Jersey International Air Display 2023

By Mark Edwards

Ever since the 26^th August 1912, when a pilot named Jean Benoit landed his aircraft on the beach in St Aubin’s Bay as part of a race from St. Malo, the beautiful island of Jersey has enjoyed a strong connection with the world of aviation.  Evidence of the aviation heritage on the island can be seen as soon as you step out of the old terminal building at the airport, with a former hanger still bearing the faded Jersey Airlines logo.  There is also an example of one of their former aircraft, namely a de Haviland DH114 Heron, parked up in a corner of the airport and now in the care of local enthusiasts.

The island has also been the location of an annual air display for over 62 years now.  Starting as the ‘Battle of Britain Air Display’ in 1952, the initial displays may have been fairly short in length, but they always succeeded in attracting a wide variety of aircraft, a trend which continued in earnest when the show rebranded in 1997 and became the Jersey International Air Display.  Aviation enthusiasts tend to hold the show in high regard and come from far and wide to attend, as the team behind the show have managed to attract some very rare participants over the years that would not normally be seen outside of the European display circuit.

With this year slated to be the 25^th anniversary for the International Air Display as we know it today, anticipation was high for the return of the show.  Although the event would again be restricted to just the display on the Thursday (aside from a number of validations on the Wednesday), whereas pre-Covid years have seen the airport offer enthusiasts an opportunity to see the display participants as static exhibits, the timetable was building nicely in the run up to the show with RAF participation confirmed as well as some display elements from the continent.  The popular Swedish Air Force Historic Flight had also listed the show on their timetable and, after their appearance in 2021 was a victim of the weather, their return to the island would be a big draw for a lot of enthusiasts.

However, despite the best efforts of the organisation team, led by local community figure Mike Higgins, doubt was cast on the future of the show the week before this year’s event when the Jersey Evening Post published an article highlighting a significant reduction in funding for the 2022 show to the tune of £80,000.  This would not only potentially impact the display line up, but also reduce the number of ground-based attractions that normally fill the Lower Park.

In the end, the final display line up would be lacking any jet participation aside from the RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, but still boasted a number of interesting aircraft and displays that would provide spectators with a nice, varied programme throughout the afternoon of the 8^th  of September.  Now they just needed the weather to play its part…

Despite days of sunshine in the weeks preceding the show, the forecast of thunderstorms and heavy rain rolling over the island, and indeed the rest of the UK, threatened to add further challenges for the operations team.  Although several display aircraft had arrived already, with the Reds announcing their arrival on Wednesday morning with their usual flourish, a few items were either in Guernsey (which also holds an air display on the same day in order to share a number of participants) or were still in the UK.  As such, the organisers were hopeful they would be able to make the transit around the predicted weather in time for the show.

By the time Thursday morning arrived, the operations team had already reached version five of the display timetable and the weather forecast was still showing over a 70% chance of rain throughout the afternoon, with the added possibility of thunderstorms.  The wind had also picked up significantly, which would impact flying conditions for some display items.  As such, the first casualties were announced in the shape of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, who had returned to Coningsby before the last day of the Bournemouth Air Festival and were now unable to get down to Jersey due to the weather en route, and the RAF Chinook Display Team whose aircraft had sadly gone tech ahead of the Guernsey show.  Additionally the AeroSPARX Team with their exquisite glider pairs display, who had already made their mark on Jersey during August for the Battle of Flowers event, were also listed as cancelled.

However, the organisers had already drafted in substitutes in the form of Rich Goodwin in his diminutive, yet powerful, Jet Pitts and Team Raven, both of whom were scheduled to display in Guernsey earlier in the day.   With the scheduled start time of the show pushed back an hour to avoid a predicted lunchtime downpour, and to allow extra time for aircraft to arrive, organisers were hopeful to get as much flying in as possible for the crowds beginning to build around the esplanade and Victoria Avenue.

