire' (Hangar 11)
Westland Sea King XZ597, RAF Search and Rescue livery
P51 Mustang 'Miss Helen'
The Blades
Beaver (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Auster AOP9 (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Westland Scout (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Agusta-Bell Sioux AH Mk1 (XT131 G-CICN) (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 R4118: James Brown
Hawker Hurricane P2902Hawker Hurricane Mk.I G-ROBT P2902 (Anglia Aircraft Restorations)
Westland Wasp XT787Westland Wasp HAS1 G-KATX 'XT787': Terry Martin
Yak 50 SP-YYH in Russian livery
Flying. Not on static display.
Supermarine Spitfire (BBMF)
Flypast only
Red Arrows. Flypast. No display.
Boeing C-17A Globemaster (RAF) (TBC)
Lockheed C-130J Hercules (RAF) (TBC)
Eurofighter Typhoon (RAF). 2 Flypasts only. No display.
Chinook (RAF). Flypast only. No display.
The following are due to be on static display and most will fly in
Chipmunks
Boeing PT-17 Stearman
Alouette II helicopter
Gazelle G-VOIP
Gazelle (French Army)
Wasp helicopter XT435
Harvard FE511
Spitfire Mk26
Westland Wessex XT761 (no longer flying with the Wasp)
Bulldog T.1
Auster AOP.6
MS733 Alcyon
Fokker S11
SIAI Marchetti SF.260AM
Altogether, about 40 aircraft will fly in.

In case there are mistakes or changes, please check the show's site for the latest list.
Appearances are always subject to technical, weather and other constraints.

Ground attractions included:

  • Classic & ex-military vehicles & motorcycles
  • Solent Stars Motorcycle Display Team
  • HawkWalk Falconry Display
  • Wallingford Dog Training Club
  • Radio Controlled Classic Jets (with flying demonstration)
  • Radio Days Big Band
  • Buccaneer jet cockpit (TBAG)
  • C-47 cockpit 'The Night Fright Project'
  • DC3 cockpit
  • Mini steam train
  • Punch & Judy show
  • Abingdon Rock Choir
  • Chipmunk trainer cockpit

Abingdon Air and Country Show 2019

Review of the 2019 show

Richard Goodwin

Richard Goodwin

The Abingdon Air and Country Show kept its promise to offer a superb line-up and excellent value once more as it celebrated its 20th anniversary.

One of the undoubted highlights was the spectacular Richard Goodwin, who once again thrilled with his unique display in the Pitts 'Muscle' plane, including the Audi R8 car chase first seen at Abingdon in 2018. The RAF Tucano made an impressive return to the airshow circuit after its short absence and other displays were as varied as the Republic P47 Thunderbolt and G-Force Aerobatics, alias 'Little and Large': Chris Burkett in an Extra 300S flying in formation with a 40% scale model. Very popular on the ground was the RAF Hercules with visitors queuing for a look inside, as well as the non-air regulars encompassing falconry, Morris dancing and local musicians.

Aircraft in 2019
Richard Goodwin with car chase
SIAI-Marchetti SF260 (Paul Freeland)
Stampe Formation TeamStampe Formation Flying Team (four SV.4 Stampe biplanes)
North American NA-64 Yale
RAF Tucano
Supermarine Spitfire (BBMF) (Flypast)
Aerosuperbatics WingWalkers (pair)
Fireflies
Republic P-47 ThunderboltRepublic P47 Thunderbolt 'Nellie'
Yakovlev YAK3-U (Will Greenwood)
AeroSPARX (single or pair)
Beechcraft 18 (Nick Houghton)
'Little & Large' Extra 300 duo (Chris Burkett)
Fournier RF-4 Motorglider (Bob Grimstead)
Auster (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Beaver (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Westland Scout (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Sioux (Historic Army Aircraft Flight)
Fairchild Argus
Silence Twister solo

Gazelle Helicopter pair
P51 Mustang 'Miss Helen'
Jump4Heroes Parachute Display Team, dropping from an Antonov AN-2
Static Display
Almost all of the flying display aircraft and many including:
Westland Wasp
Sud Alouette II
Boeing Stearman
Spitfire Mk26b
Yak 52 x2
Chipmunk x2
Bulldog
Hawker Hurricane Mk1
Gazelle
Vans RV-4
Renegade Sprit 912 Biplane
Beagle Terrier x2
CJ6 Nanchang
Auster x2
RAF C130J Hercules

Following a superb show the organisers released the sad but possibly inevitable news that this 20th Abingdon Air and Country Show would be the last in the form we have come to know and love. From next year the show will have an enlarged country show; bigger fly-in, with possibly 100 civilian, military and classic aircraft types; more pleasure flights including WW2 aircraft, but no flying display. The proposed theme will be a helicopter meet.

