The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Visitors wing their way to airfield to recreate glories of wartime ace pilots
Youngsters carry out their own ‘scramble’ as part of the fun
Visitors to Montrose Air Station at the weekend got the chance to follow in the footsteps of Britain’s wartime fighter aces.
The family open weekend was promoted as “squadron scramble”, after the Second World War pilots who ran to their Spitfires when the alarm bell sounded.
A light aircraft fly-in at Broomfield Playing Fields also took place, with aircraft attending from all over Scotland.
Youngsters got kitted out in flying gear and sprinted across the grass to the centre’s own Red Lichtie replica Spitfire at the sound of the scramble bell.
RAF Montrose was reopened in 1936 as No8 Flying Training School and many pilots who trained at the airfield fought in the Battle of Britain.
Dr Dan Paton, the air station’s curator, said: “There were fighters based here for airfield defence so in 1940 the Spitfires of No603 (City of Edinburgh) squadron scrambled from Montrose to intercept German bombers from bases in Norway.
“In the early stage of the war there was more action over Scotland than down south. That all changed with the Germans occupying France.
“No 603 Squadron saw a lot of action when they were stationed here but it was all against single aircraft or small formations and bombers but no fighters.”
Visitors got the chance to get a selfie in the cockpit while they were also able to sound the air raid siren, man the machine gun and take off on the flight simulator.
Other aircraft on display included the BE2 and Sopwith Camel replicas from the First World War alongside a Miles Hawk, Gloster Meteor and De Havilland Vampire.
Between 1936 and the end of the Battle of Britain an estimated 800 pilots trained and got their “wings” at Montrose, though not all became fighter pilots.