Race Day Airshow

Shuttleworth Race Day (Season Finale)

October 5th 2025

Tomtit and de Havilland DH60 Moth racing in 2023

The Shuttleworth Collection brings its 2025 season to a close with its traditional Race Day theme, with mock races in the air and vintage vehicles on the ground.

Aircraft
Visiting Aircraft
	Supermarine Spitfire (BBMF)
	Hawker Hurricane (BBMF)
	BBMF Lancaster 'PA474 Leader'
	de Havilland DH.71
	Folland Gnat XR992 G-MOUR
	Supermarine Spitfire Mk G-PR.XI 'PL983' (Aircraft Restoration Company)
	Pitts Duo
	Cassutt Racer IIIM ‘Kermit’
	Cassutt Racer IIIM
	Druine Turbulent G-BLTC
	Extra 330SC (Mark Jefferies)
	Zivko Edge 540 (Mark Jefferies)
	Monnett Sonerai
	Sopwith Dove
	Miles Magister G-AKPF 'N3788' (David Bramwell)
	Slingsby Petrel (Graham Saw)
	Slingsby Kirby Kite
Shuttleworth-based aircraft
	Avro Triplane replica G-ARSG (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Avro 504K G-ADEV (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Blackburn B2 G-AEBJ (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	Blackburn Monoplane Type ‘D’ (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Blériot XI (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Bristol Boxkite (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Bristol M1C (reproduction), G-BWJM (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Comper CLA7 Swift G-ACTF (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Deperdussin (Shuttleworth Collection) CANCELLED
	Desoutter Mk1 G-AAPZ (Shuttleworth Collection)
	English Electric Wren (Shuttleworth Collection) CANCELLED
	Gloster Gladiator Mk 1 G-AMRK 'K7985' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	DHC-1 Chipmunk (Shuttleworth Collection)
	de Havilland DH.51 'Miss Kenya' G-EBIR
	de Havilland DH.60X Cirrus Moth G-EBWD (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth G-ANKT 'K2585' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	DH88 Comet (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Miles Hawk Speed Six (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Kirby Kite (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Miles Magister 'P6382' G-AJRS (Shuttleworth Collection) CANCELLED
	Parnall Elf (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Hunting (Percival) Piston Provost T.1 (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Polikarpov PO2 (Shuttleworth Collection)
	RAF SE5A G-EBIA (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Sopwith Camel reproduction (Shuttleworth Collection) CANCELLED
	Sopwith Pup (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Sopwith Triplane replica 'N6290 Dixie ll' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Southern Martlett (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk Vc G-AWII 'AR501' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Westland Lysander IIIA G-AZWT, Shuttleworth Collection CANCELLED
List last updated 20.09.25.
This is an indicative list, based on information available at the time it was last updated. Things change. Please check the show's web site for the latest participation list and please do not decide to visit the show based only on the information published here.

Shuttleworth Race Day: Season Finale

October 6th 2024

Bristol MIc at Race Day in 2024

Unfortunately the weather was not a friend of the Race Day event this year. Yes, this is a report on the show, not a weather report, but the two are so often intertwined. The forecast of rain throughout much of the afternoon probably deterred some would-be visitors, as the crowds were rather thin. It also reduced the flying participation, although not as much as some may have feared.

Unsurprisingly, the Edwardians didn't fly, but in addition to that, the final race of the day was abandoned after one circuit by the Comet, and before the Desoutter and Magister got off the ground, because of incoming rain.

Apart from that, the participation was surprisingly close to the schedule, although the pilots had to work very hard indeed in the bumpy conditions.

Undoubted highlight of the day was the display by Shuttleworth's Spitfire and Gladiator. Frank Chapman in the Gladiator and Stu Goldspink in the Spitfire gave a most exhilarating display with plenty of topsides, lots of fast action and both aircraft on different paths but both in view virtually the whole time. I can't remember seeing the Shuttleworth Spitfire flown like this before. The display was part of a threesome of WWII aircraft, the third being John Romain in ARCo's Mk XI Photo Reconnaissance PL983, which joined up with the Shuttleworth pair before the display, flew as a threesome and then held off whilst the Gladiator and Mk Vc Spitfire thrilled the crowds, coming in for a typically John Romain solo afterwards (... continued below the table).

PA System

Please will somebody fix the PA system at Old Warden?

