From The Driving Seat header car on road. Classic Cars. Motor racing

FLYWHEEL FESTIVAL

A celebration of wings and wheels at Bicester Heritage

Bicester Heritage once again played host to the wonderful Flywheel Festival over the weekend of July 24/25, drawing bigger crowds than ever.

Based on the site of the former RAF Bicester, Bicester Heritage is now the best-preserved – possibly the only preserved – Second World War era RAF Bomber station, with its historic hangars and buildings now home to many companies associated with classic cars and aircraft.

For the third year running the Flywheel Festival has turned the clock back to celebrate the story of motoring and aviation centred on this iconic airfield.

Although I live just a half hour drive from Bicester I had not been to Flywheel before, so thought that this was the year to do it, and I'm glad I did.

A somewhat overcast morning saw the clouds clear later to bathe the hordes of visitors in warm sunshine. Set out on the apron was a figure-of-eight track for an eclectic range of cars and motorcycles to perform demonstration runs. Two steam-driven cars from the early 1900s toured round at a sedate pace; while some of the more competition oriented cars from later years were driven more enthusiastically – the glorious sounding ERA of Richard Skipworth and James Ricketts was a special treat.

Also on offer were a number of flying displays including helicopters from the Army Historic Flight, the Tiger 9 Aeronautical Display Team (keeping nine Tiger Moths in formation in the blustery conditions was a sight to behold), the Great War Display Team enthralled with their re-enactments of WW1 dogfights (complete with aerial pyrotechnics!).


A Spitfire and ME109 display, together with an all-too-short visit from a BBMF Spitfire, recalled the Battle of Britain; while Lauren Richardson's superb aerobatics in a Pitts Special brought us more up to date aeronautically.

With plenty of other activities, including static aircraft displays, an open paddock where you can get up close and personal with cars and drivers, Live Music, the Wall of Death and rides on tanks – plus the rest of the Bicester Heritage site to explore, Flywheel is a great day out for all the family, not just petrolheads. My advice is to make sure it's in your diary for next year.

Peter Osborne

1951 AJS 7R motorcycle at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageDouglas SW5 Speed at Flywheel festival, Bicester HeritagePhoto of GN car at Flywheel Bicester HeritageMGA Twin Cam at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageElva Courier GT at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageJaguar E-Type at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageLola T70 Spyder at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageArmy helicopter display at Bicester HeritageArmy helicopter display at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageTiger Moth Display at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageTiger Moth at Flywheel, Bicester HeritagePitts Special aerobatics at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageGreat War Display Team WW1 dog fight re-enactments at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageGreat War Display Team WW1 dog fight re-enactments at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageGreat War Display Team WW1 dog fight re-enactments at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageGreat War Display Team WW1 dog fight re-enactments at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageSpitfire and ME109 at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageSpitfire and ME109 at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageHome Gard on parade at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageTiger Moth at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageAustin 7 Ulster at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1901 Toledo steam car at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1904 Stanley Steamer at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1914 Fafnir Hall-Scott Special at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1916 Ford Model T Racer at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1923 GN Spider at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1925 Bentley 3 Litre VDP Open Tourer at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1929 Bentley Blower at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1924 Alvis 200 Miles Race Car at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage2016 Atalanta at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1930 Austin 7 Ulster Special at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1929 Morgan Super Aero at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1931 Invicta S Type at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1934 ERA R3A at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1929 Menasco Pirate at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1933 MG KN Monoposto at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1936 Frazer Nash Shelsley Single Seater at Flywheel, Bicester Heritage1939 HF Special V8 Sprint Car at Flywheel, Bicester HeritageFlywheel Festival visitors enjoy a ride on a tank

Steve Dixon's MGA flagged away from the start