Has anyone got any details relating to displays by the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in paticular any displays in and around Southend?
Remember as a little kid being on Southend seafront and a group of 5 or 7 biplanes doing a display near the Westcliff Leisure Centre which is now the Casino in the middle of the airshow display line.
Beleve they were also at the Leigh Regatta a few times.
The Team existed from 1972 to 1980, when Rothmans decided to moved their sponsorship money into Formula 1 motor racing (although they continued to sponsor a single Pitts S-2A until 1982)
However, the most direct answer to you post is
"Apart from the occasional display by the Red Arrows including one in 1978 and displays by the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in the early 1980s there a break of some 74 years before a full blown airshow was to be seen on the seafront in 1986"
Could it have been the next generation team: Marlboro Pitts Specials?
They existed after the Rothmans team - if you by chance recognise the colours worn, they were pretty distinctive
The first air display I ever saw.....at North Berwick on the Firth of Forth in the summer of 1973, if I remember rightly.
I might even have a brochure lurking in the loft.
The Team existed from 1972 to 1980, when Rothmans decided to moved their sponsorship money into Formula 1 motor racing (although they continued to sponsor a single Pitts S-2A until 1982)
However, the most direct answer to you post is
"Apart from the occasional display by the Red Arrows including one in 1978 and displays by the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in the early 1980s there a break of some 74 years before a full blown airshow was to be seen on the seafront in 1986"
They definitely appeared at the display to celebrate the opening of the Southend Museum. They still had Stampes at that time. I was an attendant at the display and the wind was gusting to about 35 knots which was very marginal for getting them off the ground safely so they had a ground handler on each wingtip and we had to run with them along the runway until the pilot put his hand in the air.
The Stampes had been tied down with the usual oil drums filled with concrete and as I was walking past the wind gusted and lifted the port wing on one aircraft. The metal tiedown loop on the top of the drum on the other wing went clean through the fabric. I found Stebby who was in charge of our group of ex Channel Airways engineers and he sent me off on my pushbike to get pinking shears, fabric and a can of dope and after making sure there was no structual damage we sorted out a repair patch. When the pilot arrived to do his pre-flight we explained to him what had happened and he seemed quite happy with the temporary repair.
Stebby reckoned I saved the day - had the pilot found the damage on his pre-flight the display would have beeen scrubbed. My reward was the job as ground handler with a briefing by Manx Kelly.
Not exactly a huge claim to fame but something I will always remember.
It does ring a bell that they did at least one seafront display with the Pitts S2As and that it may have been connected with promoting what was then the Westcliff Leisure Centre (now the Westcliff Casino).
You could try the Pprune forum which had a special thread on the Rothmans team with contributions from many people who flew or were associated with the team.
The Team existed from 1972 to 1980, when Rothmans decided to moved their sponsorship money into Formula 1 motor racing (although they continued to sponsor a single Pitts S-2A until 1982)
However, the most direct answer to you post is
"Apart from the occasional display by the Red Arrows including one in 1978 and displays by the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in the early 1980s there a break of some 74 years before a full blown airshow was to be seen on the seafront in 1986"
I remember the sea front Rothmans display by the leisure centre and another over the museum. Both would have been mid seventies and, I'm pretty sure were with the Pitts'. There was a single Hunter display at Old Leigh Regatta in either 1980 or 81.
never knew about the Hunter, there was a display by Jumpin Jacques at the Southend Armed Forces Day around 2008 she was slap dang over the pier, was lucky enough to be on the viewing tower on Pier Hill at the time, I was able to get a short bit of video.
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