Tickets for The American Air Show must be booked in advance by midnight on Friday 27 May, no tickets are available on the day. Tickets are on sale at http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/airshows/2016/the-american-air-show
Just announced for Saturday 28 May only is a flypast by the United States Air Force’s Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which provides core aerial refueling capability, enhancing the Air Force’s ability to accomplish its primary mission of global reach.
Over the weekend, vibrant flying displays will be accompanied by evocative living history, veterans’ voices and powerful film and music to show the development of American air power through the World Wars, the Cold War and into the present day.
In addition to the dynamic flying display, visitors will be able to meet living history groups representing the United States Air Force in the Second World War and during the Vietnam era, listen to nostalgic music performed by Miss Holliday Swing, The Bluebird Belles and Pete Wayre, experience the Cambridge Lindyhoppers perform spectacular 1940s dances and see a rare 1942 Aeronca L3B Defender aircraft on static display.
Visitors can explore the newly-transformed American Air Museum, containing the best collection of American aircraft on show outside North America and see cutting-edge technology with the static display of an Insitu-Boeing ScanEagle in the American Air Museum and a Bell-Boeing CV-22 Osprey on the airfield.
Highlights of the flying programme include:
- Thrilling contemporary displays by the Patrouille de France (Saturday only), the Red Arrows (Sunday only) and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
- Epic flying displays depicting the bomber operations of the Second World War, the fighter war in the Pacific and the Vietnam War, accompanied by archive film, music and veterans’ memories.
- A flypast by a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Mildenhall.
- Two replica Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a biplanes and a replica Fokker DRI triplane, representing the war in the air during the First World War.
- Four North American Harvards, key training aircraft for British and American pilots, take to the skies to represent the British-American alliance reinforced while America remained neutral in the Second World War. The Harvards are followed by two Spitfires and a Hurricane, representing the American pilots who volunteered to fly and fight before America officially entered the Second World War.
- Archive sound and film footage places visitors on an Eighth Air Force bomber airfield in the Second World War as the ground crew awaits the arrival of the last B-17 Flying Fortress to return from a mission. B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B flies in, accompanied by a P-51 Mustang and a TF-51 Mustang, the fighter aircraft that escorted the huge bombers for part of their mission. Following a poignant display by B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, the Mustangs are intercepted by two Hispano Buchon (Messerschmitt Bf 109) aircraft and a thrilling tail chase ensues.
- As two Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft fly in, large screens are filled with footage of American paratroopers and, in filmed interviews, we hear from Henry ‘Duke’ Boswell, a paratrooper in the Second World War, who describes his experiences as a young man carrying out combat jumps, and Bud Rice, who flew a C-47 Skytrain on D-Day.
- Demonstrating the war against Japan in the Pacific, a Mitsubishi A6M Zero Replica, Curtiss P-40F Warhawk, Grumman FM-2 Wildcat and Goodyear FG-1D Corsair take to the skies accompanied by archive film footage of the Doolittle Raid.
- In commemoration of the decade-long Vietnam War, a North American T-28 Fennec takes to the skies to the unmistakable sound of Jimi Hendrix. Bell UH-1 Iroquois (‘Huey’) and Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (‘Loach’) helicopters fly through accompanied by the dramatic Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner. The Vietnam display concludes with a display by a North American OV-10 Bronco and a Shorts SC-7 Skyvan to the rousing music of The Doors.
- The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flies a Dakota, Spitfire and Hurricane.
- Thrilling aerobatics are performed by the Red Bull Matadors.
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For further press information please contact:
Esther Blaine on [email protected]/ 01223 499 320
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