Soaring success at Sleap Airfield's open day
[gallery] An airfield in Shropshire played host to more than 70 army vehicles, an RAF helicopter, classic cars and emergency service vehicles over the weekend.
Organisers of the annual open day at Sleap Airfield, near Wem, had promised it would be the biggest of its kind for 13 years and the thousands who turned out were not disappointed.
There was also an aircraft fly-by and acrobatic display at the event, which ran on Saturday and Sunday. It was organised by the Military Vehicle Trust and the cash raised will go to the Midlands Air Ambulance.
Des Clorley, from the airfield, said they were still totting up how much had been raised. He said: "For the past five or six years we have had military vehicles here on a smaller scale but it is 13 years since we had an event like this.
"Two people from the trust just popped in on a break from a journey and they didn't realise the airfield was there. We took them around and they asked if they could do something. It has just sprung from there.
"It was a really fantastic weekend, especially with the weather we had yesterday."
The event was free to enter but organisers asked for a donation of £5 to the charity per car, £2 per motorbike and £1 for cycles and pedestrians. It was opened on both days by Councillor Connie Grainger, mayor of Wem.
There were also vintage aircrafts and a static display of the Bell Jet Ranger. Cadets from the 28 squadron at RAF Shawbury manned the entrance and parking and the Midlands Air Ambulance, based at RAF Cosford, operated from Sleap for the two days.
