1st January to 30th September – Breighton Photography Competition –The rules are on Facebook and available from chairmanrealaero@outlook.com. The winners will be announced at the Christmas Party and entrants are requested to attend.
7th December – Christmas Party – In the Club House with buffet & disco.
2025 Events
The events calendar for 2025 is as follows (please keep checking back for updates and additions). All events are FREE to members (soon to be Friends of the Real Aeroplane Charitable Organisation - details to follow) with the exception of the Evening Photoshoot and Christmas Party.
1st January to 30th September – Breighton Photography Competition –The rules are on Facebook and available from chairmanrealaero@outlook.com. The winners will be announced at the Christmas Party and entrants are requested to attend.
TBC – Vintage & Classic Tractor Gathering - In aid of The Real Aeroplane Charitable Organisation (RACO) and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Ticket £TBC.
9th March – Real Aeroplane Club/Charitable Organisation (RACO) Update - Meeting for ‘Friends Of’ at 14:00 In the Club House. This is in place of the Club AGM.
22nd March – Night Photoshoot - Ticket price: Friends Of the RACO £TBC. Visitors £TBC. In support of The Real Aeroplane Charitable Organisation (RACO) and The Thomas Castle Aviation Heritage Scholarship. For tickets visit tcahs.org.uk/events and scroll down.
30th March – Duty Manager Training - Airfield 10:00hrs
30th March – Volunteer Recruitment Event - 15:00hrs in the Club House.
5th April – The Spring Fling - A spring party in the Club House. Buffet and disco. Ticket price ‘Friends Of’ £TBC, visitor £TBC. Contact direalaero@outlook.com
26th and 27th April – Eurostar & Friends Fly-In - BBQ, Beer and camp over.
3rd and 4th May – The International Auster Club Fly-in and camp over.
17th and 18th May – Real STOL Fest - 2 day Short Take Off and Landing Competition and camp over.
15th and 19th May – Yorkshire Friends Caravan Rally
7th or 8th June – Vintage Piper Club Fly-in
14th and 15th June – Annual Vintage Aircraft Club - Fly-in and camp over.
28th and 29th June – RV Fly-in and camp over.
12th and 13th July – UK Vintage Aerobatic Competition and Summer BBQ, camp over - In celebration of 90 years of the Bücker Jungmeister.
1st to 3rd August – TBC British Aerobatic Association Competition - McLean Trophy.
16th August – ***G-George Day - Airshow and 1940’s themed celebration of our armed forces***
6th September – RC Model experience day - Learn to fly a RC model and Flying display - piston and jets.
20th September – Last Night of the Proms - In a hangar with Driffield Silver Band. Visitors £TBC.
9th November – Remembrance Sunday - Service at the airfield memorial and poppy drop.
6th December – Christmas Party - In the Club House with buffet & disco. Ticket £TBC.
21st December – Christmas Carolling around the tree - with a brass ensemble.
PLEASE NOTE this list is regularly amended and/or updated. Be sure to check our Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information. We reserve the right to alter or add to this list of events at any time.
Visiting aircraft are welcome to fly in 365 days a year.
AIRFIELD REFRESHMENTS: Available from Jeeves Kitchen which is located in the Club House - check social media for seasonal opening hours.
Christmas Party
The Christmas Party is on 7th December, in the Club House from 19:00. Tickets are £20 per person and include a buffet and disco. Members and your guests welcome. Please book by emailing direalaero@outlook.com Always a favourite on the event calendar we hope to see you there.
Updated Procedures
The depiction of the North Side Skills Development box has been reduced in size so that it does not lay over the Sight of Special Scientific Interest and the Special Protected Area. Since that area was never used for the purpose intended by the box this change has no negative effect. The preferred downwind join has been changed to a MANDATORY downwind join.
Remembrance Day
We held our annual day of remembrance event at the airfield on 10th November. Onlookers congregated at the airfield memorial to pay their respects to all those brave men and women who gave their lives during the two World Wars with particular attention to those that serverd at RAF Breighton. After the service the Miles Magister performed the traditional poppy drop salute. Pictures by Tom Wray.
G-George 2024
Photographs from this year's G-George Day held on the 24th August by Tom Wray and Steve Blee.