As the Air Display is regarded as a major event in the Jersey calendar, with many schools closing for the afternoon and some businesses allowing their staff to take time out to watch, there is always a good crowd of people around the whole bay area, which stretches for several miles between the capital St. Helier and the little town and port of St Aubin.  Despite the delayed start, many people had arrived early to get a good location for the display.  Most people had come prepared for the predicted rain, but the skies were showing no sign of impending precipitation.  Perhaps this was partially due to an on-crowd wind, that was particularly gusty at times, coming off the sea.  Whilst this would potentially make the pilots have to work a little harder, (as well as photographers with long lenses!) the lack of rain did mean that we could go flying!

Just after 14:00, the familiar voice of Ben Dunnell, renowned airshow commentator and aviation journalist, could be heard as the afternoon’s proceedings got underway.  Ben took over the role of commentator for the 2021 show after the sad passing of the legendary Melvyn Hiscock, who had been the voice of the show in Jersey for almost 20 years, and was ably supported by local radio personality, Murry Norton, with local station Liberation Radio broadcasting the commentary live.

Although we were now working from version six of the display schedule, with Team Raven unfortunately also now cancelled for both the Guernsey and Jersey displays after weather curtailed their attempts to get across the channel, the display was set to start with Rich Goodwin who had kindly offered to hop across from Guernsey to fill a vacant display slot.

Rich Goodwin has firmly established himself as a firm favourite on the UK display circuit.  A highly experienced aviator, with both a military and commercial background, his current pride and joy is his custom built ‘Jet Pitts’ fully aerobatic biplane.  Based on the well-known Pitts S2S, Rich and his team have a plan to mount two jet turbines to this aircraft to give it two sources of propulsion.  However, judging by his current display, the aircraft is certainly not underpowered!  Rich did a fantastic job to keep the light airframe, which only weighs 1550 lbs, within the display airspace despite the strong winds, which made the smoke generated by the aircraft look more dramatic than usual.

Rich ran through his usual, frenetic routine of flick rolls and lomcovak manoeuvres, as well as his signature ‘Tower of Power’ where he pulls the aircraft into the vertical following a dive from altitude to build additional speed and, at the top of the climb, proceeds to hover the aircraft on the propeller.  As expected, this was an absolutely fantastic display to open the show and a nice surprise for the crowd with this last-minute addition to the schedule.

With still no sign of rain on the horizon, the show moved straight into the second display for the afternoon, with the familiar shape of the North American OV10B Bronco coming on slot over St. Helier Harbour as scheduled.  Whilst enthusiasts in the UK are very familiar with the Bronco flown and maintained by Tony de Bruyn and his team, this particular example comes from the Musée Europeen de l’Aviation de Chasse, in Montelimar France and looks strikingly different in colours representing the US Marine Corps desert livery from the Gulf War.  This particular aircraft, flown for the show by Jean-Luc Beyrie, is a regular attendee of the event and always puts on a spirited display.  Built to an exacting specification for a reconnaissance aircraft, the OV10 Bronco had to fulfil several different criteria including impressive speed and agility in case it had to get out of a location quickly, and the aircraft certainly demonstrated this to great effect during it’s routine, with the pilot making the most of the available airspace with many looping and rolling manoeuvres, as well as simulating a strafing run with flashing lights on the hard points representing the machine guns it would have carried as part of its light attack role.   The aircraft also sported a little nod to the 25^th anniversary of the show with the words ‘Since 1997’ proudly displayed on the underside of the distinctive boom tail.

