Warbird Information Exchange

I'm posting a few details of our trip last year to Flying Legends at Duxford so that it's on the www for future searches, last year we googled and found some info that helped us plan our trip. I've also posted this info at this site http://warbirdnotes.blogspot.ca/2016/04/flying-legends-duxford-time-to-plan.html

the Flying Legends airshow event is at historic Duxford airfield & museum (an actual WWII base), the airshow, airfield and museum exceeded all expectations. https://www.flyinglegends.com/

The four of flew to Heathrow (LHR) though I'm sure Gatwick would do too. We booked Panther taxi from Cambridge to pick us at at LHR http://www.panthertaxis.co.uk/

We based our selves for the week in Cambridge at the Earl of Derby B&B, reasonable, quaint, good breakfast, pub attached, ask to stay in the new annex part, you can walk to downtown Cambridge. http://www.theearlofderby.com/ we stayed two to a room, no a/c but ok for us.

One must visit the RAF bar in the Eagle pub in downtown Cambridge http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/ ... e-Pub.aspx we went there twice for the Battle of Britain ale....


We bought a week bus pass to get from Cambridge to Duxford https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/site/ ... ecord.aspx? You can get off just before Duxford village and walk the 30 minutes to the airfield or get off in Duxford village and walk the other way for 30 minutes. The bus winds thru the country side and takes about 30 minutes.

We flew out of Minneapolis on Sunday, went to the RAF bar Monday, then Duxford airfield & IWM museum at Duxford Tuesday to Sunday http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford the museum is huge so much to see.

One must visit the John Barleycorn pub in Duxford village, Douglas Badger and his squadron mated frequented the pub http://johnbarleycorn.co.uk/

You could also arrange for Panther Taxi to drive and then pick you up at Duxford airfield.

There are also free shuttle buses on airshow Saturday and Sunday from Cambridge to Duxford airfield, all of the bus stuff is near the train station, three block from our B&B. the free buses fill up fast, be early.

We also took the train from Cambridge to Whittlesford Parkway and then walk the 30 minutes to the airfield, the train ride was 10 minutes http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/posters/WLF.pdf

Lots of warbirds flying on Thurday and Friday, the show is on Saturday and Sunday, also good food and Spitfire ale on site, lots of vendors selling neat historical stuff.


On Monday, we took Panther Taxi to the RAF museum Hendon London, great museum, http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/

after the museum, the museum front desk called a local taxi to take us to the Stanwell Hotel near LHR terminal 4 http://www.thestanwell.com/ good hotel


Tuesday, the Stanwell arranged a taxi to LHR, then Delta LHR - MSP - YWG.


Hope to go back in a couple of years. cheers - ken

Just last week I was on-line looking to do the airshow maybe next year and then you posted this. I'm thankful for the info. I found a lot of the hotels are already booked for this year, must plan ahead.

What was the cost of your entire trip?

_________________
Live to fly, Fly to live.....

the costs we looked at online were in pounds at first glace a 35 for an air show ticket or 5 for a beer seems reasonable then convert that pound cost to dollars it becomes close to double,

the costs show below are in dollars, our cdn and us dollar were not that far apart at that time so take it as US dollars.

Airfare - $1049 round trip - peak season to UK - not many deals - looked at using airline points too but the points, fees and taxes were 75% of the quoted fare, travelling 4 to a group meant we had to get seats on the same flight. Overseas flight gets you a couple of meals, free beer and wine. We also paid $50 extra per seat for extra seat room.

Taxi from LHR to Cambridge $260.00 each way dived by 4 = $65.00 per person each way.

Earl of Derby Inn, 2 persons per room, worked out to around $100.00 per person per night for 7 nights. This includes a full breakfast with coffee each morning.

Flying Legend Tickets, both days (Saturday & Sunday) $60.00 per person each day.

IWM museum & airfield - annual pass for Tuesday to Friday $45.00 per person annually.