Sadly no Lancaster this year but we did manage to get a genuine Normandy and Operation Market Garden veteran onto the airfield at Breighton - namely C-47 Douglas Sky Train 'Drag em Oot'. 'Drag em Oot' is so named because it was modified to retrieve the gliders that had been used to drop allied troops onto the front line during World War Two. The aircraft still has the retrieval mechanism installed - and bullet holes to prove just how hazardous a job it was! As role demos go, dropping British Army paratroopers from a 1944 circa aircraft is about as authentic as it gets, we're so pleased that the British Army Red Devils Parachute Display Team were able to demonstrate their skills for us.
Later in the afternoon we were joined by recently restored Spitfire IX MJ444 flown by former BBMF CO Flt Lt Antony 'Parky' Parkinson. 'Parky' has helped secure a number of Breighton flypasts when with the BBMF so it was nice that he could actually visit in person on this occasion. This aircraft saw wartime service with a number of Canadian Squadrons including Wing Commander ‘Johnnie’ Johnson's 403 Squadron RCAF. The Spitfire has since been modified to allow for a second seat enabling Aero Legends to fly passengers for a once in a lifetime warbird experience.
Thank you to all who supported the event and to those who put in the endless hours of preparation to ensure its success.
Around the World flight pays a visit
New Zealand registered Piper PA24-250 Comanche arrived Humberside Airport this afternoon (3 July 2024) as part of pilot Bob Bates and Barry Payne's latest round-the-world trip commemorating 100 years since the first flight round the world. Their adventure started at Mount Hagen in the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea on 1 June 2024 and they are scheduled to arrive back at Mt. Hagen on 28 September 2024. They are flying westwards around the world, their latest leg today being from Malmo, Sweden, to Humberside, and then on to Breighton, where we believe the aircraft will be staying for a few weeks before continuing the trip. With thanks to Tom Wray.
Tiger Moth Fly-in
Yet again the weather conspired against us elsewhere in the country, keeping the Moth count disappointingly low. Despite this, the sun made an appearance making for a most enjoyable afternoon's flying. Pictures by Steve Blee.
Aeronca Chief
This Aeronca 11AC Chief circa 1946 relocated to Breighton in early May. Pictures by Tom Wray.
Jungmann 90
Another weekend that really deserved better weather, despite this we still managed to pay tribute to the delightful Jungmann biplane - 90 years 'jung'!
Night Photoshoot
A selection of atmospheric photographs from the inaugural photographers evening held at Breighton in partnetship with The Thomas Castle Aviation Heritage Scholarship on March 30th.
G-George Day
Something to whet the appetite ahead of August's G-George Day. Enjoy!
The Flying Reporter Airfield Review: Breighton
Social media influencer and journalist Jon Hunt visited Breighton Airfield in the summer of 2023 for an episode of his Flying Reporter Airfield Reviews on his YouTube channel - here's what he had to say...
All Creatures Great and Small
The Channel 5 period drama 'All Creatures Great and Small', based on the James Herriot books depicting the adventures of a rural vetinary practice in North Yorkshire, will feature Breighton aircraft in their Christmas Special airing on Thursday 21 December at 9pm. The action was filmed at the Yorkshire Air Museum amongst the old airfield buildings.
Tom Butterick (update)
Tom would like to thank everyone for their good wishes during his recent illness and is now pleased to announce that he's made a full recovery, adding that "reports of my demise have been greatly exagerrated!"
Reno Air Races +20
September 2023 marks 20 years since the Real Aeroplane Company took legendary Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF to the world famous Reno Air Races in Nevada, USA. Taff took the aircraft around Reno's iconic pylons as part of a Golden Age Racers exhibition race during which he diced wing-to-wing with the Laird Turner 'Meteor' flown by James 'Skip' Holm. 'Skip' went on to win the Gold Unlimited Class final that year in the modified P-51 Mustang 'Dago Red' with a speed of 507.105mph! The 2023 event will be the last to be held at Stead Field, drawing to a close almost 60 years of air racing at Reno.
The accompanying video was digitised from some VHS footage taken during the event.
