Ladies and gentlemen, children and pilots of all ages, my last post offered a few examples of how time is flying for many of us. This week’s offering will be decidedly shorter, and for a good reason. We are going to be watching some great flying. Friday this week marked the opening day of the 2022 Airshow London SKY DRIVE! I have mixed feelings telling you that you will have to watch from a distance unless you already have a ticket, as all three days are sold out.
On the other hand, the lucky folks with tickets are in for a real show. This year marks the return to a show format that resembles London’s past aviation exhibitions. To keep the show rolling for the past two years, guests could visit the airport and watch from their car on the airport grounds and from the relative comfort of individually assigned sites large enough for a family while still socially distanced. For airshow aficionados, there was no “static” display of the aircraft as had been the standard in years past.
For 2022, the airshow folks have produced a hybrid version of their flying exhibition that promises to be a real crowd-pleaser! SKY DRIVE has a static display of various aircraft for the young and old alike to walk around and meet the fliers and their crews. All this and keeping a drive-in format so you can bring your lawn chairs, cooler and sunscreen while listening to the narrative on your car’s radio. And the options and conveniences don’t end there.
With the world returning to a new normal, you can choose from various food vendors, leaning out of those food trucks you have always wanted to sample. But wait, there’s more! That T-shirt you regretted not buying the last time you visited the show and that merch sporting an aviation theme is here, and there are lots of choices! You won’t be disappointed.

You will see precision flying demonstrations by some of North America’s best teams of aviators. Specialty aircraft will display in-flight refuelling techniques for airshow goers. There will be the latest F22 raptors dazzling spectators, contrasted by vintage “warbirds” to show us how real aviators did their thing in the past. The show can be a real education for first-time visitors. For seasoned airshow followers, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
A sky full of work goes into planning, attracting the right acts and finally executing the event for the viewing public attending the show annually. There are event planners, directors, managers and a mountain of volunteers bringing their unique talents together to deliver an unforgettable show. Their collective performance earned Airshow London 2021 SKY DRIVE the prestigious honour of being named “Best airshow in North America, by the 10Best Readers Choice Award Contest. This year’s hybrid show will leave the same or an even better impression on evaluators watching from near and far.
As for me, I will be that guy doing a low pass at Mach 0.0000125 past the paying patrons in a golf cart, working as one of the literally hundreds of volunteers making the show possible. I would pay admission to work as a helper for the opportunity to rub shoulders with other aviation enthusiasts and see the show. Hi: my name is Chris, and I am an air junkie! Oh, and did I mention that proceeds from the airshow are donated to a different charity annually? Bonus!
Happy flying!
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