The reason for the change is the higher and ever-increasing costs and complexities involved in running the event with its road closures, high fees and massive insurance requirement for civilian aircraft displaying over MOD land.

Neil and his team are to be applauded for the success of the last 20 years and trusted to bring the best that can be achieved to future shows.

Cancellation of 2020 Show

Message from the show

The Abingdon Air & Country Show Committee have taken the difficult decision to cancel this year’s annual event, that had already been rescheduled from 17th May to 31st August 2020.

The committee chairperson Neil Porter, said; “We have carefully been monitoring the government guidance and with the partial lockdown currently still in place, there is clear indication that easing of restrictions to allow mass gatherings at outdoor events will take some time, it will no longer be possible to guarantee safety during such times for the event to go ahead”.

Neil added “Cancelling the event is a big decision for the entire committee, after many months of planning that starts from the previous September. Once the government declared the COVID-19 Pandemic, we rightfully ceased planning around early March for the May event and it was hoped that we could postpone and reschedule for 31st August. However, with the guidance on social distancing and uncertainty of the time period that the restrictions will stay in place, and above all trying to add in extra safety measures to ensure the safety of all those attending a late August show, it was deemed to be unviable to do. We take pride in ensuring everyone's safety involved including visitors, exhibitors, traders, volunteers and all the participants involved.”

Anyone who has purchased tickets online from Ticketline can apply to them for a refund (contact details can be found on your E-Ticket) - any issues concerning a refund from your online purchase then please email Ticketline directly or, email us at: abingdonga@gmail.com whereby we can pass that request on.

A huge thank you to everyone who supports our annual community event at Abingdon Airfield, Dalton Barracks and we will be back on [Saturday 11th September 2021] ( was Sunday 16th May then 12th June) for our 21st show.

Abingdon Air and Country Show 2018

6th May 2018

Great War Display Team

The Great War Display Team

For 2018, the 19th Abingdon Air and Country Show moved back to its traditional Bank Holiday Sunday slot.

The show celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force. As well as flying displays and an impressive static line-up, the show was, as always, a showcase for local organisations, with plenty for all ages to do and to see.

Some of the 2017 favourite flying displays were booked to return. In the air, the incomparable Richard Goodwin raced a car and the Great War Display Team were early confirmations, as was a de Havilland Chipmunk to support the RAF 100 theme. Also popular were a Beech 18, Mark Petrie's repainted BAC Strikemaster, Plane Sailing's Catalina, the Jump4Heroes Parachute Display Team and radio controlled models from Classic Jets.

Most of the flying aircraft were also on static display, and the statics also featured a range of aircraft with RAF connections as part of the RAF100 theme: to celebrate the centenary of the RAF.

Aircraft
Due to fly tap / hover over icon for more detail)
Antonov AN2 (Parachute support) (also static)
Spitfire (Hangar 11) (also static)
Richard Goodwin (also static)
Strikemaster (also static)
Catalina (also static)
Great War Display Team (also static)
Beech 18 G-BKGL (also static)
Jump4Heroes Parachute Display Team
Sea Fury T-20Hawker Sea Fury T.20 (Navy Wings)
Beaver & Auster (Historic Army Aircraft Flight) (also static)
Super PittsSuper Pitts
Spitfire (two seater) & Buchón pair (also static)
T67 Firefly (also static)
Westland Gazelle Helicopter (Navy Wings) (also static)
Westland Wasp Helicopter (Navy Wings) (also static)
BBMF Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane (3 Flypasts)
HarvardHarvard 'Wacky Wabbit'
The following are due to be on static display, but are not confirmed as flying during the show
In a special tribute to the centenary of the RAF
Beagle Husky
Bulldog (RAF red & white Colours)
Cadet glider 621 Historic Flight( RAF Colours)
Chipmunk (RAF red & white Colours)
Fairchild Argus x2 (the only 2 in the UK)
Gloster Meteor T3 (JP Display Team)
Harvard (RAF silver Colours)
Sedburgh Glider 621 Historic Flight (RAF Colours)
Slingsby Cadet Glider
Supermarine Spitfire (ID TBC)
Tiger Moth (RAF yellow Colours)
Venture Motorglider 621 Historic Flight (RAF Colours)
Westland Gazelle x2 (RAF red & white / white VIP Colours)
Lockheed Martin C130J Hercules
There will be a fly-in of around 50 aircraft of various types
All appearances are subject to technical, weather and other constraints

