Air Fete

The development of the American-organised Air Fete at the end of May each year at RAF Mildenhall is the major event of the year and is now the largest military flying display in Europe, if not the world. It is visited regularly over the weekend by hundreds of thousands of people rather than 70,000 who came here for the first time in 1934 - the Great Air Race. It has commemorated various important events in the RAF, as well as the USAF and the benefit to our economy is illustrated by the £7,359 taken in 1998 by the local Upper School Parent Teacher Association for the School funds. They had caravans and tents on their playing field for the weekend over the half term holiday. 

West Row residents always pack the Chapel Road side bank to watch the Air Fete and listen to the base commentary on their car radio. They have also been to the some spot at the roadside to watch and enjoy the great fireworks display on the base at 10 pm on 4th July - the Independence Day celebration. Members of the Anglo-American Committee always play a full part in these events and we are very grateful for the hard work they put in regularly. Two crashes have occurred at the Air Fete over the years; an Italian aerobatic display team member's wing tip struck the top of a tree in Beck Row and a vintage RAF Vampire jet crashed into a hedge in a field between West Row and Mildenhall. It was the only one in existence, i.e. the aeroplane rather than the hedge!

© Derek Eastham 6/12/99