Great Vintage Flying Weekend returns to Kemble Airfield (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Great Vintage Flying Weekend returns to Kemble Airfield

THE Great Vintage Flying Weekend returns to Kemble Airfield this weekend for what has become Europe's premier fly-in for vintage and classic light aircraft.

The three-day weekend, which is now in its sixth year, will see up to 500 historic aeroplanes from all over the UK and northern Europe descend on the Cotswold Aviation Centre at the airfield.

Terry Booker, the event's operations manager, said: "Given reasonably good weather at Kemble this could well be the largest meeting for British-built classics ever held."

The very finest and oldest aeroplanes in British light aircraft history will be making an appearance and will be joined by their equally famous cousins from America, France, Germany and Sweden.

The oldest visitors date from the early 1930s and even the newer classics are pre-1970, with many of them the only one, or one of a small handful, still in existence.

There are rae planes like the wartime Anson, flying in on Sunday, which is one of only two flying aircraft left in the UK from more than 11,000 which were built for the RAF.

The RAF will be paying its own tribute to these civil veterans with a flypast salute on Sunday by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire and Hurricane.

There will be a chance for visitors to wander around and photograph the unique collection with the air park open each day.

Sponsoring the event is the Met Office, who will be bringing a state-of-the-art mobile forecasting unit with them and trade stands, including the Standard's promotions stand.

Visitors will even get the chance to experience a flight in a vintage light aircraft in the world's second oldest Tiger Moth.

For £15 on the gate, or £10 in advance from tourist information offices, the special all-in-car weekend pass is valid for entry on all three days for family parties.

Gates open at 10am and entrance is off the A433 Cirencester to Tetbury Road.