On Sunday 22^nd of June 1997, myself and my father, forsaking Sligo’s game against Roscommon traveled to the 1997 Enniskillen Air Show. This (at 18 years of age!) was my first airshow and it must be said was a superb event. According to the show program the events had been enlarged to welcome new aircraft as well as old favorites yet some of the advertised aircraft such as a Hurricane fighter and a Lysander didn’t make it.

Reaching a rather cloudy St.Angelo airport after midday, I first made my way down the static display line which consisted at that time of a Yakovlev Yak-50, the Extra’s of the Rover Team, the Crunchie’s Stearmans, a Beech C-45H, the Fieseler Storch and an Aero L-29. Since all the others flew during the day and it didn’t, I’ll detail the Delfin first. Registered ES-YLK, wearing the Estonian flag on it’s tail and painted light gray with red and black chevrons festooned across it’s wings and body this otherwise anonymous Aero L-29 Delfin remained parked for the duration of the display. Not speaking from experience, I thought the static line provided good photo opportunities of the aircraft, except perhaps the Beech C-45 which was parked with it’s nose art facing away from the crowd-line. Shortly after our arrival a PBN Trislander(G-BEFD) of European Air Charter landed and taxied to the terminal building, where the VIP reception was being held, and remained there, away from the crowd line along with an RAF 72 Sqn Westland Wessex, for the remainder of the show. The only other helicopter present was the JetRanger ( G-COPT) of Helicopter Training and Hire which was providing pleasure flights in the periods between displays. I also checked out the ‘trade’ stands before the flying began but they seemed mainly to be trading in Teddy Bears! There was however a stand with an excellent selection of model aircraft and another with RAF Picture /Postcard paintings.

Flying got off to an unexpected start with a gate crashing by our own Air Corps. The SA365F Dauphin which was on SAR duty in Finner arrived and buzzed the runway at low leval a few times before performing a rescue demo, after which it departed back to Donegal. The scheduled display began with the Crunchie Flying Circus, who allowed the SA Twin Pioneer to land and taxi in before beginning their excellent display. With the Crunchie’s landed , the Queen’s UAS SA Bulldog resplendent in black and yellow roared in and proceeded to put in a dazzling display of aerobatics before returning to Aldergrove. Next too display were the Extras of the Rover Group Display Group. Flown by Brian Lecomber and John Taylor they produced an outstanding low level display including stall turns, mirror display and tail slide. Taking the air next was the Yakovlev Yak-50 (G-BWYK) of Yak UK Limited flown by the company founder who matched the previous fliers excellence with his display. All this barnstorming was followed by the exact opposite, with the Fieseler Fi-156 Storch nearly hovering above the runway during it’s routine. In Luftwaffe (TA+RC, JG54 ‘Grunhertz’) markings, this example, EI-AUY is one of the French Morane-Saulnier MS.500 series fitted now with a Jacob’s radial engine. Owned and maintained by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Company, the pilot showed off it’s capabilities excellently by ‘floating’ down the runway at about 40mph. World War Two followed again with a display from a pristine condition Beech C-45H (918701A/AF258) in bare metal and MATS sash). My apologies, but I have completely forgotten the nose art which the aircraft carried, as it was facing away from the crowd line and departed soon after the show. Remaining historical, next came the RN Historical Flight Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.Mk.6 resplendent in the 806 NAS markings. This provided an excellent photo opportunity by performing a touch and go landing (advice for novice photographers, don’t kneel behind fence posts when taking photos as they tend to get in the way!!). The RNHF were up again next with the Fairey Swordfish (W5856, A2A) which flew gracefully over the crowd accompanied by a DHC Chipmunk flown by Don Sigourney RN, who provided another spirited aerobatics display.

Following that, with BA Flight BRY123 not arriving the show took a turn for the decidedly noisier, when a Jaguar GR.Mk.1 roared in from Aldergrove to thrill the crowd with some high speed passes, and while battle hardened airshow goers may find that tame, I had at this stage regressed to a mental age of fourteen and thus found it utterly enjoyable. This low altitude heavy metal display was followed up by a two ship formation flypast by RAF Tornado F.Mk.3s one of which then executed another excellent low altitude display. They where the final act in the show after which a number of the aircraft departed including the Beech and the Trislander. The 72 Sqn Wessex also departed at this point. Shortly after the end of the display BRY123 landed in the guise of BA/Brymon DHC-8-300 ( G-BRYO). Pleasure flights resumed with the JetRanger and began with the SA TwinPioneer (G-APRS ). This aircraft is a privately owned example in it’s old ‘Raspberry Ripple’ scheme of the Empire Test Pilot School.

And so ended our visit to St. Angelos’, with us returning home to Sligo’s victory over Roscommon. I hope what I have been able to recall has whetted an interest in an excellent show with a mix of everything from the ‘Stringbag’ to the Tornado and I hope to return there in the future having missed the 1998 show.