Summer Fly-in
Our Summer Fly-in and BBQ took place on August 26th and included a special pre-release viewing of the 'Attack on Sorpe Dam' film. The flying element of the event included a rare opportunity to see three Aeronca 'Bathtubs' in the air together. Thanks to Steve Blee and Tom Wray for the accompanying pictures.
G-George 2023
Unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse during the G-George weekend, sadly keeping the Lancaster on the ground at RAF Coningsby. The Dakota, Spitfire and T-6 did, however, get through to Breighton so all was not lost. Trevor Holmes and Steve Blee, cameras in hand, took the accompanying pictures.
VAC 2023
The Vintage Aircraft Club returned to Breighton on June 24-25 with a vast array of aircraft types joining us at the airfield, Steve Blee, camera in-hand, captured the action...
Long-haul to SA
You may be aware that Taff has been planning an audacious long-haul flight to South Africa in the diminutive Aeronca 100 (to be fair we were keeping it ambiguous!). Here's an update from HQ:
Good Morning,
Unfortunately I am having to put my African holiday on hold due to the civil war in Sudan, our little Aeronca has limitations on range and altitude which make any alternative to the leg through Egypt via Khartoum (which is a battleground) impractical. When things settle down we will review the situation, in the meantime G-EAVS and myself wait patiently at Breighton.
Thankyou for your support, we'll keep you posted.
Kind regards
Taff
Club House Latest
The new Real Aeroplane Club House provided the setting for this year's Annual General Meeting on March 5th. Initially delayed due to the pandemic, followed by the unfortunate shortage of construction materials post-pandemic, finally being able to use the building represents quite a milestone in the continued development of Breighton Airfield. As can be seen in the accompanying photograph the new building has plenty of usable space for events, meetings and general club activities and offers panoramic views across the airfield. The Club will host an official grand opening event later in the year.
Remembrance Day
Images from this years Remembrance Day service at Breighton, made all the more sombre by the mist and low cloud that enveloped most of the east of England. The service was conducted by Nick Lee, wreath laying by George Gohl, and the last post played by Jane Clayton. Photographs by Andy Wood
Vintage Aerobatic World Championship 2022
The Vintage Aerobatic World Championship descended on Yorkshire on August 19th-21st, a real coup for Breighton Airfield and affirmation of its status in the world of vintage and classic aviation, for which we can all be deservedly proud.
The competition itself was broken down into 5 categories and the results were as follows:
Looping the Loop - Richard Stirk (Chipmunk) Dancing the Cloverleaf - Jan Schiedek-Jacht (Jungmann) Rolling the Circle - Bernhard Drummer (Jungmann) The Performance - Benoit Dierickx (Jungmeister) The Sportsmanship Trophy - Maxim Schelfhout (Cub)
Thanks to everyone who made the event the success it truly was. Special thanks to all our volunteers, to our sponsors (Flyer Magazine, Flieger Magazin and MT Propellers), and to all those who helped to raise over £400 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (including the East Coast Griddle who donated and raised over £100 of that total).
Club Newsletters
Winter 2020 - featuring all the latest news and a photo-feature on the 2005 Fly-in HERE
June 2021 - featuring Taff Smith's account of flying the SAAB Safir and a photo-feature on the 2006 Breighton Airshow HERE
Feb 2022 - featuring air-to-air with the Breighton warbirds and a feature on the Chilton HERE
August 2022 - featuring G-George Day and the Flyboys movie HERE
November 2022 - featuring Nick Lee's account of flying the Chilton DW1 and the launch of Tiger Moth flying experiences at Breighton HERE
June 2023 - Featuring an article on the Ford Trimotor and the Feet Air Arm Squadron visit HERE
Plus regular features on the USAAF airfields of Norfolk and Suffolk, Meet the Member, and event previews/reports.
October 2023 - Featuring an article on the B-36 "Peacemaker", Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF and G-George 2023 HERE
Plus regular features on the USAAF airfields of Norfolk and Suffolk, Club Matters, event previews/reports. Contributions welcome - email articles and photographs to newsletter@realaero.com
Beech D17 "Staggerwing"
Breighton's latest acquisition arrived at Breighton from Duxford on Saturday 7th August. The Beech D17S "Staggerwing" was so called because of the negative wing stagger designed to maximise visibility from the cockpit and reduce drag between the wings. Production of the aircraft began in 1933, each custom-built by hand with with leather and mohair trimmed cabin. The bespoke nature of the build made the aircraft comparatively expensive during a time when the civil aviation market was still depressed, however, year-on-year, numbers increased and it soon became a popular executive mode of transport, the Learjet of its day. During the Spanish Civil War Beech 17s were briefly used as bombers by the Spanish Republican Air Force. In the Second World War they were flown by the US Army Air Force (designated UC-43), by the US Navy (as GB-1 and GB-2), and in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (as the Traveller MK.1) under the lend-lease scheme.
