Having attended sufficient aviation events that I rarely look up anymore—sad, really—I found myself soaking in the sights at the Best of British display at the Shuttleworth Collection this September.
It was, as I mentioned to my host Andy McKee, the first time I had ever seen a Spitfire on grass.
It was the first time to see nearly everything there. The private Shuttleworth Collection hosting the Best of British display on their own private grass strip specializes in Edwardian through WWII aircraft. Located in Biggleswade, England, the Shuttleworth Collection is as authentically English as three o’clock tea and as you might expect, an excellent repository of British aircraft. An American observer is thus offered a nearly all-new palette ranging from pioneering European string bags such as the Avro triplane through a most impressive collection of WWI offerings, between-the-war sport planes and some iconic WWII fighters literally on their home turf. Even the brick and open-girder hangars speak of an earlier, foreign time.
For seasoned, nay, jaded, airshow attendees, taking in one of these displays is a refreshing change from the high-volume dazzle of a typical U.S. airshow. The pace of the British pass in review shows is more measured, the public address system calming and informative rather than selling, and the flying right in front of the crowd. This includes the landings and takeoffs safely distant but closer than in the states and definitely visible on the single grass runway. Plus, the taxiing, recoveries, engine starts, and other ground handling are right in front of the crowd.
While entertaining to a lay audience, these displays are best thought of as a flying museum rather than a sensation of snarling, tumbling aerobatic acts each trying to outdo the other. The puttering pre-war hardware can be downright sedate, but their incredible rarity makes up for any lack of head-snapping action. Shuttleworth, for example, has the world’s oldest flying airplane, a 1909 Bleriot XI, backed up by an equally antique but original 1910 Deperdussin among its impressive collection of original and some replica aircraft. WWI fans will be especially thrilled at the Shuttleworth’s hangar full of British fighters, including the expected SE5a and Sopwith Camel, plus a Sopwith Pup and Triplane, a Bristol Scout, ditto a Bristol M1C monoplane and an F2b two-seat fighter, among others.
The unique opportunity to witness some truly historic aircraft in action is unparalleled. Perhaps the foremost of these is the DH88 Comet racer, the very 1934 England-to-Australia MacRobertson Air Race-winning machine. Taken straight from its display hangar across the grass to the runway, the running, flying Comet brings history to life in a way no video or written narrative can (which didn’t stop us from filming its landing). Similarly, some of those WWI fighters are combat veterans, as are all the WWII aircraft.
Following typical U.K. practice, the Best of British display is one of seven offered by the Shuttleworth Collection each summer between May and October. Each event is themed; racing or military displays are common, or in our case, British aircraft, so you typically won’t see the entirety of this large collection flying at any one display, but those not flying are still on static display.
A two-day event is on the calendar for summer 2026, in which case most of the collection should take to the air. Furthermore, visiting aircraft from other British collections are common. The Best of British show hosted Duxford museum’s Gloster Gladiator, for example, thus giving attendees the rare opportunity to watch two of the biplanes at once.
Such mutual support among museums is greatly aided by the U.K.’s compact nature; for 150-mph aircraft any populated point in Great Britain is often a short or at least a reasonably short flight away.
The English weather does feature rain, as you may have heard. This can curtail flying displays, but not so much as you may think as the locals are unfazed by a little liquid sunshine and the show will go on well after a U.S. event would have packed up. The Best of British show this year started out under perfect conditions but was ended early at 5 o’clock due to rain and poor visibility. In a way, though, watching Spitfires cavort in what the PA announcer called “glowering” conditions only added to the atmosphere.
If 5 p.m. sounds like a normal ending time for an airshow, the English displays tend to start flying mid-afternoon and run to twilight as the frail Edwardian veterans demand calm, early evening conditions. Shuttleworth even runs one show to after dark to include fireworks. And you won’t find yourself melting under the oppressive heat common to North American shows; England’s pleasant—if occasionally liquid—summer weather is far cooler and conducive to a full day outside than in the U.S.
Granted, the U.K. may sound like a long way away to the typical North American aviation enthusiast but it isn’t that great of a financial burden given some advance-purchased airline tickets. Considering the cornucopia of interesting attractions almost anywhere in the U.K. (the country is awash in interesting air and motoring museums for starters), making sure to capture so much flying history along the way to visiting London and beyond could be the final draw to make it happen. Just remember to look right before stepping off the curb…
For more on the Shuttleworth Collection visit Shuttleworth.org. Also recommended is the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, Britain’s national air museum. They’re on the web at iwm.org.uk. Like the Shuttleworth Collection you’ll have your choice of several summer display days and year-round static displays in their hangars.
Really cool. Considering the vintage (80 to 100) of these machines and the interest/need for their development (too bad no Sunderland flying boats here) it touches a basic desire in fliers to understand and appreciate what was accomplished then. The modern world was just emerging. For a sobering but funsies read, try Alex Henshaw’s “Flight of the Mew Gull”.
I was fortunate enough to have a Bleriot on the field with us, TOA, when I was learning to fly late fifties. On a calm day, he would go putt around the patch with it. I kinda took it for granted at the time. But no more.
If you are lucky enough to find yourself at the Shuttleworth collection on a calm summer afternoon you will find they get their Edwardian aircraft flying as much as possible.