The next display item was to be a first for the Jersey Air Display.  Although this type had appeared on the island before in military hands, this was the first appearance of a civilian owned SIAI Marchetti SF260.  This elegant looking aircraft was brought to the show in the hands of Paul Freeland, a relatively new display pilot on the circuit, and it holds the claim to fame of being the oldest production example of the type still flying, with its maiden flight taking place in 1966.  Although the aircraft is fully aerobatic, this display was a more sedate routine with the familiar lines of the aircraft, in a striking white and red livery, being shown to good effect.  This Italian designed type has been seen in numerous TV and film appearances, most notably in the Bond film Quantum of Solace; it was also the aircraft used to chase down Clarkson, Hammond and May in the most extravagant game of laser tag ever played on one of the Top Gear US road trip specials.  This particular aircraft, in a nod to its Italian heritage, bears the registration G-RAZI.  A beautifully elegant display flown by Paul Freeland and one that will hopefully become a more regular sight on the display circuit.

A more familiar profile for warbirds fans followed next, in the shape of one of the most distinctive American fighters from World War Two.  The Vought Corsair was designed as a carrier-based aircraft, with its trademark inverted gull wing design an essential space-saving innovation.  This particular example though, the F4U-5NL variant rarely seen outside of continental Europe, first flew in 1951 and so was a Korean War veteran.  Following retirement in 1970, it was acquired and underwent a significant restoration in 2018 before joining the ‘Leather Helmets’ collection belonging to the Aviation Museum Amicale Jean-Baptise Salis, at the Aerodrome de Cerny at La Ferté Alais near Paris.  Piloted today by Baptise Salis, a direct descendent of the founder of the collection, it was easy to see why this aircraft was the fastest single engine US fighter at the time!  This energetic display showing the sheer power of its Double Wasp radial engine with several high-speed loops saw beautiful vortices streaming from the wingtips of the aircraft in the slightly moist air over the bay.  A fantastic display of the speed and agility of this popular fighter!

After the excitement of the Corsair display, what followed next was flown at a slightly more sedate pace!   The crowd was treated to the sight of two Dassault Flamant aircraft, a type which first flew in 1947 and which originated as a post-war design in response to a requirement from the Armée De L’air for an airframe that could be used as a bombing and communications trainer, or a medical evacuation platform that could potentially double up as a liaison and crew training aircraft.  The result was highlighted in this display with two different versions of the Flamant presented in the form of the MD312 transport type and the MD311 navigation and bombing trainer, with its tell-tale glazed nose.

This was a highlight of the afternoon for many and a great example of precision pairs formation flying from pilots Alain and Stefan Odelant, representing the home of the aircraft at the Amicale Alenconnaise des Avios Anciens.  This was an especially impressive display given the strong winds that were still very much evident (and thankfully keeping the rain at bay!).  At times, the aircraft seemed to be tied together, with the following MD311 exactly mirroring the manoeuvres of the lead aircraft.  Sadly, all too soon, the routine was brought to a climax with the aircraft performing a break crowd centre and recovering back to the airport.

Although the weather on the island was, against all odds based on earlier forecasts, still dry and clear, sadly the weather in the UK was not so favourable which meant that another scheduled display item, in the form of the Rolls Royce Heritage Flight P-51 Mustang, was unable to make it over to the island.  As such, an unplanned short break followed, filled admirably by Murray and Liberation Radio, with roving reporter Mel speaking to some of the assembled crowd on the Avenue.  We also had a final reshuffle of the running order that saw the Consolidated PBY 5A Catalina, appearing courtesy of Plane Sailing based at Duxford, bumped down the schedule to be the penultimate display act for the afternoon.

Having made it over to island shortly before the flying display started, thankfully finding a window in the weather to make the trip from Cambridgeshire, it was a very welcome sight to have this iconic aircraft displaying over water again.  The Catalina, conceived as a Maritime Patrol and Attack aircraft prior to World War Two, just looks perfectly at home flying over water and as a result the display is perhaps more evocative of the key role the type played in both the Battle of the Atlantic and the Pacific theatre during the war.  Although the aircraft has performed water landings, with one of the most recent attempts resulting in her being stranded on Loch Ness due to an engine malfunction, the team that lovingly maintain ‘Miss Pick Up’ won’t chance landing on salt water to avoid potential corrosion issues.  As such, whilst the display featured some nice low sweeps of the bay, with the floats extended, she was kept firmly dry for the duration of the routine!

