Blue Eagles

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Army Historic Aircraft Flight | The Museum of Army Flying | Army Air Corps Recruiting

Blue Eagles Team Displays – The Southport Air Show – 8th and 9th September 2001

Southport is without doubt one of the best displays in Britain for two reasons, the first being the natural ampitheatre formed by the seawall and the curving beach, the second is the wide variety of display aircraft the show has become famous for. The Blue Eagles are an annual favorite at the show, welcomed by the town each year anew. The Saturday dawned bright, but very, very windy, with gusts up to 35 knots, which meant some of the Team’s display would be simply impossible, blowing as it was onto the crowd line. Instead, the Team did what they termed the ‘Southport Special’, a partial display including all the manoeuvres safe to perform in such a strong wind. The Team breifed and walked through the new routine very carefully before flying, and managed the buffeting and difficult conditions with great elan. The flying committee agreed that this was a fantasic way to fly to their limits, and all concerned were most impressed with this stout effort.

Saturday 8th September

The Team arrived in Diamond Five formation, breaking to land on the beach.	Landing right in front of the crowd caused great excitement….

….as the Team aircraft seemed to disappear into the ground display!	Keeping in loose vic in the gusty, lumpy conditions, the Team departed to begin their new display.

The manoeuvres included a break from Diamond Five….	….leaving intricate smoke trails in the bight blue sky.

Despite the wind, Richie and Ray managed a loop and a backflip in the Lynx….	….and the Gazelles did a sharp and dramatic Crossover Break.

Other aircraft in the show included Anthony Hodgson’s immaculate Spitfire Mk IX two seater…..	….and the Battle of Britain Memoral Flight’s Mk IXC.

The Royal Navy provided a pair of shipborne Lynxes.	The Utterly Butterly Flying Circus thrilled the crowd in the strong wind.

Brian Lecomber and John Taylor flew a superb display in the Extra 300s of the Microlease Duo.	Johnathon Whalley thrilled the crowd with his beautiful Hunter, ‘Miss Demeanour’.

Airtours provided an unusual display item in the form of their Airbus A320.	The Gold Air Pitts went completely mad in a high speed display of precision aerobatics.

Click here to see the highlights from Sunday 9 September.

Archived news is available by clicking here.

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