Shackleton

On Saturday 29 June 1991 some 150 Shackleton Association members gathered at RAF Waddington to say farewell to these giant aircraft and were witness to a very personal and private flying display captured for all time on this video. A celebration lunch followed at the nearby East Kirkby Museum under the wings of another giant Avro plane, the Lancaster. This video captures the aircraft's airshow performances in those last few weeks at RAF Mildenhall, Southend, Biggin Hill, RAF Cosford and at the historic Avro site at Woodford.

Woodford is the site of an important British Aerospace plant involved in the production of the successful 146 and ATP airliners. Perhaps though it is best known to enthusiasts as the home of the historic Avro Co.The Lancaster, Shackleton and the Vulcan therefore take pride of place in this DVD with BAe types. RAFA NW has a long experience of organising this event and it shows with the scale and breadth of the displays and their ability to attract some rare types including the Merchantman. Spectacular weather combined to make Woodford '91 a vintage airshow.

The Biggin Hill International Air Fair is a 2 day event held in the Spring at the Historic RAF Battle of Britain base south east of London.

It's a very big show, attracting a variety of displays both military and civil. The enthusiast is always rewarded by something unusual like this years fly-bys by a Northwest Airlines Boeing 747.

RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk is operated by the United States Air Force and hosts a big military airshow over the two days of the Spring Bank Holiday.

1991 was the 15th annual event and included rare displays by the heaviest metal in the USAF inventory including the B1 and B52 bombers, the C5 Galaxy and C141 Starlifter transports and Mildenhall's own KC135's tankers.

Fast Jets included the F15,F16, Tornado and Mirage 2000.

The RAF's Shackleton made one of its last ever appearances contrasting poignantly with displays by the E3A AWAACS and Nimrod.

The annual Mildenhall Air fete is the UK showcase for modern American might and muscle and this bumper length video features the most dramatic action from the 1988 to 1995 shows.

American types dominate particularly the 'heavies' for which "The Hall" is so famous but rare and spectacular contributors from a dozen other air forces are included too.

Airshow aficionados have long held Woodford's June show in great regard for both the variety and the rarity of the display items assembled. For hundreds and thousands though, it's been the Vulcan, the Lancaster and, recently, the Flankers of the Russian Test Pilots that have attracted them to Avro's famous historic site near Manchester.

RAF St. Mawgan 1989

2 separate tactical attacks by Buccaneers and Jaguars contrast with rare and separate displays by an RAF Hunter T7 and Navy Hunter FGA9. Another rare visitor is an Air Seychelles Boeing 707 and the maritime theme presents an Atlantique, Shackleton and Nimrod.

RAF Valley and RAF Abingdon 1989

Strong winds at Valley and rain at Abingdon force us to combine these 2 events but there is plenty of exciting material including a Hawk tactical attack.