27 August 1960 – Ta' Qali

RAF Ta Qali again provided the venue for the 1960 air display that was held on Saturday, 27 August, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The Maltese public once more showed its interest in aviation, for no less than 25,000 are recorded to have visited Ta' Qali during that weekend.

The static display was again provided by an interesting melange of old and new. Oldest was certainly the Gloster Gladiator N5520 which, legend has it, was Faith of Faith, Hope and Charity of Second World War fame. Wingless and little more than a silver painted fuselage, the fabric biplane was certainly a reminder to many of those grim times during the war of two decades earlier. Previously stored as part of the Palace Armoury Exhibition in Valletta, the Gladiator had to be refurbished by 183 M.U. at RAF Safi before being brought in a state good enough to exhibit. It was the centrepiece of an Air Battle of Malta commemoration exhibition held in one of the hangars. In stark contrast the hangar also contained an ultramodern Fairey Fireflash radar guided air-to-air missile which was the first British AAM to destroy a target aircraft. The missile was still 'under wraps', and was eventually destined to remain so because it was never ordered into production. In the park was a row of interesting aircraft. The Royal Air Force provided a Gloster Javelin FAW.9 of 33 Squadron, an English Electric Canberra B.2, a colourful silver and dayglo orange-painted de Havilland Vampire T.11, a Handley Page Hastings of 70 Squadron, a Vickers Varsity T.1 navigational trainer, an Avro Shackleton MR.2 of 38 Squadron, and two aircraft from the Malta Communications and Target Towing Squadron (MCTTS), a de Havilland Devon and Vickers Valetta C.1. Other aircraft were of course slated for the flying display.

This was in fact inaugurated by the Hawker Hunter F.6s of 92 Squadron, which provided the RAF's official aerobatic team of the period flying under the name of The Falcons, four of which effected a typical "scramble" takeoff. This show over, three Shackleton MR.2s of 38 Squadron, led by their squadron commander, arrived on the scene and passed by. Then one of them returned low and fast, followed by another one with everything down, including its ventral dustbin radar. The third Shackleton flew past on three engines, while the fourth one followed with two engines, both on the same side, feathered.

Another fast acrobatic display was provided by a Gloster Meteor F.8 from the MCTTS, a unit which also provided a Valetta C.1 which, however, contrasted with the Meteor by its slow and sedate flypast; also because of its shape, it was affectionately known as 'the flying pig'. Two RAF Germany-based 2nd Tactical Air Force Canberras came in low and fast in an over the shoulder bombing demonstration, displaying the RAF's low level bombing policy which was destined to last from the Second World War to Operation Desert Storm of 1991.

Four other Canberras, this time of the PR.3 version, took off in pairs and carried out a neat foursome formation performance. Meanwhile, following the flypast of a Training Command Varsity, a sleek de Havilland Comet C.2 jet and a Bristol Britannia, the two 'airliner' types in RAF's Transport Command service, flew by, the Comet keeping to starboard, close to the crowd line much to the satisfaction of the spectators. In their wake came again the humble Valetta C.1, itself also a VIP transport. The Valetta remaining in the air, a 92 Squadron Hunter F.6 soon joined it. But their respective speeds were so disparate that the Hunter was soon zooming up while the Valetta disappeared from sight and landed while the Hunter went into a whole menu of aerobatics which held all spectators spellbound.

A DHC Chipmunk trainer from H.Q. Middle East Air Force provided the comic part of this airshow in a bout of crazy flying, the pilot mimicking a 'duchess' who tries to learn to fly solo. As in the 1957 air display, the RAF also sent Vickers Valiant B.1 bombers to the Malta air display, these being furnished by 207 Squadron. Two of these four jet aircraft (one was XD873), first of the famous three V-Bomber types of the RAF, gave a very neat display, again showing off their clean lines in spite of their large size. It was not the only V Bomber present that day, however. An Avro Vulcan B.1 of 101 Squadron came in low over the field with noise, smoke and speed, while in a second pass the big, delta-winged bomber showed its slow speed characteristics.

Apart from the Comet and Britannia, another two types represented Transport Command: a Blackburn Beverley C.1, which gave a dummy troop para-drop demonstration, and a Handley Page Hastings of 70 Squadron that dropped a supply cluster on to the airfield.

The now expected 'fort' was erected in the middle of the runway and was 'blasted' from the air by Meteors, Canberras and no less than four Shackletons. Simulated anti-aircraft fire from Royal Malta Artillery guns added to the fun, while the Beverley appeared again, landed in the short run of tarmac available making an exhibition of its short-field performance notwithstanding its bulk and weight and from it issued Royal Marine Commandos, much the same as had been seen in the 1957 airshow. Again the 'enemy' fled the flaming fort and the air force had won!

