Airshow Season Kicks Off At Duxford Air Festival

The airshow season kicked off over the bank holiday weekend with thousands of people attending the annual Duxford Air Festival.

This year's event was made even more special as it marked the RAF's centenary.

The Imperial War Museum (IWM) showcased a selection of vintage aircraft from all over the world, with some British classics - the Tiger Nine, a Supermarine Spitfire, a Boeing Chinook and a formation team of nine 1930s Tiger Moth biplanes.

John Brown, Executive Director at IWM Duxford, explained its history: "The air station itself is 100 years old and was one of the first Royal Flying Corps stations and quickly translated into the RAF.

"It was then the first home of the Spitfire and it played a fundamental role in the Battle of Britain, so it's a really core part of the Royals Airforce's story."

The event took place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May, where aircraft took to the sky, putting on some impressive displays but there was also some interesting features on the ground.

World War One enthusiasts attended the event, each resembling small pieces of history from the great war.

Mike Bedford-Strading was one of them, he was on hand at the event to teach visitors about the strict regulations that army men and officers had to adhere to.

He said: "It was compulsory for officers and gentlemen to have a mustache up to mid-1916.

"If you didn't grow a mustache in the army, you had to have a very good excuse for it - a medical excuse, otherwise you were on a charge."

Also taking to the skies were the AeroSuperBatics WingWalkers, the world’s only aerobatic formation wing-walking team, and Patrouille de France.