80s 90s air show but from where? Tower in background.

I think this is a late 1980s or early 90s photograph but I'm not sure where ? Any ideas please ? North Weald ?

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That looks EXACTLY like the Tower "near the gate" where I used to drive-in, at North Weald.

Not only was I a regular attendee (w/mates), on EVERY show, but also there "out of hours".

I belonged to "39 R.G" who were based on the other side of the airfield (OLD fuel-area), on the M.11 side.

You pic' shows ('Candyman Moose'?) over on the side, where, IIRC, the wartime gun-butts were.

I'd go thru those "side gates" (on the Eastern side of the Airfield), sometimes near dusk, when there was NO-ONE around.

Anyways, that's how I (claim), to recognise it, tho' someone will now (no-doubt), prove me wrong.... (Hahahahaaa)

That side road (gaining access), FROM MEMORY, was only built around late '80's & early 1990's.

You'd gain access to it, via the A.414, then a few small roads & a mini-roundabout.

Sadly, I've NOT been there since 2003, so my recollections are at least 17-year-old & more.

Again, IIRC, to the 'Left' of the Port-wing of the P.38, is where several hangars stood & one WAS used by "Nurdin & Peacock" (storage area), until the early/mid 1980's

Anyways, "If" I was a "betting man", I'd place it as North Weald for definite at one of the 1984-1990's "FIGHTER MEET"s.

I've also got photo's of & around THAT area, but NOT with the Tower in shot.

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Its a 1990s picture. The fighter collection P-38 arrived in 1992 and was painted as "Happy Jacks Go Buggy" for a few seasons. Later it became "California Cutie" before being lost in a fatal accident at Duxford

Its not North Weald.
The tower there is a type 5223a/51, the type with the slanted window at the top.
And as a guess might also rule out Mildenhall, Fairford, Biggin Hill, Upper Heyford that I can think of.
Behind the P38 there looks to be one of those rolls of emergency surface 'matting' (for want of a much better description) that were often seen on operational bases.

How about Coningsby for its airshow in 92?

canberra wrote:

How about Coningsby for its airshow in 92?

I wondered about Coningsby but with the ferris wheel behind the tower and the aircraft in front ruled it out.
Could it be Cottesmore-RIAT?

I dug out my copy of Key publishing's Air show souvenir for 1992. There is a picture of the P-38 with that matting behind it. The location is RAF Honington Air Fete June 27th. The previous weekend I'd seen that P-38 at the RAF Cosford air show and The Fighter Collection were in the process of painting it. RAF Honington Air fete was its first appearance with the painting finished.

MartynJ wrote:

I dug out my copy of Key publishing's Air show souvenir for 1992. There is a picture of the P-38 with that matting behind it. The location is RAF Honington Air Fete June 27th. The previous weekend I'd seen that P-38 at the RAF Cosford air show and The Fighter Collection were in the process of painting it. RAF Honington Air fete was its first appearance with the painting finished.

Duh!!

I should have realised the location!
I was there and have a picture somewhere of my wife sitting on one of those rolls of matting.
Must remember to think inside the box sometimes..

Thank you Martyn,that's put my mind at rest ! I knew it couldn't be Coningsby or Cottesmore as I have never been to any air shows at either. But we did go to Honington, it was to be the last show there because of complaints from local farmers ! The noise scared their animals, Once a year !!