The 2012 air show organised by the Malta Aviation Society was held on the 29/30 th September 2012 to mark the 20 th anniversary since the first air show was held in Malta and coincided with the 70 th anniversary of Malta being awarded the George Cross for its bravery during World War II. What started as a humble event in 1993 has now grown to a fully fledged Air Show. The weather on both days was excellent with clear skies, light wind but scorching heat! The hospitality by the organisers and all the volunteers was exceptional.

VIP seating area complete with its own refreshment area was available for an additional €5 charge, whilst the Press had their own secluded area adjacent to the seating area smack in the centre of the flying display area. The spectators were close to where the taxiing aircraft and flight display took place, with an 18 - 200mm lens being sufficient to capture all the action.

There were also numerous stands set up by local flying schools, local businesses and educational institutions. The national airline Airmalta had its own stand where new merchandise with the new branding and colours were sold as also did the ever present Armed Forces of Malta Air Wing. As expected, collectors – young and old, hovered the area in search of memorabilia from the aircrews. Unfortunately not all aircrews had such material.

A dedicated refreshment and food stall provided with tables and chairs for crews, volunteers and spectators to take a break was also available. Prices were reasonable ranging from €2 for a soft drink to €4.50 for a Beefburger with salad and fries. Other beverage and ice cream stalls were set up on Park 4. Restroom facilities were more than adequate and cleaning staff did a great job. First Aid and rescue crews were also present. The glossy 76 page Malta International Air show 2012 Souvenir Programme packed with lots of helpful information and features was available for sale from two MAS merchandise stands for €5 or packed with the official MAS 2013 calendar for €8. A special 20 th Anniversary patch was also for sale for €8.

On Friday 28th, the MAS volunteers were taken to the Runway 13 treshold for the arrival of the aircraft. The Chinook made a spectacular landing in front of us and we could see one of the crew onboard filming us with his Ipad. The NATO Awac was more adventurous, zigzagging in font of us after performing a low flypast before returning to land. From this location one could also photograph the commercial airliners landing on runway 13.

When it became certain that the Red Arrows would not be arriving on Sunday, the flying display programme had to be amended by the organisers in collaboration with Airmalta and the Spitfire pilot, resulting in a spectacular display by the Airmalta Airbus A320-214 9H-AEN and later a flypast together with the Spitfire, a scene that will remain in the memory of many who attended the 2012 Malta International air show. Earlier the Libyan Chinook helicopter took to the air and participated with a cracking flying display.

As the sun set and the gates closed I spoke to Joe Ciliberti, Malta Aviation Society Chairman and air show mastermind who summed up the proceedings as follows. “It was just the experience that saved the situation at this year’s air show. For months, we were promised two Libyan Mirages as appreciation to all that Malta did to help the wounded during last year’s uprising in Libya. In the last week and a half we were informed that the Mirage pilot could not fly for the air show and thus Libya would not participate. Our efforts with Libya to at least still participate with either a helicopter or an aircraft yielded results when on Thursday evening, a few hours before the show was to start I received a phone call that Libya chose to send a Chinook helicopter. This was of great satisfaction after all the ongoing efforts over the last months. The fact that the Qatar Emiri Air Force chose to participate for the first time in the Malta air show was also very positive but, when we were all ready to offer another quality display, it so happened that the Red Arrows had suffered problems in the oxygen system on their way to Malta and had to make an emergency landing in Sardegna where at least one Pilot and Engineer were hospitalised. I would like to thank the public for understanding that these were things beyond our control as well as to all the MAS volunteers and participating aircrews for making this yet another successful event and look forward to start preparations for the 2013 air show”

All in all it was an exceptional weekend at the Air Show and looking forward to the 2013 edition which will be held on the last weekend of September.