Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.
Concept
Biggin Hill International Air Fair
Summary
The Biggin Hill International Air Show, or Biggin Hill Air Fair, was one of the largest civilian airshows in the world and the largest privately organised air show in Europe. It ran once a year, usually near the end of June, at London Biggin Hill Airport, a former World War II RAF fighter station, from 1963 to 2010. It has been succeeded by a smaller-scale air show event titled The Festival of Flight which was launched in June 2014.
Squadron Leader Jock Maitland purchased a lease to run Biggin Hill Airport from Bromley Council in 1958, and commenced the first show in 1963. Jock Maitland had flown Sabres in conflict in Korea before retiring from RAF service. He started a small charter company, Maitland Air Charter which operated pleasure flights from Ramsgate Airport during 1959 and 1960, eventually using former RAF Percival Prentice aircraft refurbished and civilianised by Aviation Traders of Southend, a company started by Freddie Laker. Subsequently, Jock set up in business with a local builder to form Maitland Drewery Aviation and operated Vickers Viscount aircraft. Drewery conceived the infamous steel Wendy House which once graced the Apron on Biggin Hill Airport. The council privatised the airport in 1988 and it was bought by Biggin Hill Airport Ltd in 1994, who agreed a 25-year contract for the air fair.
In 2010 Biggin Hill Airport Ltd, the airfield leaseholders, cancelled the licence to run the air fair after 47 years, three years before it was due to end.
On Saturday 14 June 2014, the air fair was revived with a new smaller-scale format entitled The Festival of Flight. The proposed annual one-day event was limited to 15,000 spectators and was meant to portray Biggin Hill as both a site of historical value and as a modern thriving business airport. The main attraction of the show was a display from the Red Arrows who were celebrating their 50th Display year - Biggin Hill was notable for being the site of the first public display for the aerobatic display team in the UK back in 1965.
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.