Coventry's Classic Air Force base to relaunch with show
A Coventry airbase which is home to dozens of vintage aircraft is to relaunch with its first major air show in a decade.
The Classic Air Force base at Coventry Airport is due to host the "Airbase gets Airbourne" show on 2 May.
The Classic Aircraft Trust says the event will feature a display of rare aircraft that date from the end of World War Two to the 1960s.
The trust described the base as, "a safari park of old aeroplanes".
The trust said the show would include the Gloster Meteor NF11, the night fighter variant of the pioneering British jet, the Meteor T7, the world's oldest flyable jet, and the Canberra, which set the world altitude record in 1957.
Jem Shaw, who oversees marketing for the trust, said: "Hardly any other museums have chosen this period of aviation history and yet it was so important.
"It was when the jet engine was first taking control and its inventor, Sir Frank Whittle, was an unsung hero."
He added Coventry, as the birthplace of Sir Frank, was the perfect place for the collection.
The trust says the base was only open to the public on a limited basis during 2012/13 because the site was threatened with the Gateway development, which was rejected by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in February.
"Now that threat has gone and we've secured the future of Coventry airbase," said Mr Shaw.
The show will enable members of the public to enjoy pleasure flights in some - but not all - of the aircraft.