I have been to many airshows at Old Warden this year and every time the PA system has broadcast commentary with sounded like an international satellite broadcast with frequent white-outs. Perhaps it is the microphone, or the switch or something else, but this otherwise effective PA system and informative commentary are let down by something that can surely be fixed.

Travel Air D4000 and Spartan 7W Executive

Cassutt Racer at Race Day 2024

Aircraft
	Hawker Fury ISS G-CBEL 'SR661' (Painted as Sea Fury Prototype) (Fighter Aviation Engineering) (pilot Steve Jones)
	Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat G-RUMM (The Fighter Collection) (pilot Pete Kynsey)
	de Havilland DH.60X Cirrus Moth G-EBWD (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	Sopwith Pup '1297' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Spartan 7W Executive
	Travel Air D4000 (pilot Charlie Huke)
	Miles Magister G-AKPF 'N3788' (David Bramwell)
	DHC-1 Chipmunk (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Comper CLA7 Swift G-ACTF (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Avro C19 Anson G-AHKX in RAF Coningsby colours (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	Westland Lysander IIIA G-AZWT, Shuttleworth Collection
	Cassutt Racer IIIM’ (pilot Trevor Jarvis)
	Slingsby Petrel (pilot Richard Crockett)
	Slingsby Kirby Kite (pilot Graham Saw)
	Piper PA-18 Super Cub G-SVAS (Shuttleworth Collection) (pilot Dave Bramwell)
	North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
	Stampe SV.4 (owner and pilot Stu Goldspink)
	de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth G-ANKT 'K2585' (pilot Andy Monk)
	Zivko Edge 540 (Mark Jefferies)
	RAF SE5A G-EBIA (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Sopwith Triplane replica 'N6290 Dixie ll': Shuttleworth Collection
	Avro 504K G-ADEV (Old Warden Resident) (pilot Willy Hackett)
	Bristol M1C, G-BWJM (Shuttleworth Collection) (pilot Dodge Bailey)
	Miles Messenger G-AKIN
	Mew Gull (Replica) G-HEKL (David Beale)
	Miles Hawk Speed Six
	Supermarine Spitfire Mk X1 G-PRXI 'PL983' (Aircraft Restoration Company) (pilot John Romain)
	Gloster Gladiator Mk 1 G-AMRK 'K7985' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk Vc G-AWII 'AR501' (Shuttleworth Collection) (pilot Stu Goldspink)
	Travel Air Type R 'Mystery Ship' G-TATR
	DH88 Comet (Shuttleworth Collection) (abbreviated display due to conditions)
	Miles Magister 'P6382' G-AJRS (Shuttleworth Collection)
No longer listed
	Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk Ib G-BKTH Z7105/7-L (Shuttleworth Collection)
Listed but did not fly
	de Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth G-AEOA
	Beech D.17S Staggerwing 'High Maintenance' N9405H G-BRVE
	de Havilland DH.89 ‘Scillonia Airways’ Dragon Rapide
	Avro Triplane replica G-ARSG (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Hawker Cygnet (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Blackburn Monoplane Type ‘D’ (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Blériot XI (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Bristol Boxkite (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Deperdussin (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Desoutter Mk1 G-AAPZ (Shuttleworth Collection)

The biggest race of the day, in terms of the number of participants, was the handicap, pitting the Miles Magister, Chipmunk, Comper Swift, Avro Anson and Lysander against each other. The intervals between take-offs may have seemed surprisingly generous but they were clearly well judged, as the gaps closed up during the six circuits, to the extent that towards the end it appeared that a tie between three of the aircraft might have been feasible. In the event, Frank Chapman flew the Chipmunk to victory followed by Peter Cockcroft in the Magister then the Swift, Lysander and, in fifth, the Anson.

The opening display showed two unlikely racers, the Hawker Fury ISS from Fighter Aviation Engineering, representing amongst others 'September Fury', and The Fighter Collection's Grumman Bearcat, representing 'Rare Bear' and other Bearcats. The Bearcat and the Fury both scored success in unlimited air races, from the 1960s onwards, most notably in the National Championship Air Races at Reno, Nevada.

Another early display, and one very pertinent to the event, honoured the Shuttleworth name with Richard Shuttleworth's own de Havilland DH.60X Moth and Sopwith Pup, joined on the ground by a parade of his inter-war vehicles.

