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Inaugural More Bus
This year’s inaugural More Bus Bournemouth Air Festival (supported by Excelsior coaches) will see a very special and unique plane take to the skies with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – the Red Arrows – a newly restored Folland Gnat, once the flagship of the world famous display team.
First commissioned in 1963, ‘Gnaty’ was the former team leader’s jet until the Royal Air Force replaced their Gnats with British Aerospace Hawks; the last Arrows Gnat display being on 15th September 1979. Gnaty’s restoration project has taken locally based De Havilland Aviation (DHA) three years to complete and she has now been granted her full Permit to Fly.
In addition to confirming the appearance of the Gnat for each day of the Air Ferstival, De Havilland Aviation will be supporting Friday’s appearance of the Red Arrows (29th August), the first of three taking place during the festival. DHA are also contributing other aircraft to the More Bus Bournemouth Air Festival flying programme – which continues to get bigger and better.
However, the highlight for many aviation enthusiasts will be the appearance of Gnaty flying in a nostalgic flypast with the Red Arrows to help celebrate the Royal Air Force’s 90th anniversary. This flypast will be a unique event on the airshow circuit and will provide the crowds with a very exclusive photo opportunity – ten Red Arrows, old and new, in formation.
Managing Director of DHA, Geoff Beck said, "DHA has a Worldwide reputation for restoring and supporting vintage and ex-military aircraft. Having participated at air shows for many years, we are delighted to be involved in what we consider will be one of the most spectacular events in the air show calendar.
“Gnaty’s Friday display will be her official re-launch to the aviation world; not only flying solo, but also in this special flypast formation with the Red Arrows team. This will be a unique spectacle and is the pinnacle of the three years of effort that it has taken to restore this famous aircraft. We are very honoured to be working with the Red Arrows to arrange what will be a nostalgic flypast in celebration of the RAF’s 90th birthday. We are thrilled to be sharing this special moment with the Air Festival visitors and organisers – and my advice would be to get your cameras ready."
Wing Commander Jas Hawker, the Red Arrows’ Team Leader, said: “We are delighted to be able to fly with this Gnat aircraft. She played such an important part in the history of the Red Arrows – it will be privilege to fly in formation with her with the BAE Hawks that we use today.”
De Havilland Aviation will be supporting Friday’s Red Arrows display as part of the official Gnat re-launch and to support the John Thornton Young Achiever’s Foundation. This is a new charity being founded by John’s family in Ferndown, in memory of their Royal Marine son who was recently killed in action in
Jon Weaver, Air Festival organiser visited De Havilland Aviation’s hangar at
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G-NATY
After its final appearance in 1979, the Folland Gnat (XR537) was maintained in a ground running condition, still in its Red Arrows livery, and continued its service as an airframe training facility. However, finally, in 1989, the RAF decided the Gnats were now surplus to requirement so XR537 was sold, along with many other Gnats, at a Sotheby's auction in March 1990. XR537 was bought by a UK-based businessman who moved it to
Wishing to get Gnaty (as the aircraft became known) back in the sky, the new owner managed to obtain a brand new Orpheus engine for the aircraft, as the previous one was ‘out of hours’ and no longer permitted for use.
However, after many months of restoration and refurbishment work, the company originally restoring the aircraft closed down, and a few years later the owner passed away. Still belonging to the former owner’s estate, the aircraft was put back into the
In 2005, a new consortium bought the aircraft, and formulated a comprehensive project to restore what was a well-kept, new-engine aircraft; an Arrow that had a considerable amount of RAF heritage.
De Havilland Aviation at
There then followed one of the most comprehensive engineering restoration projects undertaken on a Gnat, vital if she was to ever fly to the exacting CAA standards demanded of vintage jets.
On 9th August 2007, Gnaty was finally ready to undertake her test flight schedule after several engine and fast run tests, DHA’s Chief Pilot, Brian Grant, pulled the stick back and Gnaty took to the skies for the first time in over 28 years.
However, despite this major landmark, those first few test flights showed that Gnaty still had a minor electrical problem that prevented her from being fully signed off. A few frustrating months followed, including liaising with high level
Red Arrows
2008 is the 90th anniversary of the Royal Air Force and the 44th display season in which the Red Arrows will demonstrate the professional excellence of their Royal Air Force colleagues to millions of people worldwide.
This year the team will perform around 90 displays and over 100 flypasts in the UK, Europe and North America. The Red Arrows will be appearing at the Bournemouth Air Festival on Friday 29th, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August.
The show will also host the Red Arrows Village where there will be lots for young (and grown up!) high fliers to see and do. Visitors can test their pilot power on a flight simulator and have the chance to sit at the controls in the cockpit of a life-sized Hawk aircraft – the type of plane the Red Arrows fly. They can talk to the ‘Blues’ too, the Red Arrows support team, to find out about all of the hard work that takes place behind the scenes to keep the Red Arrows in the air. They are known as the ‘Blues’ because of the distinctive royal blue flying suits they wear during the display season. They represent nine out of the Royal Air Force’s broad range of over 65 technical and non-technical trades.
There will also be children’s activities and games, a chance to enter a competition to win a visit to the Red Arrows’ base at Royal Air Force Scampton during winter training, plus much more.