Flying high in Keevil's anniversary air show (From Wiltshire Times)

Flying high in Keevil's anniversary air show

2:49pm Friday 19th May 2006 in News By Morwenna Blake

FLYING enthusiasts are in for a treat as the 10th anniversary of Europe's top vintage aircraft show comes to Wiltshire.

The Great Vintage Flying Weekend at Keevil Airfield, near Trowbridge, at the end of May could see more than 200 vintage and classic civil aircraft arriving each day. Organisers are hoping at least one Second World War Spitfire will be there to mark the area's connection with the famed aircraft.

A spokesman for the show said: "Although our event is national even international we are very keen to ensure that these local and personal stories are an integral part of it."

Trowbridge was at the heart of the production of the legendary planes, with factories in Bradley Road, Fore Street and Hilperton Road and in Southwick. Bombing forced the works out of Southampton in 1940.

Some of the other aircraft at the show will be a familiar sight to regular visitors but many more will be visiting for the first time. Notable additions to this year's visitor list include a Curtis-Wright Travelair G-AAOK, a Waco YMF-5C N999PD, a Puss Moth G-AAZP and a Curtiss P40 Kittyhawk G-KITT.

Among the highlights of the event, run by volunteers, will be a flypast salute from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota on the Saturday. This will be in tribute to the wartime role of Keevil when it launched the tugs and gliders for airborne forces as part of the D-Day landings and the ill-fated Bridge Too Far' assault on Arnhem.

The event is not a traditional air show with all the aircraft privately-owned and brought in at the owners' expense. As well as visitors from around the UK there will be aircraft enthusiasts flying in from Germany, France, Switzerland and other European countries.

As well as the aircraft the show attracts a strong following from the classic car and motorcycle fraternity and from vintage military vehicle groups. The event is £25 per car to revisit throughout the show and daily admissions are £15 for a car and driver, £5 for each additional adult and free for under 16s.

The event will be held over the Bank Holiday weekend, from May 26-29, with the gates opening at 10am daily.