A Hurricane and Spitfire guard the last bastion of the Battle of Britain. Record fuel prices failed to deter the record crowds from attending the Biggin Hill International Air Fair held on 7-8^th June.

  The six hour display at the historic airfield represented a centenary of flight crammed into one weekend.  The event celebrates the 90^th anniversary of the Royal Air Force with the highlight being the high octane all action RAF Role Demo display.  Pyrotechnics and thundering afterburners along with the swiping heavy blades of support helicopters all worked in concert to ‘secure’ an invaded airfield.  Four Tornado fighter engaged two sinister low flying Hawk jets playing the adversary role.  A Chinook helicopter dived in to extract ‘friendlies’ with an RAF Apache gunship flying cover. Unseen overhead a Boeing E-3D Sentry directed and deployed the air assets according to identified ‘threats’.

  Jet powered strafing runs and explosions kicking up more turf is nothing short of a heavy metal rock concert. A more classical performance was conducted by the Bleriot monoplane replica, delicately taking to the skies in tribute to Louis Bleriot’s English Channel crossing of 1909.

  Rolling forward a plethora of WW2 warbirds took centre stage.  Spitfire Mk 9 and the P-51D ‘Ferocious Frankie’ part of the Duxford collection were awarded the best team trophy for their combined aerial routine.  Another P-51D painted in the ‘Jumpin Jacques’ livery tightly escorted a Dutch marked B-25 Mitchell bomber.  The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight delighted with its freshly overhauled Lancaster bomber flanked by its ‘little friends’ the dutiful Hurricane and Spitfire. 

  Closer to the cold war era, a gleaming F-86A Sabre Jet streaked effortlessly through its display as did the venerable Meteor and Hunter fighters.  The Seahawk in Royal Navy colours flashed its glossy white undersides to the crowd line.  Sadly the much anticipated Vulcan V-bomber failed to make its debut, fingers crossed it will be certified to fly later during this season.

  A spicy offering was the polished display from the Indian Air Force Sarang Helicopter team.  In the wake of the majestic ‘peacock’ inspired rotor wash came the jet high jinks from seven L-39’s comprising the Breitling Jet Team.   A French Air Force Mirage 2000 performed an amazing series of rolls to clinch the best individual display award.  Rounding off the afterburner section was an RAF Typhoon jet fighter.

  A nod to the wing walkers of yester year was in the form of the Team Guinot Stearman duo. Contemporary barnstorming accolade goes to the Swift Aerobatic Display Team. The routine consists of a Swift glider being tethered to its Extra 300 tug to perform a breathtaking display involving barrel rolls and tight turns.

  With the Red Arrows on an overseas tour, the Blades Extra aerobatic team flown by former Red Arrow pilots suitably stepped in.  RAF Falcons parachutist team jumped in time before the show closed to the throaty roar of a Spitfire flypast.  Chocks temporarily in place until Biggin Hill 2009!