A Remembrance Sunday fly-past will take place over the Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge area this morning (Sunday November 10th).
Middlezoy Flying Group is organising two formations of planes to mark the day.
A spokesman says: “The Middlezoy Aerodrome flying group will fly four aircraft initially as 2 formations of 2 aircraft to commemorate Remembrance Sunday.”
”The aircraft flying in the Burnham and Weston area will be an Isaacs Fury (replica of 1930s RAF Hawker Fury) flown by retired RAF pilot Mike Laundy, together with a WW2 Auster mk1 Air Observation Post aircraft (built in 1942) which saw active service in North Africa and Italy during WW2.”
”It will be flown by retired airline pilot Gary Priestly. The other 2 aircraft will be flown in the area around Somerton. They comprise a replica WW1 SE5a fighter flown by retired RAF pilot Dave Linney together with an Auster Mk5 Air Observation Post aircraft (built in 1943 and flown by current airline pilot and retired RN pilot Martin Baldock). His aircraft was on active service in Europe from D-Day + 5 until the end of WW2.”
The route of the Fury and Auster formation will be as follows:
- Depart Middlezoy aerodrome 10.35am
- South of Westonzoyland village 10.37am
- Bridgwater (Sainsbury’s) 10.40am
- Dunball 10.43am
- Pawlett 10.44am
- Huntspill 10.45am
- Highbridge Asda 10.46am
- Edithmead 10.47am
- Burnham Tesco 10.48am
- Burnham seafront 10.49am
- Berrow 10.51am
- Brean 10.53am
- Brean Down 10.55 to 11.00am
- Weston Grove Park 11.03am
- Grand Pier 11.04am
- Helicopter Museum 11.06am
- Christon 11.08am
- Cross 11.10am
- Axbridge 11.11am
- Lower Weare 11.12am
- Rooks Bridge 11.14am
- M5 J22 11.17am
- M5 / B3139 bridge 11.18am join up with other 2 aircraft
Formation then will be SE5 leading with Fury in line astern and the 2 Austers formatting in Vic on the Fury (Arrow head formation)
The following timings are approximate as it depends on how long the 2 formations take to establish as a single formation.
- Mark Causeway 11.23am
- Mark Church 11.25am
- Blackford Church 11.26am
- Wedmore Church 11.27am
- Middlezoy Aerodrome overhead 11.37am
- Middlezoy Aerodrome landing 11.43 to 11.49am
As always, the flying depends on the weather and aircraft serviceability. Timings may also vary by 3 or 4 minutes depending on the winds.
Armistice Day fly-past:
There will also be a formation on Armistice Day, Monday 11th November.
The scheduled planes will be the Fury and the 2 Austers flown by the same pilots. The route difference will be over Weston where the formation will fly over the High Street in support of the Weston RAFA Branch, which will commemorate Remembrance Day itself with a 2-minute silence at 11.00am. The overflight will be planned for 11.03am.
The routing then will be over the Grand Pier and then as the previous day until junction 22 of the M5 when the formation will turn towards Mark Causeway and all subsequent timings will be five minutes earlier.
The 2 Austers (and pilots) flew in the formations together with a 3rd Auster Mk 5 to Normandy for the 80th commemoration of D-Day.
Safety Note: Anyone entering Middlezoy Aerodrome to view the aircraft must not cross the runway unless they are escorted by a member of the Aerodrome staff.
