Flying Legends show moves to Leeds East

Famed warbird display finds new venue at former RAF Church Fenton

Flying Legends

On 7 February it was confirmed that — subject to licensing approval — The Fighter Collection’s Flying Legends Air Show will be moving to Leeds East Airport, the former RAF Church Fenton, in North Yorkshire. The 2023 edition of the famed warbird show, the first since its final edition at IWM Duxford in 2019, has been earmarked for Saturday 15-Sunday 16 July.

That stalwart of The Fighter Collection's fleet, the F8F-2P Bearcat, always thrills at Flying Legends.
That stalwart of The Fighter Collection's fleet, the F8F-2P Bearcat, always thrills at Flying Legends. BEN DUNNELL

Flying Legends took place annually at Duxford from 1993 until 2019. The 2020 event having been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Imperial War Museums statement that August announced that the show would no longer be held at the Cambridgeshire airfield. A subsequent attempt was made to move Flying Legends to Sywell, Northamptonshire, but 2021’s show was called off because of uncertainties over COVID restrictions, and in 2022 TFC said, “Our search for a suitable alternative to Duxford has not been successful, despite our best efforts”. The ongoing evaluation of other venues has born fruit at Leeds East, which was no stranger to airshows during its time as RAF Church Fenton and last hosted a public air display, the Yorkshire Air Show, in September 2015.

See www.flyinglegends.com for further details as they are confirmed by the organisers.

The Fighter Collection's Wildcat, P-40F and Corsair will no doubt be among the line-up for the revived Flying Legends at Leeds East on 15-16 July.
The Fighter Collection's Wildcat, P-40F and Corsair will no doubt be among the line-up for the revived Flying Legends at Leeds East on 15-16 July. BEN DUNNELL