This particular example is a D17S, one of only 23 examples built. It was allocated to the US Navy as a GB-2 and immediately transferred to the USAAF as a UC-43 with the serial number 44-67724 before being transferred once more to the Royal Navy under the lend-lease scheme and allocated UK military registration FT475. Post war it was returned to the US military before finding its way into civilian ownership. It was previously part of Pink Floyd guitarist and frontman Dave Gilmore's Intrepid Collection (where it shared a hangar with his Gnat G-MOUR and P-51D Mustang G-SIRR) but has been based at Duxford with the Fighter Collection since 2006.
Taff's Jungmeister
Nice piece of air-to-air footage showing Taff Smith's recently completed Jungmeister. The aircraft is finished in a rather attractive Spanish Nationalist Air Force scheme complete with Yoke and Arrows motif of the Falange Espanola. The markings depict those displayed during the Spanish Civil War circa 1936-39, the numbers 30-39 representing a variety of trainers and light aircraft in the inventory whilst the 23 is presumably specific to the individual aircraft. The restoration has taken around 10 years, although it hasn't been a full-time project, and with its test flying schedule now complete all that remains is a full permit to fly. Video via Taff Smith
G-George Day
Breighton's salute to the 460 Squadron RAAF Lancaster G-George found itself bathed in sunshine more appropriate to the Austrailian outback than a quiet corner of Gods own County of Yorkshire. Although the weather might well have been unusual there was nothing unfamiliar about the flying at this traditional mid-July slot, this was classic Breighton, back to pre-covid levels - at last! Top billing was the BBMF Lancaster bomber which, coincidentally, currently displays 460 Squadron markings on one side of its fuselage (although sadly not 'G'). The Lanc made a couple of low passes along the length of the runway to the delight of those assembled at the airfield. Other highlights included the public debut of the Hawker Cygnet, the Chilton DW1 and Taff's beautiful Jungmeister. Photos by Steve Blee.
Hawker Cygnet
Introducing the latest addition to the Real Aeroplane Company collection - a faithful reproduction of the 1920's Hawker Cygnet designed by Sydney Camm (who of course went on to design the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Hunter, as well as making a considerable contribution to the development of the Harrier). Only 2 original Cygnets were built and of those only one remains, G-EBMB, which is on display at the museum at RAF Cosford. G-EBJI has spent a number of years at Old Warden where it has been a regular airshow participant. The Cygnet is one of 4 JAP powered aircraft currently based at Breighton. Photo courtesy of RAC Eng.
Breighton's latest residents
Another two beautiful classic aircraft have recently taken residency at Breighton Airfield - a Monocoupe 90 and an Aeronca C3, both 1930's era US built light aircraft. A third aircraft is also set to arrive at the airfield very shortly - Hawker Cygnet G-EBJI will join the Real Aeroplane Company collection meaning that there will be a grand total of 4 JAP powered flyers based at Breighton. Accompanying pictures by Paul May.
Formation Practice
With the display season upon us, and the Vintage Aerobatic World Campionships fast approaching, the RAC Formation Team took advantage of the near perfect conditions on May 8 to begin their 2022 formation work-up. Paul May was on-hand, equipped (as always) with his camera...
