SUNDAY 1st MAY Abingdon Airfield, Dalton Barracks In support of 2016 Programme £1 Ambulance Trust, whose new EC135 helicopter is here. Notable ground at- Welcome tractions include the Oxfordshire Rock Choir, Thames Valley Police Mounted (horses) Division, Dr Who Daleks, vintage vehicles, steam and flight simulators. The flying this year is more of a prop and rotary display, with a Spitfire, Hurricane and Catalina, and several helicopters such as a Sioux, a Scout and a Wasp. As always the show is put together over many months. This year we have changed to being under Military Aviation Authority regulations. I would like to thank my fellow commit- tee members and all the weekend volunteers, who give up their time as A very warm welcome to the Abingdon well as in the build up, to make the Air and Country Show 2016. Now in our show a success. We’d also like to thank 17th year, we have tried to capture all our sponsors and guests. once again a variety of both aerial and We hope you enjoy the day with us! ground displays. Since 2007 we have NEIL PORTER supported the Thames Valley Air EVENT ORGANISER Thank you Our charitable donations The Abingdon Air and Country Show requires a Since starting in 2000 this event has raised: - significant amount of input from a range of £14,000 Douglas House Respite Centre (2001 06) £60,095.70 Thames Valley Air Ambulance (since organisations and individuals. The Organising 2007) Committee thank the following: £1,000 Gabriel Masih Fund £800 Thames Valley Wing Air Cadets Our sponsors (see right), Defence Estates; £500 Lily Gulshat Fund (2011) Royal Logistic Corps, Dalton Barracks; Royal Air £500 Heyford Park Community Centre (2012/13) Force Events Team; Joint Helicopter Command; Army Air Corps; No 612 Volunteer Gliding Our 2016 sponsors Squadron; Civil Aviation Authority; Military Aviation Authority; John Davis (Flying Display Director); RAF Brize Norton; London Oxford Airport; Light Aviation Fire & Rescue Service; Didcot Plant Hire; Steve Le -Vien; Spirit of 1875 Aircraft Marshallers; Clive Palmer Radio Communications; Vale of White Horse District Council; Oxfordshire Highways; Thames Valley Police, Ambulance and Fire & Rescue services; Emergency Medical Coverage; all participating pilots, exhibitors, traders and volunteer helpers; Show Committee: Neil Porter, Andy Porter, Sue Phil Holt; Roger Milburn; Paul Beaver; Porter, Jason Porter, Colin Smith, Malcolm Ashby. John D’Main; Jon K Design; Ben Dunnell Brian Davis. The committee wishes to thank all the (commentator); Enterprise Rent -a-Car; the volunteers who have helped over the course of the local Air Training Corps squadrons involved; entire show weekend. Main cover photo: Paul Johnson, www.air -shows.org.uk. All aircraft photos All community magazines, newsletters, local newspapers; BBC Radio Oxford. Paul Johnson unless stated. Around the showground Daleks! Vintage vehicles The range of vintage vehicles includes MGs from Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. Look out for the Daleks from Doctor Who and other popular TV and movie characteristics around the showground. Ferret racing The Avon Valley Ferrets are back. Bomber Command veterans Fairground amusements Signings with veterans George Dunn Look out for: Crooked Cottage, ghost DFC and Dave Fellowes. train, teacup carousel, mini Ferris wheel, giant pirate ship, bouncy cas- Williams F1 show car tles, bungee ropes, dodgems and crazy Look out for Oxfordshire’s own F1 mirrors. team, Williams, with an F1 show car. Flight simulators Re -enactors Experience the thrill of a fast jet ride Period dress and equipment from the with our two flight simulators. Bicester Home Guard, the Allied Assortment and the 86th Airborne. Jet fighter cockpits You’ll be able to sit in the cockpits of TVP Mounted Section horses two classic 1950s jet fighters, the The Thames Valley Police Mounted Sea Vixen and Hunter. Section based in Milton Keynes has 14 police horses, and is responsible for Country skills preventing equine crime, assisting in Andrew Deller will demonstrate how to searches, and maintaining public order build a dry -stone wall, Tony Wilsden at demonstrations and sporting events. will show hedge laying techniques and Follow on Twitter: @TVP_horses David Bragg of Rumpelstiltskin Thatch- Look out for their demo in the arena ing will show thatching techniques. from 11.15am to 12.15pm. Hot air balloons Subject to weather conditions there will be three hot air Static aircraft display balloons on site today. Two are On show: a Belgian Air Force NH90 provided by the helicopter, RAF Chinook, RAF Puma, RAF Halton Hot RAF Tutor, RAF Vigilant from the Air Balloon Club based 612 VGS, the Army Historic and another from Aircraft Flight Beaver (above), Auster the Oxford Balloon and Skeeter, a Wessex, up to six Company. Gazelles from the Gazelle Squadron, Skyvan, OV -10 Bronco, two Yak -52s, Trade