Visit to the East Fortune Airshow 2010

After gathering at the new ACE IT offices on George Street we boarded a minibus – supplied by SEAG – and headed off on the short journey to East Fortune airfield.

While we were a little early, the roads nearby the airfield seemed remarkably quiet and we wondered if we had the days mixed up – However – as we topped the slight rise at the entrance to the event it became quite clear that many other folks were taking advantage of the fine weather and had also decided to arrive early.

Thanks to excellent stewardship and well laid out parking facilities, we were soon off the coach and ready to enjoy the many attractions and entertainments which accompanied the actual Airshow.

A central walkway bordered by stalls and display areas led the way to the main exhibition buildings. The stalls were many and varied - from demonstrating the work of the air cadet service to wonderful collections of model and kit aircraft. The display areas featured a selection of interactive exhibitions such as a recreation of a ‘Scramble’ tent where pilots and aircrews would wait until the order to take off was issued. Visitors could also handle original wartime weapons such as Sten, Bren and heavy duty machine guns. The weight of some of the weapons was incredible and everyone expressed their respect for the poor souls who had to carry them on a regular basis.

Throughout the morning more and more visitors arrived and the display and exhibition areas soon became crowded. One of the most popular attractions was the (permanent) display of ‘Concorde’. Based in its own dedicated hanger, the Concorde still has all the charm and style which made it one of the most popular and recognisable aircraft of the last centaury.

Other hangers contained exhibitions covering a wide number of topics ranging from avionics and the science of flight, to an outstanding collection of the aircraft of war including a ‘Spitfire’, a ‘Phantom’ and a ‘Mig Fighter’ (to name just a very few).

With so much to see the morning flew swiftly past and by lunchtime we were all ready to settle down and enjoy our picnic lunch. Jim, the coach driver provided by SEAG joined us as we relaxed in the warm sunshine. A keen enthusiast of wartime machinery, Jim proved an excellent companion and was able to answer a number of questions about what we had experienced throughout the morning and went on to entertain us with stories about other similar events he had attended over the years.

By the time of the main event, the weather was perfect, warm and bright with cloudy skies which formed an ideal backdrop against which the airplanes were clearly visible even at a great distance. We realised that our location offered an ideal view of the flight area and so we decided to settle down and enjoy the show from where we were.

For the next four hours the skies above the airfield were filled with a fantastic assortment of aircraft which swooped and soared to the delight to the 10,000 strong crowd.

The show began in gentle style with a graceful display of gliding from the ‘Swift’ glider team which silently and beautifully displayed man’s utter mastery over the force of gravity. It was then over to the powered aircraft which roared over the appreciative audience below. A number of set display pieces included the daredevil antics of the ‘Breitling Wing Walkers’ and the precision barnstorming of the ‘Aerostars’ display team which delighted those on the ground who responded with clapping and cheering accompanying every impossible twist and turn.

The majority of the show consisted of solo performances from a wide selection of aircraft such as the tiny ‘Bulldog’, the bi-wing ‘Tigermoth’ and the futuristic looking jet powered ‘Vampire’. One of the largest aircraft attending this year’s show was the Catalina seaplane which proved remarkably versatile for its unusual shape.

World War 2 aircraft are always a popular attraction at air shows across the country and were well represented at East Fortune this year with ‘Kittyhawk’ and ‘Mustang’ aircraft providing dazzling displays of speed and manoeuvrability. A rare appearance of a ‘Dakota’, the airplane whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s proved a popular addition to this year’s display.

A distinctive roar in the far distance announced the arrival of the star of the show, a fully restored wartime ‘Spitfire’. One of the last Spitfires to be commissioned during the war, the aircraft was gifted the Israeli air force in the late 40s only to be discovered many years later buried in the sand of a kibbutz. Returned to the UK for restoration the Spitfire’s appearance marked the highlight of the East Fortune Airshow 2010 and ably demonstrated the style and versatility which overcame the Luftwaffe dominance of Europe’s wartime skies.

All too soon it was time to head back home. The journey back to Edinburgh was filled with chat about what we had seen with everyone in agreement that the trip should be a regular event. A fantastic day out for one and all!