On 29th and 30th September, Cotswold Airport is throwing open its gates to the public once again for its incredible vintage and wartime extravaganza, the ‘Cotswold Airport Revival Festival’. To mark this year’s centenary of the RAF and Cotswold Airport’s original RAF roots, the organisers have launched a major initiative to get 100 aircraft to fly in over the two-day event, to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Air Force.

Jo Welch, Head of Events at Cotswold Airport said: ‘This initiative is really exciting. We hope to attract many many different types of aircraft over the two days for everyone to see. We especially are interested in vintage and military schemed aircraft, including helicopters, light aircraft and large and small jets. We are offering free landing for the duration of the event for these aircraft and free parking. Pilots and owners are welcome to camp if they wish to stay for the two days and bring any display materials to tell visitors all about their aircraft.’

There will be a dedicated display area where the aircraft will be parked for visitors to see. Each aircraft will be booked in in advance so there will be constant movements throughout both days for people to see in the skies above. (As with all aviation activity, this event is weather dependant – many vintage bi-planes, for example, are unable to fly in bad weather conditions.)

Cotswold Airport started out life as a MOD base called RAF Kemble 80 years ago, was the first home of the famous Red Arrows. The airport still today has many close military links and continually supports associated charities. This official RAF100 event as part of the Revival Festival is set to be a really powerful and nostalgic way to commemorate this centenary year and give a nod to the airport’s own RAF roots.

Last year saw the inaugural launch of the Cotswold Airport Revival Festival, which started out as an informal fundraising Open Day for 500 people, and ended up as a major event with over 10,000 visitors! Due to the tremendous success of last year’s event, Cotswold Airport has teamed up with Live Promotions Events Ltd, a powerhouse of an organisation that has been putting on famous large-scale events including Truckfest, Pistons & Props and many big-name concerts such as Tom Jones, UB40 and Billy Ocean for over 50 years. The fusion of Cotswold Airport and Live Promotions will bring to the public one of the UK’s most unforgettable events, seeing visitors pouring in from all over the country. The festival is an annual event, that will happen every year during the last weekend in September.

“Live are very much looking forward to working with Cotswold Airport to take the revival event to the next level.” said Tom Siddall, Event Director at Live Promotions Events.

“We have so much planned and are currently busy confirming all of the fabulous entertainment for the many expected visitors to enjoy. The fact that we have so many anniversaries to celebrate at this year’s event including the RAF centenary makes the prospect of organising the show so very exciting.”

The event this year will be a two-day event and is set to be an absolutely unforgettable weekend with lots of exciting activities and attractions for all the family. Both days will be packed full of dramatic re-enactments and demonstrations; thrilling vintage air displays; exciting rides and experience flights; hundreds of vintage and military vehicles; full size and miniature steam engines; and plenty of entertainment including period live music.

Star features not to be missed include:

  • A huge display of vintage, military and emergency services vehicles and planes
  • Vintage plane flypasts and fly-in
  • A kids’ play zone with giant inflatable slide, toddler play zone, vintage pedal cars
  • Winston Churchill speeches throughout the weekend
  • A fabulous funfair
  • Wartime re-enactments
  • Simulator experiences
  • Steam traction engines
  • Pleasure flights in light aircraft and helicopters
  • Model aircraft static display
    Boeing 747 pop-up WWI and RAF100 museum
  • Live period music
  • Airport fire crew crash demo of a rescue from a burning aircraft
  • Incredible rescue demonstration by a lifeboat hovercraft
  • Beer tent and food stalls
  • Shopping village
    And much much more…

2018 is an especially important year for the event as it marks the centenary of the end of WWI and also 100 years of the RAF. These two key anniversaries will be marked at this year’s festival with fundraising initiatives for the Royal British Legion and Flying for Freedom, two charities that support the armed forces and veterans.

Cotswold Airport was formerly an RAF maintenance base, and later on was home to the Red Arrows, and there remain many links today with its historic roots. The aerodrome celebrates two of its own anniversaries this year as well – 80 years of the aerodrome being situated on the site at Kemble; and 15 years of the current owner, Ronan Harvey, an ex-RAF engineer himself, owning the current airport.

With all these celebrations and the new partnership of one of the most unique venues in the UK with one of the largest events promoters in the UK, this year’s Revival Festival is set to be one not to miss.

Jo Welch, Head of Events & PR at Cotswold Airport said “The Cotswold Airport Revival Festival is set to become one of the biggest destination events in the area, if not the UK. There is no other event of its kind in the Cotswolds, which is why last year attracted thousands of people for just one day. This year is going to be much bigger and better, and we are especially excited to be putting on air displays for the first time – a nod to our old air shows that used to be here at Kemble and our RAF history. 2018 is a year full of anniversaries, so we have lots to celebrate!”

Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.