stalls and crafts Bulldogs, Chipmunks, Cessna 172, There will be over 70 stalls selling a Stearman, T6 Texan, Grumman AA5, variety of goods including aviation hob- EV -97, Helio Courier, PA28, Vans by products, books, clothes and army RV9, Jet Ranger, Piper Cubs, SF260, surplus, artwork, jewellery, homemade Airtourer, Cabri, DR400, Spitfire confectionary, home and garden items Mk26B, DH82 Tiger Moth, and a Pitts and music. S-1S. All the flying display aircraft, with the exception of the BBMF, are also Punch and Judy show scheduled to be on the ground. Look out for this country fair tradition. Model boats Oxfordshire Search and The Portsmouth Model Boat Display Rescue Dogs Team will show a range of their craft. It’s not just mountainous areas that Tank rides need search and rescue teams. In an Tank rides urban or rural area people go missing and get lost. Providing dedicated low- land search cover for this area is Oxfordshire Search and Rescue (OxSAR). When the police are concerned about a missing person, the volunteer members of OxSAR are deployed. Within an hour they can have a mobile control unit set up, a search planner on the scene and trained searchers out on the ground looking for the vulnerable missing person. OxSAR Rides in a Russian T55 tank (pictured), is on call 24 hours a day, every day. a Vickers Armstrong FV432 and a Diesel CVRT Scorpion provided by long - Look out for the demos by OxSAR in time friend of the show Neil Whatling, the arena at 1.45pm and 4.00pm. are available on the rough terrain course here on the airfield. Falconry display Hawkwalk from Didcot are here once again with their display showcasing various breeds of falcons, hawks and owls, which you’ll also be able to see on their stand. Info: hawkwalk.org. Time: 12.45pm in the arena Live music and dancing Military displays A range of acts will be performing all Stands from the RAF 4624 Auxiliary Air day, with the Oxfordshire Rock Choir, Force at RAF Brize Norton, and from the Radio Days swing band, Viv O’Gara the Army’s 202 Field Hospital (based at Irish dancing, blues from Greg Pullum, Abingdon) and the 7th Rifles Company. Appalachain step clog and British clog There will also be an Army Air Corps dancing from Cornucopia, and music Gazelle helicopter as part of the ground from the Oxford Sea Cadet band. display. Radio controlledPJ models Oxford Gliding Club Look out for the classic jets of the radio The Oxford Gliding Club will have a controlled models club.. stand and one of their gliders. Miniature steam engines Another country show tradition. Look out for them on parade in the arena. The Gazelle Squadron The Gazelle Squadron Display Team flies ex -MoD Westland Gazelle helicopters painted in their original markings and with original serial numbers. Formed in early 2014 the team has visited air shows and fly -ins around the UK as static items. They will make their flying display debut at the Cosford Air Show in June with a pairs dis- play reminiscent of the Royal Navy's Ga- zelle helicopter duo of the 1990s. The team will by the end of 2016 have four Gazelles at its disposal and its hoped to have a total of nine once all restoration projects are complete. The team is crewed by a mixture of ex military Gazelle pilots and civilian pi- lots and ground crew, all of whom give up their spare time. Find out more: ga- zellesquadron.com; on Twitter @gazellesquadron and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheGazelleSquadron. 1992: Transfer to army Airfield history Closed as an RAF station on 31 July and in brief transferred to the army on 31 December. The technical site (though not the airfield) became Dalton Barracks, after James Dalton VC who held the equivalent rank of quartermaster and fought in the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in the 1879 Zulu Wars. Flying operations continue on Abingdon Airfield with military helicopters for training. Photo: Malcolm Martin 2016: Royal Logistics Corp Home to Royal Logistics Corp 3 Close 1932: RAF Abingdon opens 1 Sept Support and 4 General Support Regiments, Fairey Gordon bombers were the first D Company of 202 Field Squadron and the based aircraft, followed by Hart and Hind Thames Valley Wing Air Training Corp HQ. fighters. No 3 Close Support Regiment is planned to relocate to Aldershot, replaced by 27 1936: Beryl Markham’s Atlantic flight Theatre Logistic Regiment. Outside the Beryl Markham used the airfield as the base perimeter is Edwards Brooks Bar- starting point for her flight to Nova Scotia, racks, home to the 7th Battalion Rifles of Canada – she was the first woman to fly the TA. Edward Brooks was an Oxfordshire solo across the Atlantic from east to west. soldier awarded a VC in WW1. 1939: World War Two End of the Volunteer Gliding Squadron Became home to the Ansons and Whitleys For many years Abingdon Airfield has been of 10 Operational Training Unit.