Blue Eagles Team Displays – Sunderland Air Display – 24th and 25th July 2004

The team deployed to Sunderland for the International Airshow over the weekend 24/25 July. They took the opportunity for a suck of gas at RAF Shawbury and combined this with a display practice in front of an appreciative crowd present as part of the 50th anniversary of the Central Flying School (CFS) as well as a Wings Parade for 60 Sqn. The team then arrived at Sunderland late on Friday, parking the aircraft in a field at Whitburn Camp. Displays were performed on both Saturday and Sunday in front of enormous crowds despite the fairly mediocre weather (the heavens opened for a period after the Blue Eagles had displayed on the Sunday – still didn’t sell any umbrellas!). Sunderland was the team’s first Seafront Airshow; events which are always incredibly popular as they offer free entrance and consequently attract particularly large and enthusiastic crowds – the Exhibition vehicle was overrun for much of the time with members of the public keen to meet the ground and aircrew and dedicated autograph signing sessions specifically laid on by the Show’s organisers. The team also made a new best friend in Mathew Moir from Edinburgh who joined the aircrew for breakfast and received his own mention during the commentary. The team display was captured by RAF photographer SAC David Wright from RAF Leeming, and it is his pictures you see here. DeltaWeb would like to thank SAC Wright for allowing us to use his images.

Mathew Moir meets the Team on arrival, in transit greens!	Mathew at breakfast with the Team.
The opening crossover break shows how hazy the overcast conditions were!	The four-way cross was spot on.
The Lynx backs up in front!	The second pair in the 90 up/ 90 downs.
The four Gazelles running in for the finale….	….before looping in sequence before the Lynx backflips.