Kaydet air-to-air
A brace of images showing Boeing A-75N1 'Stearman' G-LIIZ in the locality of Breighton taken by Peter Lamb
New Breighton Resident
Fairchild Argus III HB751 (G-BCBL) is the latest former military aircraft to relocate to Breighton Airfield. The Argus (S/N 43-15025) was built by the Fairchild Personal Planes Division, Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation in Hagerstown, Maryland USA and was shipped to the UK in 1944 as part of the lend/lease agreement. Demobbed in 1947 the aircraft found its way to Switzerland and was re-registered as HB-AEC. Here the aircraft underwent a Swiss authorities mandated modification requiring rearward braces on the undercarriage which remain to this day. Further moves to new owners in Germany and then Belgium followed before the aircraft returned to the UK in 1974. Its wartime markings were reapplied in 1977 and in 1984 the aircraft passed through the hands of Battle of Britain fighter pilot Wing Commander Roland Robert "Bob" Stanford Tuck. The aircraft was fully restored by subsequent owner Frank Cox with meticulous attention to detail, as evidenced in the accompanying photograph by Andy Wood.
Chilton/Mikron Fly-in
Despite an unhelpful northerly breeze and a heavily overcast sky, Breighton's celebration of the diminutive 1930's Chilton Monoplane exceeded all expectations with an amazing five airframes displayed on the day, in addition to the Tipsy Junior also flying the flag for Mikron. Two of the four original Chiltons now reside at Breighton as part of the Real Aeroplane Company collection, of the others, G-AFGI is currently airworthy but was unable to make the trip, and G-AFGH is currently being restored. The three visiting Chiltons, all relatively modern examples built with meticulous attention to detail, completed the lineup. There'll be a more detailed article in the next Gate Guardian newsletter.
The accompanying image shows 'Mr Chilton' himself, Roy Nerou, in conversation with our very own Taff Smith. Roy pretty much brought the Chilton back from the brink of extinction, initiating the restorations of G-AESZ and G-AFSV, thoroughly researching and documenting the history of the Chilton Monoplane and restoring its place in British aviation history.
Noise Abatement
Attention pilots: I'm sorry to say that noise complaints are once again on the increase, this time from Wressle. Please be sure to fly the circuit correctly, as shown on the Pooley's airfield plates shown below. Thank you.
Church Fenton Fly-out
A number of Real Aeroplane Company aircraft (plus a few friends) took pride of place at the fly-in/drive-in event just down the road at the former RAF Church Fenton (now known as Leeds East Airport) on Saturday 24th July.
At Home Day
The July 'At Home Day' was held on Saturday 17 July during one of the hottest weekends of the year so far. Steve Blee slapped on the factor 50 and sent us the following pix:
The Joy of the Return
The Vintage Aircraft Club Return to Breighton weekend held on June 26/27 not only marked a return visit by the VAC to our lovely little airfield, but a return to this calibre of flying event post-pandemic. The verdict: Breighton at its very best. Steve Blee and Tom Wray were on hand to capture the action:
June 5th
Steve Blee was on hand to photograph some colourful visitors alongside some of the more familiar aircraft at Breighton on June 5th:
78 Squadron RAF back in business
Former wartime RAF Breighton bomber squadron, 78 Squadon RAF, which was disbanded in 2014, has now been assigned to RAF(U) Swanwick and their delivery of Area Air Traffic Management, Airspace Management, Air Defence Resilience Entity and Northolt Radar, ensuring the safe passage of military and civil aircraft across the UK. Full story HERE
Kate and Cliff's fundraising challenge
Kate Howe and Cliff Whitwell are planning to raise funds for the YAA by walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The route is 24 miles with 1500m of ascent and the challenge is to complete the whole walk in under 12 hours. They hope to embark on the walk in early May, or as soon as covid restrictions allow.
The pair are doing taking on the challenge in memory of Kate's niece, Jessica Howe, who was involved in a road accident in December 2018 on her way home from a Christmas Party. The Air Ambulance attended and she was airlifted to hospital but later sadly died of her injuries. She was only 22.
We recently received the following letter and decided to pass it on to the membership, a glimmer of light given the current doom and gloom shrouding the nation:
To Whom it May Concern,
I live in Hemingbrough, and back in around 2013 I completed some voluntary work in the hangars at Breighton airfield for a couple of weeks as part of the 'work experience' curriculum in high school. I know it must have caused a few headaches regarding paperwork and finding things for me to do, but everyone in the engineering team was extremely helpful and provided me with some great experience. I'm not sure if the same staff still work in the hangars, but I wanted to express my gratitude for inspiring me to follow a career in aeronautics. I've always loved aviation (being involved in cadets and some limited flying experience when opportunities arose), but it was this experience in particular that really pushed me down this path. I believe the chief engineer was Ian Ross, but unfortunately I cannot remember any other names. If this could be passed on to the relevant staff I would really appreciate it!
