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It’s a great disappointment for warbird enthusiasts as The Fighter Collection has announced via the Flying Legends Facebook page that the 2022 edition of the world-famous Flying Legends airshow has been cancelled :

Dear Flying Legends community, pilots and friends,

It is with deep regret that we must confirm the cancellation of Flying Legends 2022. Our search for a suitable alternative to Duxford has not been successful, despite our best efforts. To compromise and select a lesser location for the event would neither do you nor the brand justice.

This decision was not made lightly and pains us all, but we are determined to find a new home for the show in the near future. One that will ensure the continuity, excellence and growth of Flying Legends for many years to come.

Thank you for your patience and support in this difficult matter and please accept our deepest apologies.
We look forward to meeting you again in 2023.

Kind regards,

Nick, Stephen and the ‘Team’

Flying Legends was already cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions. To be followed…

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Hurricane Z5140 with the familiar Duxford background in 2012. (Photo Feggy Art (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

For three decades, Duxford was synonymous with the world-famous Flying Legends airshow, but The Fighter Collection, organizer of the event, and the Imperial War Museum Duxford have announced that the event will no longer be hosted at Duxford.

To date, no information is available about the future location of the airshow, or what the potential locations are.

UK Airshow Review received the following statement from IWM Duxford.

“IWM Duxford and The Fighter Collection announce relocation of Flying Legends Air Show
After a long and successful partnership of some 30 years, IWM Duxford and The Fighter Collection (TFC) are announcing today that the Flying Legends air show will no longer be taking place at Duxford.

Given the financial pressures which have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic over the past few months, IWM Duxford has been required to examine all future events and consult with key partners to ensure that, as a charity, the organisation is able to maximise income and remain financially stable. It was therefore mutually agreed that TFC would seek an alternative location to host Flying Legends, which will be confirmed at a later date.

John Brown, IWM Executive Director Commerce and Operations, commented: “The Fighter Collection will continue to be a highly valued partner at IWM Duxford and we are delighted that its collection of amazing aircraft will remain on site and continue to be displayed throughout the year. We are confident that Flying Legends will continue with its success and would like to thank them for entertaining audiences at IWM Duxford over the years. We will be making some exciting changes to our own Air Show programme for next year and look forward to sharing more details in the coming months.”

For more information on IWM Duxford’s Air Show season, including tickets to this years’ Battle of Britain Air Show, please visit our website and be the first to know about our exciting new events programme in 2021 – https://www.iwm.org.uk/enews/signup

Updates regarding Flying Legends will be found on their Facebook page.”

https://www.facebook.com/UKAirshowReview/posts/10164430877395508

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Curtiss P-36C Hawk N80FR at the Planes of Fame Airshow in 2015. (Photo Woodys Aeroimages (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Curtiss P-36 Hawk s/n 38-210 N80FR of The Fighter Collection flew again a few days again and made its first public appearance at the Planes of Fame Airshow 2015. It is now headed for Europe and will be presented at Duxford’s Flying Legends airshow in a few weeks.

This is one of only two airworthy Curtiss Hawk aircraft in the world today, the other being the Curtiss Hawk 75 in French colours, also operated by Stephen Grey’s TFC. The restoration was headed by Matt Nightingale in Chino and lasted 4 years. The first flight was carried out by Steve Hinton.

More information and pictures:

• Global Aviation Ressource
• Flying Legends

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Photo Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0)

As can be read in its latest newsletter, the Collings Foundation has received an extraordinary donation: the Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk s/n 41-13297 of Stephen Grey’s Fighter Collection It is the oldest flying P-40 and is also the last survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack.

The aircraft is currently being shipped to the US where it will be assembled and flown by the Collings Foundation.