On the ground there was a return of the falconry demonstration from HawkWalk; Radio Days Big Band (1930s-1960s Swing Music), Abingdon Rock Choir and the Mangledwurzels. Tank rides, classic vehicles and helicopter pleasure flights were also back, as were various trade and exhibit stalls, ex-military vehicles, miniature steam engines and an amusements area. (... continued below the information box)

Abingdon Air and Country Show 2017

14th May 2017

Huey

Huey

There are several local shows, fly-ins and club meets earlier in the year but for many years the Abingdon Air and Country Show had been regarded as the airshow season-opener. However, in 2017 it moved from its traditional Bank Holiday slot to a slightly later date and was pipped to the 'season-opener' title by the Season Premiere at Old Warden, held a week earlier.

When it started the Abingdon Fayre was a country fayre with a little bit of flying, raising funds for local charities, but over its 17 year lifetime it has risen to become an essential part of the calendar for airshow enthusiasts.

Because it is so early in the year, it is often the season debut for many display pilots and their craft; the first public display of new teams, the first appearance of new personnel, new paint schemes etc. For the same reason visitors have to be prepared to be flexible in case not all the winter maintenance or certifications, such as Public Display Authorities, are in place. (... continued below the information box)

Aircraft
Due to fly (tap / hover over icon for more detail)
Sea Vixen CANCELLED
BBMF Spitfire PRXlX, Hurricane llc. The Lancaster was originally expected but was still undergoing winter maintenance.
Westland Wasp (Terry Martin) CANCELLED
Boomerang (CAC CA-13) Boomerang (Replica) (Remko Sibjen, Antwerp) CANCELLED
Antonov AN-2 (AN-2 Club)
Fournier RF4 Motorglider (flown by Lauren Richardson)
Great War Display Team (8 aircraft)
Richard Goodwin, Muscle Biplane
P51D Mustang 'Tuskegee' 'Tall in the Saddle'
Wingwalker (solo) CANCELLED following earlier show incidents
RotorSport UK Calidus autogyro CANCELLED following earlier show incidents
Twisters (SWIP Team)
Beaver and Scout (Historic Army Flight) pairs display (Sioux CANCELLED)
T-28A Trojan G-TROY in USAF colours
Bell UH-1H 'Huey'

Jump4Heroes Parachute display team, jumping from a second Antonov AN-2 HA-ANG
Yak 3 (Rick van der Graaf)
DC3 N147DC (Aces High)
Flypasts by aircraft based at or visiting nearby Brize Norton were requested but none took place
Static aircraft

The once-anticipated Chinook did not appear; nor the RAF C-130.

Most aircraft in the flying displays were in the static display area beforehand. Additionally the following are some of the aircraft on static display, but not flying during the show:

Gloster Meteor WL419 (Martin Baker)
Jet Provost T52 G_PROV
Ryan SCW-145
P51 Mustang G-BIXL 'Miss Helen'
Yakovlev Yak3-U (Will Greenwood)
RAF 32Sqn Agusta 109
RAF Tucano x2 (RAF)
RAF Tutor
Yakovlev Yak 52 (two)
Auster
Vans RV7
Zenair Zodiac
Cessna 150 / 172
Tiger Moth
S1S
Bulldogs
Mk26B Spitfire
Gazelle helicopter (Sharks colours - Navy Wings)
Porterfield
Boeing Stearman
Spitfire Mk 26B
EC-130
and from Shipping & Airlines, Biggin Hill:
DeHavilland DH90 Dragonfly G-AEDU
de Havilland DH87B Hornet Moth G-AHBL
DHC1 Chipmunk
Rearwin Sportster G-AEOF

Flying

The organisers had hoped that this risk would be reduced by moving the show forward by two weeks, but in practice there were still early-season cancellations. Most disappointing were the two potential stars of the show, the Sea Vixen and the Lancaster. The Sea Vixen would have been the only fast jet to display at the show but it had to pull out a little more than a week beforehand because of "a combination of minor technical issues coupled with revised flying display requirements introduced by the CAA & MAA, and only [just] formally published in CAP403". The Lancaster was once due to make its post-winter debut here but in practice, like the Sea Vixen, it was not ready. A last-minute replacement was a DC3 Dakota, N147DC from Aces High. The other big attraction, Remko Sibjen's replica of a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Boomerang, which would have been seen at a show on mainland UK for the first time, was also cancelled because the pilot did not have a UK Display Authorisation.

