And this year's theme: MH434

Some of you will be wondering what 'MH434' means. It may appear a little odd that we've decided to push the boat out and focus the airshow on five digits which are, essentially, a registration number.

But a lot of you know exactly what we mean and pretty much all of you in fact do and maybe don't realise it. That's because, even if you've never been to an Airshow before, we'll assume you've seen a movie, or a TV programme or seen a picture of a Spitfire and so you know what a Spitfire looks like.

That's because you've seen THIS Spitfire, the most famous and revered single engined aircraft in the history of aviation. It helps that she started her life being test flown by one of the greatest war time pilots of them all, Alex Henshaw. She saw action in WWII and not only, of course, survived but to this day has one unique claim; she's never been fully restored.

After the war she was owned by Sir Adrian Swire who decided to put her up for auction and that's where, in 1983, probably the greatest pairing of pilot and aircraft there will ever be happened; she was bought by Squadron Leader Ray Hanna, who amongst a great many other accomplishments just happened to be arguably the most celebrated leader of the Red Arrows in their illustrious history.

Ray and his son Mark, a couple of years before, had founded an outfit called the Old Flying Machine Company. Alongside other legendary warbirds, MH434 joined a fleet of aircraft which were in basically everything on TV and in the movies where an aircraft was involved. The list of credits won't fit on this page, so we'll keep it simple; if you've seen a Spitfire on TV, in a magazine or a movie, you've seen MH434.

But 'just' being the most famous aircraft doesn't automatically ensure legendary status. That's where her time with Ray fits in. Because when Ray Hanna flew this Spitfire, they usually entered folklore long before landing.

There are many examples of man and machine entering the history books in the space of a 20 minute flight. One is rather popular on YouTube these days and came about when Ray flew over the top of Alain de Cadanet attempting to do a piece to camera whilst filming a TV show. Passing, at full throttle, over De Cadanet and his film crew, all of them instinctively fell to the floor and then proceeded into an epic bout of swearing. The plan was always for Ray to fly over the top of them - they assumed that to mean slightly higher than 30'. But then Ray did fly under the Winston Bridge at 250mph. The Bridge, at its widest point is 36m wide, and a Spitfire 11m wide. The widest point of any bridge is at it's lowest point. But Ray was rather known for flying very, very low.

One other very famous moment came at the first outing for an event which rapidly entered the realms of legend; the Goodwood Revival; probably the greatest event anywhere on Earth more or less from its inception. It rather helped the instant success and mythology which surrounds the Revival that the first time it happened, Ray was asked to fly over the top of the start finish straight at some height and across the track. What then happened distracted somewhat from historic motor racing; Ray flew down the track, across the start line and lower than the surrounding buildings, flags and many spectators in grandstands. At full throttle. MH434 has been a fixture at the Revival ever since.

Whilst these days the legendary pilots of the Old Flying Machine Company, now in the care of Ray's daughter, Sarah, don't and are prohibited from flying under bridges, along motor circuits or over film crews at 30' it doesn't stop them demonstrating MH434 every year we've held this Airshow. Only Duxford and Goodwood have seen more of her and so this year, with Sarah's permission, we've decided to turn our attentions to the most famous single engined aircraft in the World, the war hero movie star. Made legendary by a War, then iconic by her owner, this year we're celebrating not just the greatest example of the most beautiful machine ever conceived, but the pilot who flew her straight into the realms of iconography, the late, great, incomparable, Ray Hanna.