Battle of Britain Memorial Flight headlines Clacton Airshow

The iconic RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will be the first display for the airshow and will see an Avro Lancaster and two Hawker Hurricanes for both days of the event. 

Under the theme of D-Day for the 31st Clacton Airshow on August 22 and 23, it will commemorate the 80-year anniversary of the Normandy invasion liberating Europe in the Second World War. 

Both aircraft had a crucial role in Operation Overlord, the Lancaster bombers flew sorties ahead of and during D-Day to soften up the German defences. 

The Hurricanes supported communications between the invasion forces and headquarters in Britain. 

The memorial flight is operated by a regular RAF aircrew acting as a ‘museum without walls’. 

Ivan Henderson, deputy leader and cabinet member for tourism at Tendring Council – which runs Clacton Airshow – said the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was always a crowd favourite. 

“The roar of the Lancaster’s engines is one of the defining sounds of the Clacton Airshow, and crowds along the seafront get a fantastic close-up view of this historic plane – one of only two remaining airworthy Lancasters in the world,” Mr Henderson said. 

“Seeing this giant flanked by the equally iconic Hurricane – a bastion of the Battle of Britain and many other operations during the Second World War – is an opportunity not to be missed. 

“This is a wonderful display to kick-start our flight announcements, so put the date in your diary and start planning your trip to this summer’s Clacton Airshow as well as looking out for further programme announcements over the coming weeks.” 

Also announced for the line-up is the return of the RAF Grob Tutor T1, which is used by the Royal Air Force to provide flying instruction to Air Cadets and basic flying training for future pilots. 

Tendring Council agreed in January to commit for the next four years to the popular seaside event. 

The Red Arrows will not be part of the 2024 event, due to commitments in Canada.