Biggin Hill

The Festival of Flight was not held in 2020 or 2021

We are not aware of a show at Biggin Hill in 2022

Biggin Hill Festival of Flight

No show in 2021

No mention of a show in 2022

Breitling Jet Team

The Breitling Jet Team headlined in 2019

For a few years until 2019 there was a family airshow at Biggin Hill, one of the most important WWII aerodromes, with close links to the Battle of Britain.

The Festival of Flight was to have given way in 2020 to a public event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and The Hardest Day, illustrating these extraordinary events in UK history, both in the air and on the ground.

The Battle of Britain was the first campaign to be fought entirely in the air. RAF Biggin Hill played a significant role in the battle, especially on the 18th August, the climax of the Battle that determined the course of WWII, the day that became known as "The Hardest Day".

Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. There was no news for a long while about a possible airshow in 2021 but, when it came, the news confirmed that the 2021 show would also not be held. We are also not aware of plans for a show in 2022.

Message from the show

"Due to the uncertainty posed by Covid-19, we are unable to host the Festival of Flight this year [2021]. However, we are delighted to be supporting Aerobility’s Armchair Airshow on [from 14.00 on] Saturday 29th May 2021. This online event will bring the thrill of aviation to your living room via an exclusive and free to view livestream, broadcast directly from our hangar here at London Biggin Hill Airport."

There is a link to the livestream on the show's Facebook Page.

Airshows at Biggin Hill

Airshows at Biggin Hill were organised by Air Displays International until 2010. In 2011 there was an airshow said to 'better reflect the airport's 'emerging role as a Business & General Aviation Aerospace Centre', but with recognition of its past' with WW2 aircraft displays. A new sequence of annual airshows entitled the 'Biggin Hill Festival of Flight' began in 2014.

Biggin Hill

Biggin Hill was a famous fighter station that played a major role in the Battle of Britain and, despite repeated attacks, remained operational throughout. Biggin Hill is now an international airport and home to several warbirds owned and operated by the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, based at the airport.

Biggin Hill Festival of Flight 2017

La Patrouille de France

The only 2017 display by La Patrouille de France was at Biggin Hill

The fourth year of the show in its new guise was stretched to 2 days and celebrated the centenary of the airport.

Since it restarted in its present form in 2014, the Festival has been rather fraught with problems, ranging from woefully inadequate toilet and refreshment facilities in the first year, terrible parking control for the first two years and bad luck with the weather. The infrastructure problems had been sorted by year three and the date change helped on the weather front, so 2017 was set to be the year when it all came right for Biggin Hill. Unfortunately, there were still some complaints about traffic management within the grounds, so possibly some more work to do there.

The show itself was immeasurably better than the previous few: the displays by the Czech 'Hip' and 'Hind' were not only highlights of the show but some of the highlights of the 2017 airshow season. Most of the other highlights came from abroad, too, in the form of the Belgian F-16 and the only UK display by the Patrouille de France. Add the Red Arrows, Typhoon, Chinook and BBMF, plus family favourites the Great War Display Team, Wingwalkers and Trig Team and the show was the best at Biggin Hill for a long time.

Aircraft
Red Arrows Both days
Typhoon Sunday
Saab JAS-39 Gripen (Czech Air Force)Both days
RAF ChinookSaturday
Mil Mi-35 'Hind' (Czech Air Force)Both days
Mil Mi-17'Hip' (Czech Air Force)Both days
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Both days
Great War Display TeamBoth days
Belgian F-16 Both days
Bronco Both days
Patrouille de France Sunday
B-17G Sally B Both days
Spitfire Mk IX 'Spirit of Kent'Both days
Spitfire Mk lX PH-OUQ '3W-17' (Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight)Both days
Hurricane Mk X Both days
Trig TeamBoth days
G-Force Aeros (Little and Large)Both days
Breitling WingwalkersBoth days
Cancelled or withdrawn
Swordfish W5865 Unserviceable 
B-25 Mitchell Unserviceable  
Additionally the following are due to be on static display, but are not flying during the show
EADS CASA C-295 (Czech Air Force)
Transall C-160 (Patrouille De France Support)
Sentinel R1 (RAF Waddington) CANCELLED
Hawk T.2 (RAF Valley)
Chinook (RAF Odiham)

Credit for the success of the show is down largely to foreign participation, which accounted for a third of all the displays. The Patrouille de France; the ever-popular display by the Belgian F-16 and the contributions from the Czechs set the show apart, not only from earlier shows at Biggin Hill, but from other aerodrome shows in 2017. The two-day August format is due to return in 2018. We are hoping the line-up will be just as good and management of the car park exit reverts to 2016 efficiency.