Wing Commander (Retired) Terry Martin's 1960s gas turbine powered Westland Wasp XT787, one of the favourite displays of 2016, was damaged in a hard landing following a technical fault in September 2016, so its appearance was always subject to a full repair to display condition. Unfortunately, repairs were not completed in time and its return to displays was delayed beyond the date of the show.

However, resilient as always, the organisers had a replacement in The Dutch Yak Association's YAK-3U, flown by Rick van der Graaf, and a second Yak 3, Will Greenwood's Yak 3U, was a late addition to the static line-up. Unfortunately, the Dutch Yak display, although it started promisingly with a steep climb after take-off, remained rather high and distant so, although a welcome substitution into the programme, it did not measure up to the Yak displays seen elsewhere on the UK airshow circuit.

The Popham-based AN-2 Club's Antonov AN-2, which was also due to display in 2016 but had been damaged by strong winds and was unable to attend that show, made a welcome appearance and impressed with its low-speed abilities. A second Antonov AN2 (HA-ANG) arrived in the early afternoon to pick up the Jump4Heroes Parachute Display team for an end of afternoon drop.

Another display returning to the schedule after a cancellation last year was Bob Grimstead's Fournier RF-4 motor glider. However, rather than being displayed by the owner, it was taken aloft by the very versatile Lauren Richardson, who arrived in her Pitts but changed mount for the display.

About Abingdon

On the site of the former RAF Abingdon and part of Dalton Barracks.

Opened as an RAF airfield in 1932, initially as a training station. Continued after the war as part of Transport Command and in the 1980s as a training base. Although RAF Abingdon officially closed in 1992, some military flying continues in connection with nearby RAF Benson and air cadet training.

Dragonfly

Dragonfly: one of the highlights of the static display

Great War Display Team

Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c (Great War Display Team)

Eight aircraft of the Great War display team were at Abingdon for the first time, complete with pyrotechnics, to mimic the tailchases and dogfights that may have been seen 100 years earlier. Unfortunately one, the debutante Avro 504K, developed an engine problem so the rest of the team retreated to allow Dan Griffiths to make a safe landing before the remaining seven resumed their display.

An earlier incident occurred when one of the Twisters from the SWIP Team lost an engine during a wing-over and had to make a rather hard emergency landing at the northern end of the runway. The pilot was injured and taken to hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery. Huge credit to the ground team who dealt with the incident swiftly and Ben Dunnell, the commentator, who kept the crowd informed. Proceedings were, of course, suspended whilst the emergency was being dealt with and this delayed subsequent displays to the extent that time ran out for Peter Davies in his autogyro and the solo Breitling Wingwalker, whose display would have been the first by any of the team at Abingdon for a few years. (... continued below the table)

Rotaries were Historic Army Flying's Scout and Mark Fitzgerald's Bell UH-1H Iroquois, better known as the 'Huey', a type invariably associated with the Vietnam war. The Scout reprised its appearance at the 2016 show but without the Sioux, which was still in maintenance, flying with their Beaver instead. The pair re-enacted the kind of surveillance operations that were carried out in Northern Ireland, when the crew of a Beaver would seek out information for the crew of the Scout to probe further.

The T-28A Trojan G-TROY, previously flying as a T-28 Fennec in French livery, was presented in its new USAF paint scheme. Unfortunately the light had gone by that time, being replaced by dark skies and rain, so the new USAF colours were not seen at their best. The rain also dampened the display, but not the energy or daring, of the spectacular Richard Goodwin flying a phenomenal aerobatic routine in his Muscle Biplane, a highly modified Pitts Special, deserving its registration G-EWIZ.

Static Aircraft

The static aircraft park is always a big attraction at Abingdon and this year it was especially so. The biggest surprise was Martin Baker's rarely-seen Meteor WL419. This was a surprise to most, being a well-kept secret until just a few days before the event itself. Although there were no jets flying, a second, BAC Jet Provost T52 G-PROV, which flies out of North Weald airfield, was also on the static park, as was Mustang 'Miss Helen'.

The RAF sent a pair of Tucano T1s and a Tutor T1. A Chinook and C-130 were both once due to attend but were later cancelled. Ironically, a C-130 Hercules did become available to fly past during the afternoon, but availability coincided with the incident involving the Twister so it was not allowed over the display line.

There were 3 Yaks, including Will Greenwood's Yak3-U, and a shiny Ryan SCW-145. Late and very appealing additions were four aircraft from Shipping and Airlines at Biggin Hill including their very rare Dragonfly: one of only two examples still airworthy. A list of some of the static exhibits is at the bottom of the table.

