News

May 3rd 2013

Dambusters Commemorative flypasts

By kind permission of Severn Trent Water the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and 617 Sqn are planning to carry out a flypast on Thursday 16th May over the iconic twin towers of the Derwent Reservoir, recreating history as they commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters. The aircraft will pass overhead the reservoir between 1300 and 1315 (local time) – 3 passes by the RAF BBMF and 2 by the Tornado GR4’s of 617 Squadron.

There will be no events on the ground and there are no tickets being issued. The aircraft will continue to carry out a flypast at Chatsworth – at 1320 (local time) this is an excellent viewing area for the general public as there are facilities in place for parking and spectators wishing to photograph the aircraft. Standard car parking charges of £3.00 will apply – WWII veterans will be exempt from car parking charges, with kind permission from Chatsworth.

Before going to Upper Derwent Valley, please be aware of the following:

· Parking is restricted and will be allocated on first come, first served basis..

· The road up from Fairholmes to Derwent Dam will be closed to ALL traffic on the day.

· The road from the A57 to Fairholmes may be closed if it becomes overly busy such that access to emergency vehicles etc is compromised.

· Police will enforce parking restrictions on neighbouring roads eg A57 and Bamford.

· Cancellation: the flypast is dependent on aircraft serviceability and weather conditions – may be subject to cancellation.

· Congestion may significantly delay your departure from the area after the flypast.

These flypasts will form part of several events taking place across the country – culminating in a commemorative service at Lincoln Cathedral on Friday 17th May.