Week bus pass $35.00

Spitfire ale $8.00 per bottle
Battle of Britain ale $9.00 per pint

Bangers and mash (or any basic supper) $25.00 each

RAF Hendon museum - Free

Taxi from Hendon to LHR Hotel (Stanwell) $10.00 per person (group of 4)

Stanwell Hotel LHR $65.00 per person (two per room)

Taxi from Stanwell to LHR $10.00 per person

That's gives about $2200 in fixed costs, then add in beer and food of $100 - $150 per day and what ever stuff you buy.

Seeing 13 Spitfires fly and then having a pint of Speckled hen ale at the John Barleycorn where Douglas Bader quaffed his ale - PRICELESS

As a Brit I would also baulk at those beer prices (cheaper prices can be found if you look) but you have to remember that 1 pint (US) is 16 fluid ounces and 1 Imperial pint (UK) is 20 fluid ounces so you could consider it to be getting more for your money. You can always console yourself with the knowledge that all forms of alcohol is more expensive in the Scandinavian countries.

As an advice: consider a visit to nearby Shuttleworth Collection, at Old Warden Aerodrome.
Enjoy numerous WW I types, but also Storch, Sea Hurricane, Lysander and
Greetz
Aerovet

My family was thinking of visiting England and experiencing Duxford but alas, we will be touring the Upper Dessert Country here in the states.

I think to properly see England and ALL its museums, is to move there for a year or two.

_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

I attended the 75th BoB Anniversary Show in Duxford last September (with a fellow WIXer). I don't recall the exact costs, but we got round trip tickets from Toronto to Gatwick for $700 (would be more in July). We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express next to (literally) the Whittlesford train station. You should be able to book a room for under $200 a night. As far as I know, its the only hotel within walking distance of the airfield. We made it in under a half hour.

If you can manage, public transport is the best value. We took trains from Gatwick, through Kings Cross, all the way to Whittlesford. I believe the total cost was around $40-$50.

If you plan on visiting the museum for more than one day, I would recommend the season pass. I think its the "friends of duxford" option. If memory serves, it was around 50 pounds and you got discounts at the gift shop and some other perks. Note: arrival day on Friday counts as a normal museum admission. For airshow tickets, the friends of Duxford gives you a discount down to 28 pounds. If not, general admission is 35 pounds. We did the gold pass. I would not do it again. Not worth it for me, as I like to get different photographic vantage points on different days.

Overall costs... no clue, don't care. I got to see 17 spitfires in the air at one time!!!

I would look at hiring a car for some short stints, as it works out cheaper than using a taxi/bus.
I would also recommend that you check out Duxford museum for 2 days. I rushed around it in 5hrs and managed to score a bit of a behind the scene tour. When I return next year I am heading back there again to take it all in again.

Petrol (gas!) and diesel are just over £1/litre at the moment. Translates to about $5.50 per US gallon. A decent small hire car should do 40mpg+.

Heathrow to Duxford is about an hour. Don't forget we drive on the left.

Not to take anything away from Duxford, or English pubs!, but you can actually ride in fighters here in Canada. Not just watch.

And you can do it in formation with other fighters, or with bombers such as the Lancaster or the B-25.

The P-40 at Vintage Wings of Canada is the only dual control prop fighter in Canada. And the P-51 also has a back seat.

With the current exchange rate, Ottawa/Gatineau is the cheapest place in the world to fly in a WWII fighter.

And to do it with another iconic aircraft alongside... incredible opportunity!

Dave

Just to be clear, this summer we will fly the P-40, the Mustang, the Corsair, the Lysander, and all the Yellow Wings fleet.

Dave

No Hurricane, Spitfire, or Swordfish?

_________________
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

You can also fly in Spitfires in the UK. Came into effect last year or year before. Also believe a Mustang is available as well.

http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/

The P-51 is a jumpseat, the Spitfire is a T.9. If your budget is sufficient and the insurers agree, they'll send you solo.

I have a budget issue.