More on the ground

There were two cockpits to look at. Dave Webb returned with his Hunter WV381 and Robin Phipps was there with his Sea Vixen XJ579. Also on the aviation front, Tony Blackman, Avro test pilot, signed books on the Aviation Bookshop stand, where a variety of aviation books were for sale.

A Mastiff Protected Mobility Vehicle was amongst the heavy duty kit brought along by 3 and 4 Regiments Royal Logistic Corps, who have been based at Abingdon's Dalton Barracks for 25 years. It was also possible to see some of their DROPS (Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System) and EPLS (Enhanced Palletised Load System) vehicles. Weaponry and other equipment were displayed by Reserve Infantry of 7 rifles based at Edward Brooks Barracks, Abingdon.

The huge Kenworth 12.6 litre Detroit diesel engine lorry was one of the imposing vehicles at the show. There was also a Spitfire Virtual Reality simulator from 322 Squadron Royal Netherlands Air Force and plenty of the County show elements including Cotswold Pheasant & Poultry club and other livestock, local crafts, vintage and classic vehicles, motorbikes and helicopter pleasure flights.

Entertainment

X Factor contestant Ellie Mae, the band 'Radio Days', The Mangledwurzels & the Abingdon Rock Choir were part of the musical entertainment; the Abingdon Morris Dancers brought their unique performance and the Daleks and other characters from Doctor Who roamed the grounds.

Logistics

There was a change in the orientation to cope with some of the new regulations and to make it easier to demark the parking and show areas. As a result, this year, the show was on the other side of the main runway and there was a hard fence segregating the showground from the car parks. Arranging the show around the Dalton Barracks side of the airfield meant there was a little more space but that did not take away from the traditional country fair feel of the show.

It did, however, mean new traffic and crowd control arrangements, causing logistical problems and resulting in long traffic queues, not only on entry to, and exit from, the showground, but also on surrounding roads. This generated impatience from show-goers and other users of local roads. Some of the problems may have been aggravated by unauthorised adjustment of the traffic lanes going in and a lack of marshalling of traffic going out. There were a fair few complaints as a result and Neil has accepted in social media statements that things didn't go as well this year as they should have done. It is important to remember that this is a very large venture being managed and assisted by a group of volunteers who may well have been let down by companies who were paid to marshal the traffic and handle the entry arrangements. We are sure that lessons will be learned and that those arrangements will be revised for next year.

We should remember that this is a fund-raising event and that the sterling efforts of a small but dedicated team has raised cash for a variety of charities including over £70,000 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance service to date.

Dalton Barracks has been slated for closure in the medium term, so one day the show will have to either move or close. In the meantime the shape of the show may change, but we are quite certain that Neil and his determined team will pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again.

A Triumph despite exceptionally difficult circumstances

Bristol Blenheim

Bristol Blenheim

In 2016 the show certainly suffered its fair share of early-season issues. And some. This was to have been the first public display of the Sea Vixen in its inaugural season as part of the Royal Navy Historic Flight. Unfortunately, due to late-running essential work to the engine and associated repairs, Foxy Lady could not appear after all. Following the cancellation of the Sea Vixen, there was a conscious and deliberate decision not to have any jets at the show. This was because the relationship of the display line to the A34 may have proved problematic under the new regulations, which were beginning to appear as the show was being planned.

Not only was the RNHF Sea Vixen cancelled, but the BBMF were also not able to bring the Lancaster, as once hoped, because of maintenance issues. Other cancellations included The Global Stars, because some team members were committed to a show in India. Just as the cancellations piled up, storm Katie came along. The AN-2 Club, were booked to show their Antonov AN-2 in a flying display and in the static park, where visitors would have been able to see inside this largest biplane in the world that is still flying. Unfortunately the AN-2 was damaged by storm Katie, so the appearance had to be called off. The Harvard was another victim of the same storm and had to cancel. As if that wasn't enough, a mix-up with insurance, which the organisers blamed on Joint Helicopter Command, meant that the Chinook and Puma, destined to be attractions on the static display line, had to cancel. And then it snowed!

All this was against the background of the new charges introduced by the CAA, new CAA / MAA regulations that followed the Shoreham disaster, and that were still in a state of some flux and uncertainty, together with heightened supervision assuring adherence to the newly introduced and more distant flying lines. This would have been enough for many organisers to call the show off. But not Abingdon. Despite some obvious frustrations, the renowned resourcefulness of the organiser, Neil Porter, and his team ensured a full and varied flying programme at an entry price that is unbeaten for an airshow at any time in the season.

