Page 3 - September 2019
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Some friendly volunteers who are very excited to see
KDN arrive, marshal us in. We had been expected at
another event but due to some last minute changes
our weekend freed up to allow us this unexpected
pleasure. This is our kind of event.
Beautiful rare aircraft, hundreds of collector cars and
motorcycles and people dressed in period costumes.
All nested in the incredible setting of the preserved
RAF base. We were escorted to the VIP pilots’ tent to
De Havilland Canada Chipmunk DHC-1 get some tea and whom should we meet and sit with?
G-AKDN — 2016 United Kingdom Tour Pt. 18
By Dave Gillespie Sir Stirling Moss! What an honour to meet him and
spend the weekend visiting. Some of his vintage racing
cars were on display as well as running on the
racetrack, set up to display the cars at speed. The noise
and atmosphere was terrific.
KDN fit right in with her heritage and race history. We
had our display banner hanging from the propeller that
traced KDN’s history. Many people enjoyed seeing the
details and learning about her history. KDN is such a
good Ambassador for our Canada Aviation and Space
Museum. We met with hundreds of people over the
WW1 BE2c biplane, part of the fantastic Great War Display Team. two-day event and were surprised at how many of
Right at home on this vintage aerodrome.
those told us of travel plans to go to Canada. We
We’ve flown back in time and have landed KDN in a field
of dreams! Open grass stretching out in all directions directed many to the CASM museum web site. We told
welcoming us to land anywhere we wanted. All this open them to mention KDN when they arrived.
space made it hard to judge our landing drift, but we
settled onto the field and taxied over to the tie down The airshow portion of the event was one of the best
area filled with a line of Tiger Moths and a Spitfire. The
we have ever attended. WWI display team, Hurricane,
ramp area behind the aircraft was filled with cars of the
same vintage and older. Looks like we’ve landed in about Spitfire, and Tiger Moth formation, was up close and
1942. I knew KDN was a time machine! personal. The whole event gave the feeling we had
travelled back in time. We flew the very short distance
This field is 348 acres of the historic 1920s bomber
back to Finmere in formation with two other
station, RAF Bicester. Today it is the home of Bicester
Chipmunks for a tea in the back garden. How very
Heritage, the UK’s first park for the restoration, storage
civilised. I could get used to this. Pip-pi cheerio.
and enjoyment of vintage and classic cars, motorcycles
and aeroplanes. Restored redbrick buildings and hangars,
tree-lined avenues and the beautiful open grass airfield to be continued...
makes it unique and a great period setting for the event
Flywheel, where vintage aircraft and vehicle owners,
enthusiasts and visitors get to share their passions.