Bearing in mind the windy conditions, it was a pleasant surprise to see two gliders in the air. The Petrel and Kirby Kite were towed aloft together by Shuttleworth's PA-18 Super Cub tug and released simultaneously once Trevor Jarvis had thrilled us with a stonking demonstration of the speed and agility of the Cassutt IIIM racer, affectionately known as 'Kermit' because of it's not-so-subtle colour scheme. The gliders were due to fly two triangular laps. Perhaps they did. Whichever of them was the notional winner is academic, as the very different but mutually stunning performances in the damp and gusty conditions were both winning displays for most in the crowd.

The Bronco at Race Day 2024

Some aircraft are clearly racers: both the Cassutt and the Zivko are examples. Racing is a less obvious forte for some others.

One pairing at Shuttleworth's Race Day that are less obviously racers were Nigel Pickard's Spartan 7W Executive with Richard Seeley's Travel Air D4000. But they were! Although the aircraft is far better known for luxury travelling than racing, Spartan Executive did compete in Bendix Trophy Races in the USA and the display example took part in the 1938 Bendix Trophy between California and Cleveland, Ohio, achieving sixth place in 1939. The other aircraft in the display, a D4000, won the first 9-day Women's Air Derby and the very exampleat the show was displayed at the 1939 National Air Races in Cleveland Ohio, although it didn't take part.

A star of the show, offering a thoroughly versatile and exciting display, albeit with dubious connections to racing, was Tony De Bruyn' s North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, paying another visit to the UK from its Belgian base. Although there appears to be no record of the Bronco at air races, Tony showed how it would be adept at navigating the course of a slalom, with his vigourous flying style and almost instant reversions from 90 degrees port to 90 degrees starboard. The Bronco may not have been featured in air races to date, but if one day it is, Tony is your man.

The Bronco was followed by a pair of more 'typically Shuttleworth' classic biplane trainers with Stu Goldspink flying an aerobatic routine in his own Stampe SV4 and Andy Monk avoiding aerobatics because of the conditions, in Shuttleworth's own DH82a Tiger Moth.

Mark Jefferies demonstrated how far the features of air racing had developed in his much younger, much faster and extremely dynamic Zivko Edge 540, seemingly taking advantage of much of its stress range of plus-to-minus 12g, even though the low cloud base prevented his full display and showing why it has been so successful at the more modern air races.

Moving from the very modern to WWI with the RAF SE5a and Sopwith Triplane. Over 5,000 examples of the SE5a were built but its service life was short, so many were repurposed as skywriters and a few were used as racers. One famous example was a contest between Cambridge and Oxford universities in the Varsity Air Race of 1921, when eight examples of the SE5a were hired for the race and six contestants took part, Cambridge taking all of the top three places. The Sopwith Triplane was a contemporary of the SE5a but was not known to have taken part in any air races, although it was successful as a military fighter in its short service life.

Although the Bristol MI was first introduced during the war years, it's fame came afterwards as a racer, in various UK locations. The Avro 504 was much more successful and long-lived in military service and also a successful air racer.

Race Day, Season Finale

previously 'Wings and Wheels'

October 1st

Seafire and Hawker Fury in 2023

Shuttleworth bade farewell to the 2023 season with the return of 'Race Day', celebrating Richard Shuttleworth's passion for racing, both on the ground and in the air. The show was originally billed as 'Wings and Wheels', and that title was on the signposts directing traffic to the event, but Race Day it was.

The show promised some true classics from across the UK, and a few motoring and flying surprises. In the event around 150 historic vehicles graced the airfield and paraded in groups for over an hour before the flying started.

The headline attraction on the track was Sir Malcolm Campbell’s 350hp Sunbeam ‘Bluebird’, the holder of three World Land Speed Records, which was opposite the hangars for all to admire and had pride of place in its own slot, between the Edwardian Car Demonstration Sprints, on the main runway.

The weather was kind for the vehicles and for the aircraft. Although occasionally overcast, the sun was evident for most of the afternoon, beaming excellent lighting conditions for the modest crowd there to photograph or simply to admire the aircraft. The wind also abated as the afternoon progressed but it remained a little too strong for the Edwardians, none of which flew.

The rest of the programme was very full, with a good three hours of continuous flying.