Summary of the 2016 show: A Decent Family Show

Rich Goodwin at Biggin Hill 2016

Rich Goodwin at Biggin Hill 2016

Back for a third year in its new guise, there was around 4½ hours of flying during the rather drab and slightly damp afternoon at this year's Festival of Flight. This is a family show and featured plenty to delight the family audience, including the wingwalkers and turbulent display team, although there was little innovation or combination flying for the regular airshow-goer to enjoy.

Thankfully, lots of the logistical problems suffered at the two previous shows had, at last, been sorted out, so getting in, leaving and making use of the toilet and refreshment facilities were all no worse than at most air shows - and better than many.

The flying displays included the Red Arrows and a Spitfire and Hurricane from the BBMF, hot from the Queen's 90th birthday flypast, although the Lancaster, originally expected, was still unserviceable. The Apache Helicopter Display Team had been booked but support for the show was withdrawn by Joint Helicopter Command, so the Apache display had also been cancelled and the general weather situation between his base and the airfield prevented Terry Martin bringing his Westland Wasp.

The main historic attractions were the Fairey Swordfish, Sally B, the Catalina and the Blenheim and this was also the first public outing Hangar 11's Mustang in its new 'Red Tails' livery. With the exception of Sally B, these aircraft also adorned the static line-up, where those who were not keen to sit on the flightline could see at reasonably close-quarters the planes crew, fire-up and manoeuvre, adding significantly to the spectacle.

The main display was preceded by around 30 minutes of very skilled and varied flying of large (and expensive) scale model electric and traditionally-fuelled aircraft, representing both vintage and jet types. Towards the end of the main flying display, G-Force Aeros demonstrated rare skill when Chris Burkett flew his Extra 300 and Mike Williams flew the scale model of the same aircraft, solo and in formation.

Aircraft
Scheduled to fly   (tap / hover over icon for more detail)
Red Arrows (RAF)
BBMF Spitfire and Hurricane (Lancaster booked but unserviceable)
Breitling Wingwalkers
The Blades
Fairey Swordfish (RNHF)
Bronco Demo Team
Bristol Blenheim
B-17G 'Sally B'
Mustang. 'Red Tails' (was Jumpin Jacques). Hangar 11
Richard Goodwin
'Kent' Spitfire TA805
Hurricane AE977 'P3886'
Westland Wasp (weather prevented arrival)
Turbulent Team.
G-Force Aeros: Chris Burkett and Mike Williams Extra 300 duo
Catalina
Royal Navy Raiders
Previously announced but cancelled
Attack Helicopter Display Team. Apache
Static aircraft
Two Gazelles from the Gazelle Squadron
Westland Wessex x2
Yak 52 (Aerobility)
De Havilland DH90 'Dragonfly'

Among the civilian highlights were Richard Goodwin with his usual stonking performance, for those who stayed beyond the Red Arrows, and the Bronco, without the team's Skyvan.

On the ground two Westland Gazelle helicopters from the Gazelle Squadron were the most popular of the static displays. The team allowed visitors to get up close and even sit in one of the Gazelles. There was also a massive funfair, children's amusements, meet the pilots and the usual trade stands.

At many shows the VIP, sponsor, veteran, media and other enclosures consume so much of the crowdline that there is little left for the paying customer. A major plus for the Biggin Hill show is the generous access to the crowdline, with relatively few allocated enclosures: these at the end rather than the centre of the flightline, leaving the coveted central area for anyone who arrives early enough to base themselves there.

Keeping everyone abreast of developments as they happened were commentators Andy Pawsey and Ben Dunnell, with the specialist commentators for some teams including Red 10 Mike Ling for the Red Arrows. Unfortunately the audience in the centre of the crowd line couldn't hear a word he said over a young band screeching into a rather better audio system on the main stage. Volume aside, the stage entertainment was popular and varied, with plenty to cheer the youngsters as well as the vintage ballads more common to airshows.

The full flying list is in the table.

Getting to Biggin Hill

By car

The postcode for sat nav is TN16 3BH.

 Directions

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

Travel Advice

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Accommodation near Biggin Hill

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.

There are plenty of booking agencies. We find that many of the well known ones are better at finding hotels from international or larger UK chains and may suggest hotels in main towns or cities quite a distance from the show site.

Some Options

There are six Premier Inn hotels within about 10 miles of the airport and The International Hotels Group have a Holiday Inn Express about nine miles away in Croydon.

There are four Travelodge hotels within about 7 miles of the airport.

Click any of the blue names to go to the corresponding web site. The links already have the location built in, but please check, and change as necessary, the dates, number of rooms and number of guests.

Weather for the Biggin Hill area

UK Met Office Forecast

A full 7 day Biggin Hill 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.

2022 Show Basics

Date

There has not yet been any mention of a show in 2022

Airshow links

Travel

Sat Nav TN16 3BH

 Directions

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

 

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