Shuttleworth’s Spectacular Season Premiere Air Show Soars
The skies above Bedfordshire roared to life as the Shuttleworth Collection launched its 2025 air show season with an unforgettable tribute to aviation history, heroism, and sheer aerial artistry. Held at the picturesque Old Warden Aerodrome, the season premiere attracted thousands of aviation enthusiasts, families, and veterans alike for a day brimming with nostalgia, daring displays, and poignant remembrance.
A Soaring Salute to a Fallen Pilot
Among the many standout moments of the day, none stirred the crowd more deeply than the majestic pass of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Supermarine Spitfire, now resplendent in new livery. Repainted to honour the late Squadron Leader Mark Long, a respected RAF display pilot tragically lost in a crash in May 2024, the aircraft's graceful flight served as both a tribute and a reminder of the bravery and skill that define military aviation.
The Most Whimsical War of the Day: A Flower Bombing and Low Flying Contest
Injecting a dose of lighthearted fun, the flower bombing competition proved an audience favourite. In a throwback to interwar flying club antics, four vintage aircraft-a Southern Martlet, De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, Miles Magister, and the charmingly utilitarian Blackburn B.2-took turns attempting to drop paper "bombs" on a ground target from aloft.
Rarities and Racers: A Museum in Motion
No Shuttleworth show would be complete without its exquisite parade of historic rarities, and this year's opener delivered in spades. The De Havilland DH.88 Comet, an icon of 1930s racing glory, stunned onlookers with its sleek lines and elegant flight profile-a rare treat as only a handful remain airworthy worldwide.
Aerobatic thrills came courtesy of the Pitts S-1D Special, which spiraled and tumbled through a jaw-dropping routine that drew gasps from the crowd.
The futuristic-looking Fauvel AV.36, with its tailless flying-wing design, fascinated audiences with its unconventional silhouette and whisper-quiet glide.
From military trainers like the Percival Provost to elegant pre-war tourers including the Desoutter I and Parnall Elf, the show offered a veritable timeline of British aviation history-right up to the frontlines of the First World War, with thrilling mock dogfights staged between the Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a and the Bristol F2B Fighter.
Wings of War: Legends in the Air
Later in the day, a combat-themed segment brought the crowd to its feet. The Gloster Gladiator I, Britain's last biplane fighter, danced through the sky in a lively solo display, its radial engine growling with vintage menace. It was joined by the Supermarine Spitfire Vc and followed by a fearsome North American P-51D Mustang.
Not to be outdone, a privately owned and flown 1943 Spitfire Mk IX performed a precision routine that highlighted the nimbleness and power that made the type a legend.
Meanwhile, the sinister silhouette of the Westland Lysander-used for clandestine SOE missions in WWII-evoked gasps and goosebumps alike as it swooped low in dramatic fashion.
Grace and Grandeur: Civilian Stars and Flying Oddities
Beyond warbirds and racers, the show celebrated the civilian aviation boom of the early 20th century. The twin-engined Lockheed Electra 12, with its polished metal skin gleaming in the sun, made a stately pass that evoked the golden age of air travel.
Crowds also enjoyed flypasts by the Soviet-built Polikarpov Po-2, once a harasser of German troops and now a beloved veteran of the skies.
The De Havilland DH60 Cirrus Moth and DH.51, both pioneers of private aviation, rounded out a segment dedicated to the birth of recreational flying.
A Living Legacy
As the sun dipped low over Old Warden, visitors lingered among the aircraft, chatting with pilots and volunteers, many of whom helped maintain these historic machines. Shuttleworth's season premiere wasn't just a display-it was a celebration of living heritage, community passion, and the enduring allure of flight.
With more events to come throughout the summer, including evening airshows and vehicle parades, the Shuttleworth Collection continues to prove that history doesn't belong in a hangar-it belongs in the sky.
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