Decades of experience and an immaculate safety record have helped Scarborough Borough Council secure a display by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on Saturday 25 June 2016, when a Hurricane and a Spitfire will fly down the coast from Whitby to Filey, including a 15 minute display over Scarborough as part of Armed Forces Day 2016.
With air shows all over the country being cancelled and scaled back following new rules brought in by the Civil Aviation Authority on 1 April following the Shoreham disaster last year, Scarborough’s epic team of aviation experts leapt into action to be one of the first organisations in the country to satisfy the onerous new safety requirements to ensure a successful aerial display from some of the most famous aeroplanes in England.
Squadron Leader Tim Fenton who manages the booking of aerial displays for Armed Forces Day explains that it was a combination of quick action and local expertise that enabled Scarborough to secure the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight:
“We had been made aware of the CAA’s reaction to Shoreham, so when the new requirements for staging air shows were implemented on 1 April, we were ready to react. Charles Skiera has helped with the planning of Scarborough’s Armed Forces Day commemorations and having run the Waddington Air Show for over 20 years, is well-known to the CAA, making him the perfect choice to be our Flying Display Director on the day. He has been liaising with the CAA to ensure that all of the paperwork and plans were filed in time for this display. It is thanks to his hard work that those living along and visiting the Yorkshire coast will see these magnificent aircraft as part of the celebrations.”
Indeed, within Yorkshire alone, the Yorkshire Air Festival and Red Arrows display as part of the Whitby Regatta have been cancelled this year as the safety requirements are so stringent that many organisations have not had time to complete the required paperwork and book suitably qualified display directors.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is not the only aerial display to feature in the day of action, centred on South Bay in Scarborough. A Sikorsky Helicopter working with the RNLI search and rescue team will take to the skies during the day. Subject to weather conditions on the day, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is due to start its journey flying down the River Esk and over Whitby town centre at 3.30pm, then following the coast down to Scarborough, where there will be a 15 minute display, starting at 3.40pm. The two aircraft will then fly by Filey at 3:55pm, before heading down to Cleethorpes, where they will take part in the national Armed Forces Day event.
Cllr Tom Fox, Chairman of the Armed Forces Day Committee said:
“We are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful expertise within our Armed Forces Day team; without the foresight, hard work and perseverance of Tim Fenton and Charles Skiera, our event would have been entirely based on land, so we are hoping that these fantastic aerial displays will draw enthusiasts from far and wide to join our celebrations.”
Other events during the day will include displays of military vehicles and weapons, a vintage fair and 1940s entertainment, marching bands and even an assault course, all designed to honour Britain’s armed forces, past, present and future.
The event is sponsored by Transpennine Express, which is more used to organising rail-based transportation to and from the Yorkshire coast. Mike Drewery, TransPennine Express’ (TPE) Group Station Manager for the North East said:
“As managers of Scarborough Railway station, we are delighted to be sponsoring Scarborough Armed Forces Day and the very special RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and offer those heading to this flagship event a very warm welcome. We are expecting train services to and from the North Yorkshire coast to be busy and recommend that customers check their journey prior to travelling.
“Attendees should also keep their eyes peeled for our TPE gazebo, where we’ll be handing out information, sweet treats and other freebies to share in the fun.”
For more information, please visit www.heroeswelcome.co.uk/scarborough or call 01723 383636.