News & competitions

This month, you could win a family ticket to Great Central Railway’s 1940s Wartime Weekend, which is happening at the UK’s only main line heritage railway from 5th – 7th June 2020. The family ticket is valid for up to two adults and three children and would usually cost £40. Our winner will be able to select the date they would like to attend.

How to enter the ballot

All current members have been automatically entered into this month’s ballot. If you’re not already a member, please join the Club by 31st March 2020.

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.