What is the Armchair Airshow?
An airshow in your living-room…… A livestream event that brings the thrill of aviation to screens everywhere, taking the viewer from the seat of their armchair and in to the skies, with exclusive access to aircraft, air display and pilots. Teams and aircraft previously featured include The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, NASA, USAF, Snow Birds, the Blades formation display team, B-17, F-35, Spitfire and Chinook, along with features from Canada, Australia, America and across the UK. You can also subscribe to our newsletter Sign up — Aerobility and follow us on social media to keep up-to-date on this year’s event.
On the Saturday 28th May, a free-to-view, livestream airshow. Taking viewers from their living rooms and into the skies.
• Exclusively broadcasting ‘live’ from London Biggin Hill Airport the show will deliver:
• Unique in-cockpit and display footage , including The Red Arrows
• Live interviews with pilots and inspirational aviators
• Exclusive aircraft tours
• A celebration of the diversity of aviation
An Airshow with a difference
The Armchair Airshow raises funds in support of disabled flying. Armed Forces Veteran and Aerobility flyer, Neil Tucker, highlights the importance of the work this airshow supports:
“There was a chance that I was never going to walk again… Then Aerobility took me from a very, very dark corner that I was in, and when I was well enough, fit enough and frankly safe enough to come to Aerobility, I took a test flight… All of a sudden, I was 18 years old again, the years melted off, the injuries didn’t even exist, the pain doesn’t exist, it’s just magic, just absolute magic… Aerobility has got a wonderful way of changing people’s lives for the better.” With over £80,000 raised to date, the show promises to keep changing lives by funding access for anyone, with any disability, to the magic and wonder of flight."
Look and feel
The show provides uniquely friendly and relaxed access to aviation. Our hosts, based in Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, will be joined by roaming reporters, guests and fly-in aviators. The show will celebrate the diversity of the aviation industry both in terms of people and machine; looking at both the glorious history and exciting future of aviation.
Media reach 2021
• Broadcast: Placement and interviews with a combined reach of 1,874,621
• Print and Online: 59 stories, estimated reach of 1,733,856
• Social: 917,171
• Viewers: In excess of 12,000 on the day from over 60 countries. Over 56,000 within 1st month online
On-screen Team
• Mike Miller-Smith, CEO at Aerobility:
Mike has always had a passion for flight and since early teenage years has been closely involved with aviation, continuing to fly despite being disabled by Muscular Dystrophy.
• Liz McConaghy:
Liz joined the RAF as a Chinook Crewman on her 19th birthday. Throughout her career on Chinooks, she deployed twice to Iraq and 10 times to Afghanistan as well as the Falklands and Northern Ireland, her home ‘turf’.
• Shona Bowman, Chairman at Aerobility:
Shona has been involved with the charity since its humble beginnings, when it had just one aeroplane with lots of keen and enthusiastic flyers and volunteers. She helped set up flight training at the charity and was previously our Chief Flying Instructor.
• Mike Ling, MBE aka ‘Lingy’:
Retired from the Royal Air Force after 21 years in the Service, ten of which were with the RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows. He is a current commercial pilot, flying instructor and full-time member of the Blades Aerobatic Team
• Jon Windover:
An aviator from the age of 16 he has attended airshows since he can remember. He has been a Trustee of Aerobility for 15 years and managed the world's first all-disabled air display team. • George ‘Smokey’ Bacon: With an early background in music radio, he is probably best known as the busy and popular voice of many aviation events and media outputs across Britain.
