Babcock will be the key sponsor of the inaugural Hampshire Air Festival at Thruxton Aerodrome in September, bringing its aerospace and training links, including the RAF Tutor Display Team, to the event.
Babcock International Group has been announced as the key sponsor of the first Hampshire Air Festival, the festival organisers stated.
The airshow takes place at Thruxton Aerodrome on 12 and 13 September. According to the organisers, Babcock brings a strong operational and training heritage to the event as a major supporter of UK aerospace and defence.
The company partners with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, providing pilots and in-house engineering to enable the charity to deliver critical care across the region. The air ambulance was based at Thruxton until its recent move to a purpose-built home at Southampton Airport, and will return to its former base as part of the airshow’s ground display.
Babcock also supports the Royal Air Force in delivering elementary flying training in the county through a fleet of Grob 115E Tutor aircraft that it owns, manages and maintains. The company will support the RAF Tutor Display Team, which is taking part in the airshow on both days.
The Grob Tutor is the RAF’s standard elementary trainer, used to give new aircrew their first military flying experience, and is flown by university air squadrons and air experience flights across the country. Babcock holds the contract to own and maintain much of the fleet, part of a broader role the company plays in UK military flying training.
Thruxton, driven a Formula Renault and a few other types round there.
Having been on the wrong end of RAF Red Arrows’ arrogance (well, some bloke who insisted on being called Red Three in a bar at a charity event for my mate who was KIA) – I really hope they are either replaced by this Tutor display team, or reduced to a Tutor display team themselves.