About Shoreham Airshow:
• Shoreham History
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• County: West Sussex
• Satnav Postcode: BN43 5FF
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Shoreham Photographs:
• Photos Shoreham 2014
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UK Airshows 2025:
UK Airshows (England):
• Shuttleworth Airshows
• Duxford Airshows
• Royal International Air Tattoo
• RAF Cosford Airshow
• Abingdon Air & Country Show
• Midlands Air Festival
• Little Gransden Airshow
• Airbourne (Eastbourne) Airshow
• Southport Airshow
• Clacton Airshow
• Blackpool Airshow
• English Riviera Airshow
• Headcorn Battle of Britain
• Old Buckenham Airshow
• East Kirkby Airshow
• Manston International Airshow
UK Airshows (Wales):
• Wales National Air Show
UK Airshows (Scotland):
• International Ayr Show
UK Airshows (Channel Islands):
• Jersey International Air Display
• Guernsey Air Display
Flypasts/Events 2025:
• King's Birthday Flypast
• King's Birthday Flypast Rehearsal
Shoreham Airport / Airshow History
The Shoreham Air Show usually takes place at Shoreham Airport in West Sussex over two days in September.
Shoreham Airport, also known as Shoreham (Brighton City) Airport is located 1 mile west of Shoreham-by-Sea and just east of Lancing, West Sussex, near Brighton. The Airport was founded in 1910 and is the oldest licensed airfield in the UK. During World War I the aerodrome was used by the Royal Flying Corps and in WW2 the airfield operated a variety of military aircraft including Westland Lysanders, later replaced by Supermarine Spitfires; Hawker Hurricanes; Boulton Paul Defiants; and a pair of Bristol Beaufighters. It was an air-sea-rescue base with Supermarine Walrus aircraft joining other wartime activities in the nearby harbour.
The airfield was bombed several times and a Messerschmitt Bf 109 was shot down by ground fire during one such attack, crash-landing near the terminal building. A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash-landed at the airfield after being damaged during a raid on Germany. The consequent damage to the old guardhouse on the north side of the airfield can still be seen.
The landing area was grass until a tarmac runway was built in 1981.
In 2006 due to mounting debts the airport was sold by the local authority to a property company on a 150-year lease. It is intended that the airport will provide increasing commercial flight activity for the conurbation on the coast nearby, particularly Brighton and Hove.
The airport is used by privately owned light aeroplanes, flying schools, and for light aircraft and helicopter maintenance and sales. A number of operators provide sight-seeing and pleasure flights, including the experience of flying in two T-6 Harvard World War II training aircraft. Commercial scheduled flights are available via local operators to Alderney in the Channel Islands and Le Havre and Le Touquet in France.
Once every year in the late summer, the airport is host to the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Shoreham Airshow. The airshow has flying and static displays by a variety of aircraft such as fast jets, military helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, and historic aircraft. A variety of ground displays by local organisations including the local flying clubs, the armed forces, and classic cars and vehicles. The show has raised over 1 million pounds for the Royal Air Forces Association over 17 years. External shots of the airport were used in the box office film [The Davinci Code], however the name of the airport was changed.
The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The Unit is equipped with a single helicopter, callsign 'Hotel 900', and is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police Constables, together with pilots, paramedics, and ground support staff. The aircraft always flies with a crew of three (one pilot, one police officer, and one paramedic) and can reach any part of Sussex county (around 1,500 square miles) within 20 minutes
The airport has two licensed restaurants; the cafeteria in the main terminal building is open to the public (including those not otherwise involved with the airport or any flight), and sells local real ales. It also houses Northbrook College's Engineering department - a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Aerospace and Aviation.
Due to a serious incident at the Shoreham Airshow in 2015 it was decided out of respect for all those affected by last August's (2015) tragedy and also in view of the ongoing Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigation that the show would not take place in 2016.