Vulcan XH558, Red Arrows and much more on offer at Wickenby Air Show

WICKENBY AIR SHOW 15th – 16th June, 2013 – FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND
Vulcan pilot Martin Withers yesterday confirmed that he will provide a display in XH558 at approximately 14:40hrs on Saturday 15th June – and that ‘You won’t be disappointed’.

It’s a first for Wickenby Air Show and we’re all excited to welcome the Vulcan team. We are also delighted to welcome the RAF Red Arrows, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, SWIP duo, the Blades, Captain Neville’s Flying Circus, Aerobatic Tactics wing walkers and many more…

There’s also vintage vehicles, static aircraft, RAF Wickenby Museum, trade stands,1940s re-enactors, rides, 4×4 off-roading, children’s games and lots to eat and drink in our authentic WW2 control tower.

And don’t forget our amazing ‘Fun of the Forties’ Charity Dinner Dance on Saturday evening – a party that rivals the atmosphere of VE Day and this year is raising funds for the Lincolnshire Air Ambulance. Live music, private sunset pyrotechnics air display, two course meal, bar until late, dance floor, 1940s disco and vintage dress encouraged! (Tickets available online now)

THIS WEEKEND! Air show tickets available on the gate – £12.50 for adults and £5 for children (under 8s free entry).

‘Fun of the Forties’ tickets extra at £30pp and available online until Friday lunchtime, or from the Information Tent on Saturday – subject to availability. Visit the Air Show website.

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Wickenby welcomes WARTER Aviation

Gerald Cooper at Sywell Expo this weekend

This weekend saw a team from Wickenby Airfield, headed by Gerald Cooper, announcing the arrival of a new Avgas supply company to the UK – WARTER Aviation. This exciting news was announced at the Sywell Aero Expo and is thought to herald the beginning of cheaper Avgas prices in Britain.

WARTER Aviation UK will be supplying aviation gasoline and fuel additive products from the Research & Development Centre for Petroleum Industry (OBR PR) in Plock, Poland.  They have been producing aviation fuels since 2000 and have a strong reputation in the petroleum industry for over 45 years.

To aid the launch and to publicise the new aviation fuel brand in the UK, Gerald has updated his aircraft paint scheme to carry to WARTER logo and will be attending air shows and aerobatic competitions this season.

Regarding this new development Gerald states: “As an aircraft operator, commercial pilot, licensed aircraft engineer and aerodrome operator I am acutely aware of the pressures on aviation operators to source high quality, competitively priced fuel through an established and reliable supply chain.”

G-IIRI sporting the new WARTER logo

“Performance and capability are two of the critical factors in achieving success at the top level of competition aerobatics. In building the WARTER aviation brand in the UK we are confident that not only is our product the best performing, but we also have the capability to fulfil our customers’ needs through our high quality product, competitive pricing and reliability of supply.

As a member of the British Aerobatic Team I look forward to being powered by WARTER Aviation during my 2013 World Championship bid and displaying my Xtreme Air XA41 to airshow audiences around the world.” (Warter Aviation Website)


 


Wickenby Café in Financial Times Magazine

Pick up a copy of the Financial Times magazine this week? You may be surprised to find Wickenby’s café and the Memorial Museum getting a mention after a visit from writer Mrs Moneypenny:

“I go a long way, sometimes, to eat food. This is how a group of us made a special visit to the café at Wickenby airfield, near Lincoln, for Saturday brunch. What would I tell you if I were a food writer? The most important thing to know is that the food is prepared by Jean – but only on Thursdays to Sundays. The rest of the week there’s an honesty system for the tea and cake left out for hungry pilots.

If you plan a mass visit, it’s best to call and warn Jean, who took over a year ago, so that she can factor it into her supermarket run. I took 20 people to try her brunch and forgot to do just that.

Service? Excellent. She even drove me to the hangar at the far end of the airfield to use the loo because the nearer one was out of action. Location? A nice outdoor terrace if the weather allows, with a great view of the runway (note to Oxford airport – please move the café to somewhere we can see the planes), and a museum upstairs with hundreds of artefacts and photographs from the war days when it was RAF Wickenby, home to two squadrons of Lancasters. The brunch? Delicious. And great value for money, unless you include the round trip from Oxford.”

To read the full article and other great features visit: FT Magazine

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12 & 626 Sqn Memorial Service on YouTube

Wickenby’s Memorial Service took place last Sunday, marking the first of the ‘Friends of Wickenby Archive’ events.  It took place at the Icarus Memorial at 3pm, following in the footsteps of the Wickenby Register’s annual event.  It’s estimated that over 100 people made it to this year’s event, which was presided pver by Revd Ian Partridge.

Amongst those who attended was Wing Commander Strasdin, and six personnel from 12 Bomber Squadron who made the journey from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.  Lancaster PA474 from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight honoured the fallen and the attending veterans with a fly past at 3:55pm.

Joanna White, of Primetime Media, attended to record this event and has produced a short YouTube video which is posted below for all to enjoy.

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Last year’s event:

Veterans of 12 and 626 Squadron

It was an unfortunate end for the last Wickenby Register Memorial Service, when the heavens opened at the beginning of the service and torrential rain forced the event to be brought to a premature close.

All who attended stuck out the first hymn (coincidental that the rain began with the singing!) but an inability to hear the vicar speaking due to the violence of the rainfall led to the wreaths being laid immediately and everyone running for the cover of their cars or the Old Control Tower.

A saturated Tim Brett lays his wreath

For those few who stayed on for tea and snacks at the Watch Office, their patience was rewarded by a late fly past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster.

The Lancaster had been delayed at Duxford due to the weather and was not expected to make it to Wickenby. But thanks to RAF Coningsby ATC, we were notified when the aircraft was 15 minutes away and the Wickenby Register Members could be at the Icarus Memorial to witness the excellent display.

The Lancaster display over the Icarus Memorial

Graham Smith, a member of the Wickenby Register commented: “Once again streams of water appeared, only this time it was flowing down our cheeks as we remembered those brave youngsters who, having volunteered for aircrew during that conflict, laid down their lives in service of their King and Country. That fly past marked a very poignant and fitting end for the Wickenby Register (of airmen who flew from that airfield during WW2), which is formally closing this month and handing its assets over to the RAF Wickenby Memorial Museum.”

The Wickenby Register was formed in 1977 by a small group of aircrew who had served with 12 and 626 Squadron’s at Wickenby from 1942-45. Over the next few years founder members Jim MacDonald and Denzil Ede researched the history of the two Squadrons and collected together Operational Record Books, a considerable collection of photographs and a number of Flying Log Books and other documents for safe keeping. These documents form the basis of the Wickenby Register Archive which is looked after by the Wickenby Collection today.

Wickenby is now home to the Register

We will be sorry to lose the Wickenby Register, who are finishing this year. But we are delighted to announce that their good work will be kept going. The ‘Friends of the Wickenby Archive’ is a committee set up to preserve the heritage and memory of 12 & 626 Squadrons, to look after the Archive, the Book of Remembrance and the Memorial. They will also organise an annual memorial service and keep links with the current 12 Squadron and the ATC.

Anne Law of the Wickenby Memorial Collection adds: “The RAF Wickenby Memorial Collection also intends to have some sort of membership scheme which is in the process of being set up with a Newsletter (initially on our website) and then by email or post as necessary. Anybody can join and interested people should contact us at members.rafwmm@gmail.com or speak to Tim, David or myself.”

For more details visit The Wickenby Memorial Collection website.