Photos

There are lots more photos of the show on our Abingdon Air and Country Show photo page.

In the air, the Blenheim followed the opening parachute jump and reassured the audience that airshows certainly are still worth attending. John Romain managed to show every angle of the recently-restored Blenheim, making its first post-restoration appearance at Abingdon, and flying a pleasing number of topside passes. Peter Davies reprised his very popular 2015 Abingdon début but Terry Martin's Wasp was the rotary star on the day. Major George Bacon, often a commentator at Abingdon, is also manager of the Army Historic Flight, which brought more rotaries as part of their contribution to the show: a Mk1 Sioux and a Mk 1 Westland Scout gave a fine pairs display whilst their Mk 9 Auster rested on static. Regrettably the anticipated Beaver was a late cancellation. (... continued below the table)

Aircraft
Bristol Blenheim
Calidus Autogyro (Peter Davies)
BBMF Spitfire and Hurricane
Lauren Richardson, Pitts S-1S Special
Jump 4 Heroes Parachute Display Team
Auster AOP6 (Kevin Hale)
Westland Wasp (Terry Martin)
Silence Twister solo (Pete Wells)
Curtiss P-40N Lulu Belle (Peter Teichman)
Catalina (Plane Sailing's PBY-5A)
Army Historic Flying: Sioux, Scout
Curtis Wright TravelAir
Bronco Demo Team
Piston Provost 'XF690' (Simon Wilson)
Static aircraft on display included:
Gazelles from the Gazelle Squadron
AAC Auster (Beaver cancelled)
Belgian Air Force NH90
Yak One (Dom Wilkinson)
Plus all display aircraft except the BBMF. Further examples here
Other aircraft notes
Yak 3 UM (Will Greenwood) CANCELLED - oil cooler leak
Global Stars (Chris Burkett +3) CANCELLED - overseas commitment
Sea Vixen CANCELLED - over-running maintenance
Antonov AN-2 CANCELLED - storm damage
Harvard (Richie Piper) CANCELLED - storm damage
P-51D Mustang 'Ferocious Frankie' & Spitfire Mk IX MH434 (pair) CANCELLED
Lancaster CANCELLED (by BBMF but Spitfire and Hurricane did display)
Fournier RF4 Motorglider CANCELLED and replaced by Piston Provost

The Twisters often display as a close-formation pair but this year Pete Wells flew G-TWST as a solo, Kevin Hale, often an Abingdon static, displayed for the first time in his Auster AOP6 and Peter Teichman, an Abingdon regular, brought his Kittyhawk 'Lulu Belle' this year. Lulu Belle is one of the aircraft Peter Teichman is making available for sale, so its longer-term future is uncertain. From the same era, a late and very welcome addition with a very graceful display to open the flying programme was the Aircraft Restoration Company's Bristol Blenheim, brought in to replace the Old Flying Machine Company's close-formation Mustang and Spitfire. The Blenheim was one of the stars of the show alongside its ever-popular Duxford stable-mate, Plane Sailing's Catalina, which was also a popular static item offering internal as well as external viewing. Despite the non-appearance of the Lancaster, the BBMF Spitfire and Hurricane did manage to get out of RAF Coningsby after weather delays and gave fine pairs and solo displays.

Supporting Air Ambulance

Despite all the difficulties in 2016, the show made a donation to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance of £8,000. The total donated to the air ambulance since 2007 to 2016 is £68,095.00 and an additional £16,800 has been raised for other charities since 2001 (as at Dec 2016).

An Abingdon regular who returned in 2016 was Tony De Bruyn, fresh from the Bronco Fan Day at Kemble to the static park and the flying display in his Bronco OV-10, with its torpedo repainted for the 2016 season in its new 'Tiger' paint scheme.

The lightest aircraft on the programme was the very impressive Lauren Richardson. Lauren arrived before the weather turned in 2015 but was unable to display because of the worsened conditions. Thankfully she had better weather fortune in 2016 albeit in gloomy skies and a gathering breeze. Abingdon always provides an opportunity to see aircraft not frequently displayed at major shows elsewhere. This year the role was filled by the Curtiss Wright TravelAir which arrived with the equally scarcely seen Miles Messenger and a Chipmunk.