Being Shuttleworth, there were some unusual combinations and plenty of aircraft that just are not seen anywhere else. And, being Shuttleworth, the flying was very close to the crowd, with some excellent topsides, as the aircraft traced the angle of the crowdline. Virtually all the aircraft were low and close. The exceptions being the Chipmunk, which was intentionally performing high aerobatics whilst the Desoutter, Hawker Tomtit and DH60 Moth displayed beneath, and Fighter Aviation Engineering's Hawker Fury, which made a couple of lovely passes with the Navy Wings Seafire but for its solo display was high and distant, for reasons that were not apparent, except for a nice, closer topside on departure.

Gladiator, Spitfire and Sea Hurricane

Cassutt Racer IIIM 'Kermit'

Westland Lysander

The first of the formations was the opening item on the schedule. The Collection's Spitfire, Sea Hurricane and Gladiator made a single pass in formation before splitting. The Gladiator was the first to perform a solo, followed by one of the best pairs routines seen in a very long while, when the Hurricane, flown by Frank Chapman and the Spitfire, flown by John Hurrell, arrived together but then flew alternating solo phases. Wizard flying, superbly choreographed, with action in front of the admiring crowd every second.

Aircraft
Flying
Shuttleworth-based aircraft
	Avro C19 Anson G-AHKX in RAF Coningsby colours (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	Avro Triplane replica G-ARSG (Shuttleworth Collection) Did not fly. Too windy.
	Blackburn B2 G-AEBJ (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	Blériot XI (Shuttleworth Collection) Did not fly. Too windy.
	Bristol Boxkite (Shuttleworth Collection) Did not fly. Too windy.
	Comper CLA7 Swift G-ACTF (Shuttleworth Collection)
	DHC Chipmunk T.22 (Shuttleworth Collection)
	DH.88 Comet, Shuttleworth Collection
	de Havilland DH.51 'Miss Kenya'
	de Havilland DH.60X Moth G-EBWD (was BAe Systems but donated to Shuttleworth Collection)
	Deperdussin (Shuttleworth Collection). Did not fly. Too windy.
	Desoutter Mk1 G-AAPZ (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Gloster Gladiator Mk 1 G-AMRK 'K7985' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk Ib G-BKTH Z7105/7-L, Shuttleworth Collection
	Hawker Tomtit (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Miles Hawk Speed Six
	Miles Magister 'P6382' G-AJRS (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Parnall Elf
	Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Royal Aircraft Factory SE5A G-EBIA
	Sopwith Triplane replica 'N6290 Dixie ll': Shuttleworth Collection
	Sopwith Pup (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Southern Martlet (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk Vc G-AWII 'AR501' (Shuttleworth Collection)
	Westland Lysander IIIA G-AZWT, Shuttleworth Collection
Visiting Aircraft
	Cassutt Racer IIIM ‘Kermit’ (Trevor Jarvis)
	Chilton DW1A G-DWCB (Chris Barnes)
	Chilton DW1A G-CDXU (Michael Gibbs)
	Hawker Fury FB.II G-CBEL 'SR661' (Painted as Sea Fury Prototype) (Fighter Aviation Engineering)
	Zivko Edge 540 (Mark Jefferies)
	North American T6 Harvard FE511 (Hurricane Heritage)
	North American Harvard Mk IV G-NWHF (Navy Wings)
	Canadian Car Foundry Harvard Mk IVM T-6H AJ841 'Wacky Wabbit' (T6 Harvard Aviation)
	Percival Mew Gull (Replica) G-HEKL (David Beale)
	Slingsby Kirby Kite
	Slingsby Petrel (Graham Saw)
	Spartan 7W Executive (Nigel Pickard)
	Supermarine Seafire Mk.XVII (Navy Wings)
	Supermarine Spitfire Mk G-PR.XI 'PL983' (Aircraft Restoration Company)
	Travel Air Type R 'Mystery Ship' G-TATR (Richard Seeley)
	Travel Air D4000 (Richard Seeley)
In case there are mistakes or changes, please check the show's site for the latest list. Appearances are always subject to technical, weather and other constraints.

Bluebird at Shuttleworth Race Day 2023

The Collection's Lysander was originally expected to be included in the opening formation but was a little late to the party and took off and displayed as a solo. During the display the cover of the access panel appeared to lose one of its fastenings, causing the cover itself to be bent back by the force of the slipstream, but without affecting the quality of the display.

