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Header image: Five pilots from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight with BBMF fighter pilots and Chipmunk instructors Sqn Ldr Mark ‘Disco’ Discombe (OC BBMF) on the far right and Flt Lt Andy Preece (BBMF Ops Officer) second from right. BBMF DH Chipmunk T10 WK518 provides the backdrop. (Photo: Clive Rowley)

During the last week of February 2020 five pilots from the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Historic Flight, two of them new to the Flight, visited the BBMF at RAF Coningsby to conduct pre-season training in the BBMF DH T10 Chipmunk aircraft. This is now a regular event in the BBMF calendar and is part of a reciprocal arrangement where the BBMF fighter pilots visit the RNLAF Historic Flight at their base at Gilze-Rijen in the Netherlands to fly in their AT-16 Harvards. These exchange visits are conducted under a Memorandum of Understanding.

Header image: BBMF Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 undergoing a high-power engine run on 25th February. (Photo: Clive Rowley)

BBMF Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 was the first of the BBMF historic aircraft to ‘come to life’ and to roar again after winter servicing, when the famous Spitfire’s 1,100hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 engine was run by the BBMF ground crew at low power on 24th February and at full power the next day.

Header image: 617 Sqn Lancaster B1 Special PB996 ‘YZ-C’ releases a 21,500lb ‘Grand Slam’ over the Arnsberg Viaduct, Germany, on 19th March 1945.

The first of the enormous British ‘Grand Slam’ ‘earthquake’ bombs were dropped in anger 75 years ago this month.