Off to a flying start: aircraft and judges announced for Freddie March Spirit of Aviation

• Freddie March Spirit of Aviation presented by Bonhams|Cars returns to Goodwood Revival for 2024
• Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes to join the concours
• Judges for the pageant of planes include Katherine Moloney, Mack Rutherford, Squadron Leader Alan Jones, Paul Beaver and Steve Parrish
• Goodwood Revival takes place Friday 6 – Sunday 8 September
• Limited Friday & Sunday tickets remain at com

The Freddie March Spirit of Aviation presented by Bonhams|Cars returns to Goodwood Revival this year, bringing together some of incredible examples from aviation history. A hallmark of the Revival, it is a spectacular concours d’elegance of pre-1966 aircraft, honouring Freddie March, the 9th Duke of Richmond, who was an aircraft engineer, racing driver, and entrepreneur.

In the spotlight will be a rare collection of Supermarine Spitfires, which were instrumental during the D-Day landings of World War II, including the 1943 IXb and 1944 LF Mk.IXe, MK 9 and MK IX. Also on display will be the Douglas C-47 – responsible for carrying paratroopers into enemy territory – Grumman Wildcat FM2, Hawker Hurricane – one of the most famous British fighters of the Second World War – Swordfish Mk1 and the Westland Lysander 111A. With an impressive array of aircraft on display, this year’s competition will be fiercely contested as judges from across the aviation industry come together to select ‘Best in Show’.

Katherine Moloney joins the panel of judges tasked with the challenging decision of selecting the best aircraft over the weekend. As the founder of Elevate(her), a platform designed to educate, inform, and inspire women in aviation, Katherine has been immersed in the industry since she was 18. Now serving as the director of Transair Flight Equipment, a Department for Transport ambassador, and an aviation content creator with nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok, she is a frequent flier at Goodwood Aerodrome.

Also making his debut on the judging panel is Mack Rutherford, Guinness World Record holder as the youngest person to fly solo around the world. At just 16 years old, Mack captured global attention when he embarked on his journey in March 2022, and returned to his starting point in Sofia, Bulgaria, five months later. Since then, Mack has leveraged his remarkable achievement to inspire other young people to pursue aviation through public speaking and content creation.

Returning to the judging panel this year is Squadron Leader Alan Jones, a seasoned judge of the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation concours. As the Director of the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, Alan has played a key role in showcasing the remarkable history of aviation in Hampshire and the Solent region, preserving over twenty airframes from aviation's golden age. The Solent area was home to more than 26 aircraft manufacturers, including the renowned Supermarine Spitfire, which was designed and built in Southampton.

Also joining the panel is aviation historian, broadcaster and writer, Paul Beaver, who specialises in aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. Paul founded his own vintage aeroplane company, Monty’s Messenger Ltd, operating a Miles Messenger marked as Field Marshal Montgomery’s aeroplane at the time of D-Day.

Steve Parrish, former British Motorcycle Champion and regular competitor at Goodwood, will join this year’s Freddie March Spirit of Aviation judging panel. After being introduced to helicopters while traveling to races with Barry Sheene, Parrish pursued his pilot’s licence and has since owned several light aircraft. Steve also serves as a commentator for the Red Bull Air Race series on Channel 4.

At 8am each morning, the event will open with a magnificent early morning fly past consisting of a line-up of spectacular aeroplanes including a Spitfire, P47 Thunderbolt and P51 Mustang. Gates open to the public at 0830hrs and at 0730hrs for those who are part of the Goodwood Road Racing Club.

The following aircraft will be display on the Infield behind the Aerodrome Café across the weekend:

The full list of aircraft on display at the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation presented by Bonhams|Cars will be available in the event’s Entry List which will be announced in the coming weeks. Saturday tickets are now sold out with limited tickets remaining for Friday and Sunday at goodwood.com.

-ENDS –