One of the great things about airshows at Old Warden is the variety of aircraft, many of which are simply not seen elsewhere. That applies to most of the examples from the Collection's but it also applies to visitors, who are more likely to come to this and similar small airfields than to airshows at bigger venues or seaside shows.

Examples are the Travel Airs, two of which displayed at Race Day. The Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship is a replica, but nevertheless a very rare type indeed. It has been seen elsewhere, notably at Little Gransden about six weeks earlier, but it is not an aircraft many casual airshow attendees will have witnessed. The Travel Air D4000 is less rare but also seldom seen at shows. Both were here at Race Day; both owned by Richard Seeley and both expertly handled around the Old Warden Airfield by Dan Griffith.

On Race Day there was - well, a race. It was a mock race between six of Shuttleworth's aircraft from the '20s and '30s. The race was a handicap, so the aircraft took off at timed intervals and raced in anti-clockwise circuits around the airfield. After the prescribed distance, Scott Butler gave a wing waggle to claim victory in the de Havilland DH.51 'Miss Kenya', notionally the slowest of the competitors, beating off the faster Blackburn B2, Parnall Elf, Southern Martlet, Miles Magister and Avro Anson.

Superb Flying at Race Day

Spitfire PL983

No other airshow is quite like Race Day. There were a few aerobatic displays but much of the four hours of flying was taken up with groups of aircraft racing around the same anti-clockwise circuit over the countryside at Old Warden.

It is evident from social media and forum comments that this generates little excitement for many and for them the airshow season will have finished a week or two sooner.

For the significant crowds at Old Warden on that chilly October Day, however, Race Day represents the very spirit of Shuttleworth. The spirit of Shuttleworth is not jets, nor formation flying, nor flamboyant aerobatics. The spirit of Shuttleworth is vintage aircraft and vintage road vehicles, doing what vintage aircraft and vehicles do, the superb Shuttleworth way.

Aircraft
Flying
Visiting Aircraft
	North American P-51D Mustang ‘Contrary Mary’ (Previously painted as Miss Velma. Replaced ‘Tall in the Saddle’)
	North American P-51D Mustang ‘Tall In The Saddle’. This was to have been Peter Teichman’s last ever public display, but it was cancelled.
	Spartan 7W Executive
	LeVier Cosmic Wind ‘Ballerina’
	Taylor Titch
	Midget Mustang
	Druine D.31 Turbulent
	Miles Messenger
	Bulldog (that won the Kings Cup in 2002)
	Miles Hawk Speed Six
	Pitts: x6
	Vans RV4 (Pace plane for Pitts race)
	Slingsby T.13 Petrel Glider
	Slingsby Falcon 1 Glider
	Slingsby Kite Prototype Glider
	Rhönsperber Glider (cancelled)
	Grob Viking T1 (cancelled)
	Aviat Husky Float Plane G-WATR
	Cessna 172F Float Plane G-DRAM
	Mew Gull: G-HEKL
	Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship
	Comper Swift: G-LCGL (Flew in the morning but not during the display)
	Comper Swift: G-ECTF
	Chilton: G-JUJU
Shuttleworth Collection Aircraft
	Blackburn B2
	DH60X Moth
	DH60 Cirrus Moth
	DH62A Tiger Moth
	Desoutter
	Southern Martlet
	Hawker Sea Hurricane 1B
	Miles Magister
	DHC Chipmunk T.22
	DH88 Comet
	Percival Mew Gull
	Chilton: G-AESZ (cancelled)
	Chilton: G-CDXU (cancelled)
	Comper Swift
	Sopwith Camel
	Bristol M1C
	Sopwith Dove (did not fly)
	Avro 504K (did not fly)
	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc
	Supermarine Spitfire PRXI ‘PL983’ (John Romain flying a tribute to Lettice Curtis)
	Avro Triplane IV (cancelled)
	Bristol Boxkite
	Blackburn Monoplane Type ‘D’
	Deperdussin
Additionally the following are due to be on static display, but are not flying during the show
Chilton: G-DWCB Sopwith Tabloid (Brooklands Museum)

Getting to Shuttleworth Airshows

Accommodation near Shuttleworth Airshows

It is best to book as far as possible in advance. This is not only because nearby hotels and guest houses tend get booked up well before the date of an airshow but also because prices can be better when you book early online.

The location is already built in to the link but please check, and change as necessary, the dates, number of rooms and number of guests.

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