An amateur film made by a member of the Chester-le-Street Amateur Cine Society showing edited highlights of Sunderland Air Day in 1980. Mainly light aircraft are seen in the first half of the film, the latter half more military aircraft, including some from World War Two as well as more modern RAF planes. The film opens with a view of the tail of a parked light aircraft, a Cherokee PA28 (reg.no. G-AZWB) owned by Merlin Air Services, based at Manchester Airport. The camera pans right to show...

An amateur film made by a member of the Chester-le-Street Amateur Cine Society showing edited highlights of Sunderland Air Day in 1980. Mainly light aircraft are seen in the first half of the film, the latter half more military aircraft, including some from World War Two as well as more modern RAF planes. The film opens with a view of the tail of a parked light aircraft, a Cherokee PA28 (reg.no. G-AZWB) owned by Merlin Air Services, based at Manchester Airport. The camera pans right to show another light plane on a runway taking off. Title: ‘Chester-le-Street A.C.S. Present’ Panning left to right a view of a Spitfire or Hurricane World War Two fighter aircraft in the sky. The aircraft does a roll, as it speeds into the distance. Title: ‘Wings in the Sky’ The film cuts to a view of a hangar in the middle distance, followed by a distant view of Penshaw monument. A light aircraft is parked in the foreground. The camera pulls back revealing more light aircraft. Crowds of onlookers gather outside a terminal or hangar building to watch the aerial display.  A white coloured bi-plane, an amateur built Currie Wot (G-APNT), co-owned at the time of filming by three North East owners, is man handled along a road, a group of RAF cadets stand watching nearby. A blue and white light aircraft Baron BE55 (G-BEMD) starts its engines and taxis along the tarmac. At the time of filming this was probably owned by Vaux (Aviation) Ltd, Sunderland. A man runs towards another parked light aircraft, he and two other try to move it by hand, but it appears to be stuck. Parked near to it is a Cherokee PA28 (G-AYMK), at the time of filming this was co-owned by the Piper Flying Group from Sunderland and Washington. A red and white light aircraft takes off, followed by a view of a blue and white aircraft as it leaves the tarmac. A general view shows the crowds next to the hangar/terminal, enjoying the show. An aircraft does some spectacular loops and twists as it climbs skyward, and then dives. Two red and white light planes taxi towards the camera and stop. A man films events with a camera mounted on a tripod. Another light aircraft entertains with its aerial gymnastics. On the tarmac a red and white light plane starts its engine. The white bi-plane, the Currie Wot seen earlier is again man handled along the tarmac, nose first.  A world war two bomber (Lancaster or Wellington?) flies low over the crowd. An RAF plane taxi along the runway, probably an RAF training school plane as it appears to have two cockpits. An RAF transport plane (Hercules?) flies low over the crowd, gains height and banks left. Three red and white light planes are parked on a tarmac strip, while a military plane flies in the distance. A small light RAF plane stands stationary on a tarmac strip. The film cuts to the transport plane seen earlier as it comes in to land. Views of the plane taxiing follow. An RAF jet passenger plane performs a flight, bankings to the left, and then flying overhead. A Spitfire (or Hurricane?) flies past then climbs, does a roll and banks right. The film ends with a view of the plane as it flies overhead, banks right and flies into the distance. Title: ‘Filmed at Sunderland Air Day 1980’