I'm now finishing my master's degree in aerospace this summer and have accepted a position at Leonardo helicopters. It was this that led me to reflect on where my interest in aviation originally peaked and to thank those who have helped/inspired me in getting to this point without possibly knowing it. So, just a massive thank you to everyone involved.
P.S. I used to love coming down to the aerodrome in the 2000s with my dad and hope to pickup a museum membership in the summer to come and visit again.
Best Regards,
Gavin Begg
Welcome Back
Flying returned to Breighton on April 3rd after what seems like a VERY LONG absence. Tom Wray was there, with camera, to record the action...
Wing Walking - 10-11 October 2020
Wing walking returned to the sky above Breighton during the weekend of 10-11 October. It was a mixed-bag weather wise but the, occasionally, Baltic northerly did nothing to deter the assembled thrill-seekers, as Tom Wray's pictures show...
New Arrival Part #2
Chilton G-ASFV's stablemate arrived at Breighton on September 17th. Chilton DW-1 G-AESZ is no stranger to Breighton airfield, having participated in a number of events over the years, including a memorable appearance at our Centenary of Flight show during which she, briefly, flew alongside Mew Gull G-AEXF. First registered in 1937 and test flown by Ranald Porteous from Witney Aerodrome in April of that year. Visibly quite different to 'SV on account of the nose profile being built to fit the Carden Ford engine (basically a modified car engine) as opposed to the Train inline engine fitted to the younger of the two aircraft. The aircraft was entered into a number of races with reasonable success but, on 24th May 1953, having recently been modified for the Kings Cup, it suffered a landing accident which, to all intents and purposes, should have ended its flying career. June 1984, enter Roy Nerou. Roy took on the task of restoring 'SZ to fly and, in September 2001 she embarked on her first post restoration flight from Rendcomb with Roger Bailey at the controls. There were no problems whatsoever, the Chilton flew beautifully, the first time a Carden engined Chilton had flown in almost fifty years and confirming the heavy Carden Ford engine of only 30hp is quite capable of giving a creditable performance in the lightly built airframe. (Photo by Andy Wood)
New Arrival Part #1
The latest aircraft to join the growing Real Aeroplane Company Collection arrived at Breighton by road in Thursday 3rd of September. The Chilton DW 1A is a light sports aircraft circa 1939, reputedly the only aircraft to come out of De Havilland Aircraft not to bear the company name. Designed and built by 2 students, the Hon. Andrew William Henry Dalrymple, son of Sir John Dalrymple 12th Earl of Stair and Alexander Reginald Ward, son of Sir Hon. John Ward - their surnames being the D and W in the aircraft name. Dalrymple flew 'SV in the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race at Lympne on 5 August 1939, coming home first place with an average speed of 126 mph. After the war it also broke the 100 km international closed circuit record at 124.5 mph at Lympne airfield on 31 August 1947, flown on that occasion by Ranald Porteus. This particular example, restored by Roy Nerou, is powered by an ultra rare Train 4 cylinder inline motor.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL - part #2 follows shortly :-)
August Bank Holiday Weekend
Whilst it wasn't possible to host the Summer BBQ event due to the ongoing covid restrictions the airfield was still a hive of activity as Tom Wray's photographs illustrate:
Dave Marshall
A brace of photos paying tribute to the legend that is Dave Marshall, sadly having recently passed away following a short illness. Dave supported the website for as long as I can remember and was always good company at the airfield, along with his co-conspirators in the self-titaled 'JATHC'. He often referred to Breighton as his second home and, even when mobility occasionally got the better of him, would observe the going's on via the airfield webcams. The 28 end will never be the same again - RIP Sir, and thank you. Dav
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Waivered Airspace
The waivered airspace on the North Side of the airfield which is used for aerobatic/display practice is only available with permission from Charles Sunter, Les Clark or Tony Smith and when one of the afore named is present. Pilots should remain clear of this area at all other times. Wing Walking Aircraft operators have their own display authorisation and are in order using this airspace in the meantime. Further details on this action will follow.
