Review - The Redhill airshow and fly-in, held August 14, celebrated the 60th anniversary of VE and VJ days, supporting several armed forces charities in the process.  A number of World War Two veterans attended the show enticed by the 1,000 free tickets that were available for them as part of the ´60 years on´ theme and an excellent day out was had by all, at what is an intimate and garden party style display.

Redhill’s all grass runways lie in the lee of Gatwick airport’s controlled airspace but this did not prevent a typically thunderous display from an RAF 56 (Reserve) Squadron Tornado F.3.  Other serving military participation included the RAF Red Devils parachute display team who opened the show in a novel way jumping from the back of a Chinook heavy lift helicopter.

Warbird participation included a tight pairs formation routine from the Old Flying Machine Company’s Spitfire LF.IXb MH434 and P-51D Mustang ´Ferocious Frankie´, while Plane Sailing’s PBY-5A Catalina glinted resplendently against a rare opening of blue sky.  The Royal Navy Historic Flight’s Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 VR930 also managed to display in the sun while Rob Davies closed the show in his P-51D ´Big Beautiful Doll.´

Undoubted star of the static display was the public debut of The Huey Team’s Vietnam veteran Bell UH-1H Iroquois G-UHIH recently restored in the USA and reassembled and test flown at Redhill.  The distinctive ‘whop-whop’ noise of the Huey’s twin rotor blades turned many heads as it hover taxied into position.

Visitors were also able to tour the many hangers, highlights including a rare glimpse of progress on Short Scion II G-AEZF which is being rebuilt to static display condition despite the absence of any surviving original manufacturer’s drawings.

back to airshow photographs from 2005