In 2016 ground attractions included a tethered hot air balloon from the Oxford Balloon Company and two from the RAF (although it was too breezy for them to inflate on the day), live music from Radio Days, Greg Pullum (Blues & Boogie) and the Oxfordshire Rock Choir; Irish dancing, Clog dancing, Thames Valley Police Mounted (Horses) Division demonstration, Search & Rescue Dog demonstration, local crafts, a falconry demonstration, ferrets, Williams F1 car, vintage and classic vehicles and motorbikes, World War 2 re-enactors, Sea Vixen and Fairey Gannet cockpits and military tanks. The tanks that were available on the dunes were a Russian T55, Austrian Saurer Schutzenpanzer 4k4fa, Vickers Armstrong FV432 and Diesel CVRT Scorpion. There were be tank rides, but no live firing this year.

At a relatively small show like this the static park is especially important. It is easier here to get 'up close' to some craft that can only be seen in the air, or on the ground at greater distance, elsewhere. The static park, supplemented by the traditional show fly-in and out, is invariably populated with some impressive types including many of the aircraft that are to display. This year the static park featured a gathering of Gazelle helicopters and around 60 other aircraft including most of those displaying.

A flavour of earlier shows at Abingdon

Renegate hits the spot

Renegade hits the spot before your very eyes in 2014

Abingdon has not forgotten its roots as the Abingdon Fayre. At recent shows there has been plenty to entertain the whole family, including those who may not see the airshow as the main highlight. A variety of arena events have started before the airshow and continued through the day. There have been vintage vehicles of all types including domestic and military, four wheels, three wheels and two wheels: even working tanks, one of which, an Eastern Block T-55, toured the length of the crowdline and gave a demonstration firing before the air displays began in 2015 and before.

A marquee has provided a wide range of musical entertainment. Stalls showed off local crafts and interests and there have invariably been animals, usually including Dr Mike Leahy of National Geographic TV fame, who brings along a zoo bus of reptiles, insects and other wriggly things to touch and stroke. Recent shows have also had birds of prey to look at during the day and see flying in the arena.

For those of us whose main interest is aircraft, the shows have had plenty to offer. Lets be honest, there are likely to be disappointments. That is partly bad luck and partly a risk associated with being the first show of the season; vulnerable because maintenance and certification schedules don't always run to plan and also sometimes at risk from the unpredictable late Spring weather. However, at Abingdon the team work extremely hard to find substitutions and so reduce the risk of gaps in the running order.

Calidus Autogyro

Peter Davies and the Calidus Autogyro, Abingdon 'newbies' in 2015

Bronco

Abingdon was one of the first shows at which the Bronco became a regular, either flying or as a static item. Seen here in 2015

Fieseler Storch

Fieseler Storch. A very popular last minute substitute in 2014

Gazelle

Gazelle in 2014. Abingdon is always good for rotary fans

Meteor NF-11 in 2015

Meteor NF-11 in 2015

For example, in 2013 the loss of scheduled RAF trainers was more than matched by the substitution of a flypast by the RAF's Tristar 2CA. In 2014 an early deletion from the programme, Peter Teichman's P40 Kittyhawk, was replaced well in advance by his Spitfire Xl. Other losses that year included the Army Air Corps Lynx AH7, fully understandable in view of the tragic loss of life in Afghanistan just a few days before, and the Grob Tutor because the fleet was grounded. The Catalina was still at Duxford undergoing maintenance; the Royal Navy Historic Flight's Sea Fury was also still having its winter service and, possibly most disappointing of all, the much-anticipated Midair Squadron Hawker Hunter T7 XL577 G-XMHD, whose paperwork couldn't be sorted in time. Peter Vacher's Hurricane Mk1 R4118 G-HUPW also had to be cancelled on the morning of the show because unsatisfactory ground conditions meant that it could not leave its home airfield.

Trig Team

Dave Puleston shares his fuel in 2014. At Abingdon you can get close enough to see backroom jobs, not just the flying.

So are all these changes catastrophic for the show? Absolutely not. Even in 2015 when the very rough weather played havoc with the intended running order and caused around a third of the intended displays to be cancelled, the resilience that is typical of the Abingdon show means every year there is still a decent, if punctuated, programme. An example of this resilience in 2015 was the replacement of the Vampire Preservation Group's Vampire T11 with the Fennec T-28, but when that, too, could not appear because of a nosewheel problem, the RV8tors stepped in and opened the show.

The most popular substitute in 2014 was Peter Holloway's infrequently seen Fieseler Storch, which hopped over from nearby Old Warden and truly fascinated the crowd with its ultra-short landing and take-off, as well as its ability to almost hover over the runway and apparently to move in all directions. Bearing in mind that this is a family show to entertain people with all levels of knowledge about aircraft, this appeared to be a most welcome addition to the programme, being so different to the other airborne contributions.

