UK Warbirds Weekend 2025
The 2025 UK Warbirds Weekend delivered exactly what every aviation photographer dreams of: perfect summer weather, dramatic coastal scenery, and a lineup of historic aircraft flown by expert pilots with a clear Battle of Britain theme. With blue skies, scattered clouds, and even a true sunset sortie, the stage was set for a memorable weekend. Once again, the Pink Skyvan photoship carried a full cabin of enthusiastic photographers, ready to capture rare moments from the air—but this year, we wanted something different from the traditional venues of Sywell, Shuttleworth, and Duxford.
That difference came in the form of the iconic White Cliffs of England, an idea proposed by Darren Harbar to give the weekend a completely new visual identity. Saturday’s flying operated from Bournemouth Airport, an ideal coastal base, with weather conditions that could not have been better. Three separate photomissions were planned, making full use of the stable conditions and allowing a carefully structured progression through vintage, classic, and iconic warbird formations.
The opening flight featured a delightful vintage lineup: Tiger Moth K2567 and Magister N3788, flying both solo and as a two-ship, joined by the ever-popular Harvard FE511, one of the most recognisable trainer aircraft of all time. The dramatic backdrop of The Needles and the surrounding coastline elevated the imagery to another level, delivering photographs unlike any previous UK warbirds event.
The second flight became the defining moment of the entire weekend. For the first time ever, three Hawker Hurricanes flew together in front of the cameras. Hurricane pair R4118 and BE505 joined first, followed by the full trio with P3717, before individual solo passes. As if that were not enough, the legendary Silver Spitfire G-IRTY joined the Hurricanes for unforgettable formation shots. These are the moments that define why the Warbirds Weekend exists—and yet the day still had one more surprise to offer.
As evening approached, the UK’s first true sunset warbird photoflight became a reality, with the Silver Spitfire returning once more. Reflections across the water and polished airframe created a technically challenging but deeply rewarding finale. Sunday brought a move to Headcorn Airfield, where persistent coastal fog delayed flying until midday. Despite aircraft unserviceabilities and last-minute changes, Richard Paver restructured the programme to deliver powerful World War II fighter combinations over Bewl Water, including Hurricanes, Spitfires, a Buchón, and later the T-6 Harvard “Cozy Rosie” alongside the Kent Spitfire. Headcorn proved itself as an outstanding warbird location, and plans are already in place to return in 2026—once again aiming for the White Cliffs, Beachy Head, and the Seven Sisters. For anyone passionate about genuine warbirds in historic settings, this is an experience not to be missed.
