Duxford - Battle of Britain Air Show 2023
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the 2023 Battle of Britain Air Show at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in the company of Guy from the club, who’s a a regular at these events. Not only was he excellent company, but he was also very generous with his advice, tips and knowledge.
There are many who are much better qualified to talk about the aircraft, and certainly there are much better aviation photographers out there, so I’m mainly going to present the pictures that most please me. I’ll also give a few impressions of the weekend, but the TLDR version is that this was an excellent experience and I can certainly see myself making a repeat visit at some point. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the pictures. (I’ve saved the Red Arrows until the end).
Avro Lancaster B1
Sony A9ii | 420mm f/8.0 1/250s ISO100
The Flightline
The first order of the day is the flightline. While the flying doesn’t start until lunchtime the flightline provides an opportunity to get up close to the machines that will be flying later in the day. It’s busy, but seemed to be well ordered meaning that you could get some half decent shots of the planes on the ground. We were lucky enough on the first morning to have a heavy mist until about 10.30, which I think simplified the scene and helped the images.
The Re-enactors
One of the highlights is the re-enactors village; it’s a must see for the weekend. The time, effort and love that goes into the creation and curation of the costumes and the accommodation is genuinely something to behold. From the photographer’s perspective, it’s pure gold…
Downtime.
Sony A9ii | 400mm f/6.3 1/1000s ISO800
The Big Lads
One of the highlights of the flying display was the Lancaster and the Flying Fortress in formation. It’s apparently been a while since these two have flow together, so it was quite a moment. Also included in this section is the Catalina, which was a clear winner of the prettiest plane in show. (There were, apparently, other opinions. But they were wrong).
What the images don’t and can’t convey, is the noise that these machines make. You need to hear it to believe it, but it’s genuinely spine tingling…
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress coming in hot…
Sony A9ii | 465mm f/8.0 1/320s ISO160
Best of British
Spitfire Mk IX
Sony A9ii | 500mm f/8.0 1/250s ISO100
A Battle of Britain air show couldn’t possibly be a Battle of Britain air show without Spitfires and there were plenty on display. In addition to the Spitfires we had a formation of Hurricanes and the absolutely magnificent Hawker Fury.
The other real crowd pleaser was the display from ‘The Joker’ - a spectacularly liveried Spitfire Mk XIV. It really is as pretty as it looks…
The Joker. Spitfire Mk XIV
Sony A9ii | 290mm f/8.0 1/250s ISO100
The Yanks are Coming
As well as the British fighters, there was a good representation from the American fleet… Undoubtedly bigger and brasher, but arguably not designed with elegance in mind.
Miss Nellie B… Republic P-47D.
Sony A9ii | 560mm f/8.0 1/320s ISO500
Johnny F
Of course, it’s not all about the UK and US. There was a fair mix on display…
Hispano Ha-112 Buchón.
Sony A9ii | 560mm f/8.0 1/320s ISO160
In truth, the Vampire doesn’t fit. It came slightly later and was a British plane, although this version is done out in foreign colours. It’s worth including though as it’s as pretty as it is mad. I also enjoyed the ground-based shot below…
A Vampire Lies in Wait...
Sony A9ii | 55mm f/5.6 1/640s ISO160
Old and Interesting
While the WWII fighters are undoubtedly the stars of the show, there’s plenty of other stuff in action. The following is probably the best of the rest….
Red Arrows
… and finally, the Red Arrows. I don’t think it would be an air show without an appearance from the Red Arrows. While the images of what they do are pretty ubiquitous, it’s a different think to see them live. The control, the precision and spectacle don’t really come through in video form - it’s only when you see for yourself just how tight the formations are that you get a true appreciation of the skill involved.
Photographing them is a different challenge; they are bloody quick which makes things interesting. Flying out of the sun adds a different challenge…
Crossing…
Sony A9ii | 430mm f/8.0 1/1000s ISO250
Lessons Learned
This was very definitely new territory for me, but great fun and well worth doing again. Looking back at whether I’d do anything differently, there are probably three main take-aways:
Kit. Right up until the last minute I’d intended to take a tripod and my 200-600mm lens for maximum reach. In the end I ditched the tripod and took the 100-400mm with a 1.4x extender. This was the right decision. I ended up hand-holding the camera all day; the 200-600mm, while optically having the edge, would have crucified my back.
It’s a long day shooting. If I were to go again I’d ditch the monopod and take a stool instead. Full marks to the lady who turned up with a pop-up tent for her gear.
Keep the kit to a minimum. Travelling with two systems is not ideal. Looking back at what I actually used I’d have got away with one body, the 24-105mm and the 100-400mm lenses. Keep it simple.
Finally, I’m very grateful to Guy for the guidance and advice. 1/320s to 1/250s, auto-ISO and watch the highlights is probably the best advice you can receive or give. Overall, it was a great weekend. I bagged some different images and a had a huge amount of fun. Who could ask for anything more…