The Falcons of 92 Squadron provided the finale for a most satisfying two-hour show. They executed a repeat air display, this time by five Hunters, which again went into the whole series of formation flying vics, arrowheads, loops, ending with a bomb burst dramatised all the more by the release of curling smoke trails which lingered in the blue sky of Ta' Qali even when the aircraft had zoomed out of earshot.

Behind the scenes

For the first time in Malta, an ‘At Home’ day was staged at Ta Kali. All units on the Island assisted, it was inevitable that the major effort in staging the Display fell on this Station. A crowd of 10,000 was catered for but in the event some 30,000 came and caused the biggest traffic jam ever seen in Malta. The proved to be quite beyond the powers of the civil police to control and resulted in such amusing incidents as the Air Officer Commanding abandoning his car and walking across fields to reach the station. However, once inside the Station, the organisation withstood the unexpected load and a very successful afternoon ensued, resulting in the sum of £347.16s.5d. being raised for R.A.F. charities. This figure would have been higher had it not been necessary to allow numerous cars to enter the Station without paying for parking in an effort to ease the traffic problem outside the Station.

AIRCRAFT	OPERATOR	IDENTITY	SQDN	NOTES
Avro Shackleton MR.2	Royal AF	WL786/S	38	One of four aircraft, Malta based.
Avro Shackleton MR.2	Royal AF	WL759/V	38	One aircraft, flying display.
Avro Vulcan B.1	Royal AF	XA192	101	Flying display.
Blackburn Beverley C.1	Royal AF	XB289/V	53	Flying display.
Bristol Britannia	Royal AF	XM498	99/511	Flyby. These two squadrons pooled their a/c.
Bristol Britannia	Royal AF	XM659	511	In Malta between at least 26-27.08.60.
de Havilland Comet C.2	Royal AF	XK696	216	Flyby.
de Havilland Devon	Royal AF		MCTTS
de Havilland Vampire T.11	Royal AF	XD589/50		Silver and dayglo orange-painted. Static.
DHC Chipmunk	Middle Easy AF	WP897		Aircraft was off-loaded from a Beverly aircraft on 29.07.60.
EE Canberra B.2	Royal Aircraft Establishment	WD950		Static.
EE Canberras PR.3	Royal AF	WE144	39	This, and the following three PR.3s, arrived from RAF Luqa on the 26th, performing on the 27th. Departure back to Luqa unknown.
EE Canberras PR.3	Royal AF	WE148	39	As above.
EE Canberras PR.3	Royal AF	WE173	39	As above.
EE Canberras PR.3	Royal AF	WH861	39	As above.
EE Canberra	Royal AF	XM231	59	Bombing demonstration.
EE Canberra B(I)8	Royal AF	XM266	59	Bombing demonstration.
Gloster Gladiator	Royal AF	N5520		Faith. Refurbished by 183 M.U. RAF Safi. Still wingless, it currently lies within the War Museum, Malta.
Gloster Javelin FAW.9	Royal AF	XH719/J	33	Static.
Gloster Meteor T.7	Royal AF	WG964	MCTTS	Took up University cadets on four trips.
Gloster Meteor T.7	Royal AF	WG969	MCTTS	Aerobatic display.
Gloster Meteor F.8	Royal AF	WH401	MCTTS
Handley Page Hastings	Royal AF	TG535	70	In Malta at between 25-27 August.
Handley Page Hastings	Royal AF	TG557	70	Static
Hawker Hunter F.6	Royal AF	__211	92	The Falcons aerobatic team. Other partial serials were 222, 228, 238, 532. Probably arrived on the 24th from RAF Middleton St. John.
Vickers Valetta C.1	Royal AF	VW831	MCTTS	Avon Jet engine was collected from RAF Henlow on 13.08.60 by this aircraft. VW831 also practiced for the display on 25th and 26th, displaying on the 27th.
Vickers Valetta C.1	Royal AF	VX574	MCTTS	Static.
Vickers Valiant B.1	Royal AF	XD873	207	Flying display.
Vickers Valiant B.1	Royal AF		207	Not part of the show, not open to public viewing.
Vickers Varsity T.1	Royal AF	WF382/F	Air Navigational School	Arrived from RAF Topcliffe on 26.08.60 Departed for the UK on the 29th. Static.