All too soon, the afternoon’s shortened display programme had reached its headline act.  As one might expect, the crowd had grown notably in the run up to the highly anticipated appearance of the RAF Aerobatic Team and it was especially nice to see the excitement of the younger members of the audience.  However, perhaps in keeping with the latter half of their season, it had not been a day of smooth sailing for the Reds as their earlier appearance at the Guernsey display had to be cancelled at the last minute due to aircraft serviceability issues which meant that only five Hawks were available.  With a spare aircraft hastily flown down from Wales early afternoon, the team worked solidly to ensure that they could at least put on a six-ship display for the eager crowd in Jersey.

You have to feel some level of compassion for the team this year, having had to operate with reduced numbers from the outset, then having to endure the enhanced scrutiny of the public eye due to recent negative press, as well as the inevitable comparisons by enthusiasts with that team from South Korea. To top off the season, an incredibly lucky escape for Red 6 after a dramatic bird strike incident and serviceability issues reducing their numbers at their last display in Bournemouth; it is fair to say they have had more than their fair share of bad luck this year.

However, it must have been gratifying for the team to be so warmly welcomed on the island and the weather had stayed clear enough for Red 1 to start their full routine as the six Hawks came streaming across into the bay in their impressively wide ‘Wall’ formation.  The wind was still fairly intense, which was evident with the tide now slamming against the sea wall showering spray over those people at the front of the crowdline, and yet the formation keeping by the pilots as they worked through the first half of the display was as immaculate as ever.  Although some of this year’s formation shapes, notably ‘Lightning’ and ‘Apollo’ looked slightly odd with only six aircraft, the crowd-favourite ‘Tornado’ looked fantastic across the bay, with a five-ship main formation and a single Hawk flown by Red 4 barrel rolling around the main formation as it bent round and over Elizabeth Castle.

Opting to bench Red 5 for this display meant that both the Synchro Pair were able to fly thereby allowing for the dynamic opposition manoeuvres of the second half to take place, including a perfect example of their ‘Flat Heart’ which was flown due to the cloud base lowering.  These looked particularly impressive with the backdrop of the landscape framing the bay, with St. Aubin on one side and St. Helier on the other.  Sadly though, Red 1 was flying a non-smoker ‘tin can’ aircraft for the display, which meant the impressive ‘Infinity Break’ manoeuvre that usually finished the 2022 display sequence was reduced to a more standard break of the four aircraft comprising the main formation.  However, it seemed evident that the crowds were not bothered, judging by the fantastic response from the Jersey crowd who clearly enjoyed the efforts of the team.  As it transpired, this was the last UK based display for the team as their scheduled appearances at Portrush and the Great North Run were cancelled due to the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth that broke that evening.  The team departed Jersey on Saturday afternoon with all eight aircraft heading directly back to RAF Scampton, albeit only for a short while as their move to RAF Waddington is due to take place this Autumn ahead of a planned five-week tour of the Middle East beginning in October.

Although the final display schedule ended up being much shorter and perhaps less-varied than the organisation team originally envisioned, it is testament to the dedication of those involved and their perseverance that any flying took place at all, not to mention a brief nod to the weather for surprising everyone.  Mike Higgins and his team of loyal volunteers, both those at the display site and the Ground Operations team back at the airport, did a fantastic job in putting the display on this year given the challenges that faced them.  With any luck, the success of the event coupled with the local media attention in the run up to the show will result in additional financial backing from local businesses and residents.  Perhaps adopting the Bournemouth Air Festival model of sponsoring specific display items in return for some free advertising could work here.

In any event, a date has been set already for the 2023 show and this particular enthusiast is very much looking forward to returning to the island to enjoy some fantastic displays over one of the nicest coastal settings in the UK.