The annual Airshow at RNAS Yeovilton has always promised the sight of themes strongly associated with naval aviation, no surprise when the history and operational status of the base is considered. With the juxtaposition of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, and the fact that the Royal Naval Historic Flight is based here any aviation enthusiast with more than a passing interest in this niche will not have failed to notice the approach of Air Day 2009. This airshow promised a large flying programme with some of the usual favourites, three world class international display teams, some interesting and unusual visitors, and a static collection to match. The weather for July in the UK has been variable in recent years – unfortunately this year has seen this pattern continue and the displays on the day were somewhat curtailed by the low cloud base, which was less than 1000 feet, (300metres), for quite some time.

One of the display aircraft that preferred to ignore the low flying cloud was the Westland Wasp HAS1. The Wasp was borne out of the development of the very promising Saro P.531, (which first flew in July 1958), a design taken over by Westlands when the fortunes of Saro took a turn for the worse in the late 1950’s. The HAS1 variant first flew in October 1962, and the aircraft displaying was received by the Royal Navy in July 1967. Although this Wasp is privately owned it wears the markings of an HMS Falmouth aircraft. Prominent throughout the display was the unmistakeable undercarriage of four castoring wheels – designed to allow maximum manoeuvrability on deck – during flight trials suction pads were also tested! Unique, forceful, and charismatic – a carrier borne all-weather fighter which cannot be mistaken for any other aircraft, be it airborne or on the ground. This is the de Havilland D.H.110 Sea Vixen. In its beautifully applied colour scheme replicating an aircraft of 899Sqn of HMS Eagle, this aircraft is a fitting tribute to the teams of people who operated the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers as weapons systems before the predominance of the rotary winged fleets of today.

To commemorate the first 100 Years of Naval Aviation, the centrepiece of the flying display at RNAS Yeovilton was the massed flypast of current and historic naval aircraft. Current types such as Harrier GR9, Lynx, Merlins and Sea Kings aplenty, trainers such as Grob and Firefly,  older favourites like the Sea Vixen, the RNHF’s Chipmunk, Seafire and Wasp all collected to provide an impressive reminder of the power of Naval aviation and provided a fitting tribute to the many who have served. Showcasing the present capabilities of the rotary contingent of RNAS Yeovilton was the Commando Assault section of the programme. Aided by the ever present Harriers, and the locally assembled Apache AH Mk1, the unparallelled flexibility of the helicopter force was shown to its full extent – quickly mobilising and deploying a fighting force, and extracting same with skill and speed – all vital capabilities on any battlefield.

The fast jet contingent were left hankering for more, as again the weather conspired to restrict the scope for these favourites of the crowd. A first for Yeovilton was the appearance and display of the Dassault Rafale. The Armee de L’Air Rafale B gave a good account of itself, though we were left with the distinct impression that with the right conditions a lot more was on offer from this compact, yet potent weapons package. Similar emotions greeted the display teams – The Black Cats ignored the low cloud, The Red Arrows and Frecce Tricolori were severely hampered by it and the opportunity for these highly trained teams to show just how good they are did not present itself on the day.
Overall it can be said that Air Day 2009 was hampered by the weather – the organisers having done a fantastic job in providing a line up that many airshows would envy, and indeed the public response despite the weather was excellent indeed. We can only hope that persistence is shown and a comparable line up is available for 2010 – our seats are booked and we look forward to making the journey to the beautiful Somerset countryside for this most welcoming of venues.

Scott Fellows / CHK 6 UK