Sharing top spot in the popularity stakes in 2014 was the Canberra, even without its intended Hawker partner. The previous public outing by the Canberra was its inaugural post-restoration display at Goodwood Revival in September 2013, when the weather was rather murky and rendered the paint scheme more grey than silver. No such problem at Abingdon, where the weather was perfect: the blue sky and bright sunshine giving this sexagenarian a brilliance that belied its age. Pilot Dave Piper was clearly keen that the entire crowd should see the Canberra in its first post-restoration season opener from every angle and in every configuration, including the bomb-door-open wheels-down dirty pass and ending with a howler of a fast departure, which had followed a slight pause and came as a surprise to many but a pleasure to all.

The Canberra was a fine 2014 finale to a 3 hour programme which had also seen the first airshow outing of the RAF's only display at Abingdon: its Tucano in this year's extremely popular 'Lest We Forget' livery, featuring poppies along the cowlings and a huge poppy on the underside, commemorating the centenary since the start of the first world war. As these displays demonstrated, this is the place to see new routines, new aircraft, new displays, new liveries.

In 2015 another 'first' for Abingdon was the much-anticipated inaugural display for the new season of the Typhoon-Spitfire synchro pair. Although not the Spitfire dressed in camouflage livery seen later in the season, the close and opposition flying of this new pairing thrilled the crowds, as did the first appearance at Abingdon of Peter Davies who threw his Calidus Autogyro around the airfield like a dog with a rag doll. The versatility of this craft has to be seen to be believed.

The Abingdon Air and Country Show usually has some military involvement, vintage jets, WW2 representatives and aerobatics. In 2014 aerobatic biplanes at the show included the Pitts Specials of the Trig Team. Richard Grace and Dave Puleston flew their usual ultra-close formations in these brightly painted diminutive aircraft which, like many of the other show contributors, had been on the static apron prior to the show. Being able to see the pre-display preparations by the teams adds hugely to the enjoyment of shows like this, so much so that many in the crowd choose to remain along the static crowd line rather than the flying line throughout the flying. Those watching Richard and Dave earlier in the afternoon would have witnessed a friendly sharing of fuel using pipes and a jug to even the loads between the aircraft. You don't see that at a seaside show.

Getting to the Abingdon Air and Country Show

By car

Abingdon is in Oxfordshire, north-west of Abingdon town and about 4 or 5 miles south of Oxford.

Use postcode OX13 6JQ in the Sat Nav until you get close, but ignore sat nav in favour of local airshow signs as soon as you see them

The show's web site has detailed directions.

 Directions

There are links to other route planners in the Travel Advice section.

By Train

There is no railway station in Abingdon but the Oxford to Didcot line runs nearby. The easiest place to aim for is Oxford, about an hour by train from London, and about 4 miles by taxi or local bus from Abingdon airfield.

Click here to create a pocket timetable for your journey between any stations on the National Rail network.

Travel Advice

Road traffic updates
Highways Agency
Rail
Incidents and enquiries
National Railway Map
DIY pocket timetable
Journey planning by public transport
Traveline
Route planners (Road)
AA
RAC
Bing (Microsoft)

Accommodation near the Abingdon show

It is best to book as far as possible in advance. This is not only because nearby hotels and guest houses tend get booked up well before the date of an airshow but also because prices can be better when you book early online.

The location is already built in to the link but please check, and change as necessary, the dates, number of rooms and number of guests.

Booking.com

Some More Options

There is a Premier Inn hotel in Abingdon and another in Didcot, about 5 miles away.

There is a Travelodge on the Abingdon Road in Oxford and there are another two within about 9 miles of the show.

Weather for the Abingdon area

UK Met Office Forecast

A full 7 day Abingdon weather forecast from the UK Met Office

BBC Forecast

A 14-day forecast from the BBC

What the forecasts tell you

The Met Office 7-day forecast includes actual and "feels like" temperatures, the likelihood of rain, wind speed, wind direction, wind gusts and visibility: the latter can have an impact on the viability of displays.

The BBC's 14-day forecast has overall conditions including and hourly estimate of temperature, wind direction, wind speed and UV range.

Click the blue-text link to go to the forecast. The location is already built into the links.

2023 Show Basics

Date

May 20th 2023

Airshow links

Show's web site


Tickets in 2023

Tickets are available now. Ticket details are on the show's web site.

Dogs

Permitted but on a lead only. Any dogs off a lead, and the owner, will be escorted off the site by security, as there is a risk to aircraft safety.

Travel

Sat Nav OX13 6JQ

 Directions

For links to other travel and route planning web sites, click the 'Getting There' tab

Photos

Photos taken at recent airshows at Abingdon

 

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