The Fighter Collection

The Fighter Collection is a British private company that owns, preserves, operates, and maintains airworthy vintage military aircraft, commonly known as warbirds. Its base is Hangar 2 at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire, an airfield owned by the Imperial War Museum and home to Imperial War Museum Duxford. The collection is therefore closely associated with one of the United Kingdom's most important aviation and military-history sites, although The Fighter Collection is a separate private operator rather than a division of the museum. The company was founded by Stephen Grey, a businessman and former Royal Air Force pilot. Grey remained actively involved in the organization until his retirement in 2013. Ownership subsequently passed to his son, Nick Grey. The collection's aircraft are stored and maintained at Duxford, where Hangar 2 is also accessible to visitors of Imperial War Museum Duxford. This arrangement gives the organization a dual role: it is an aviation operating business responsible for the technical upkeep and flight operations of historic aircraft, and it is also part of the wider visitor and heritage environment surrounding Duxford. The Fighter Collection's principal public-facing activity has been Flying Legends, an annual two-day airshow organized by the company. The event traditionally took place at Duxford Aerodrome in early July and became a prominent British showcase for historic military aircraft. It brought together aircraft from The Fighter Collection and other owners, presenting demonstration flying and formations intended to illustrate the development of military aviation. The 2013 edition marked the event's twentieth anniversary, indicating that Flying Legends began in the early 1990s. The airshow was cancelled in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2023, it moved from its long-standing Duxford location to RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire. The event was cancelled again in 2024 and has not been documented as returning since in the supplied reference material. These changes affected the organization's most visible public event, but they do not by themselves indicate that The Fighter Collection ceased operating its aircraft or maintaining its collection. The aircraft inventory is not permanently fixed. The organization may acquire additional aircraft, while individual aircraft may also be sold or transferred to other parties. As a result, any list of aircraft associated with The Fighter Collection should be treated as time-specific rather than a definitive current fleet register. Its positioning is centered on historical authenticity, airworthiness, conservation, specialist engineering, and public engagement with military aviation. It is better understood as a heritage aviation operator and collection than as a conventional entertainment brand or game publisher.

The Fighter Collection was established by Stephen Grey, a businessman and former Royal Air Force pilot, to operate and preserve historic military aircraft in flying condition. Rather than functioning solely as a static museum collection, the organization has emphasized airworthiness: its aircraft are stored, maintained, and operated as active historic aircraft. The company is based at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire, a site owned by the Imperial War Museum and also occupied by Imperial War Museum Duxford. The organization's aircraft are maintained in Hangar 2 at Duxford. The hangar is accessible to visitors of Imperial War Museum Duxford, giving the collection a public-preservation dimension in addition to its private ownership and operating structure. The Fighter Collection is registered as a private limited company. Its aircraft holdings can change over time because the organization may add aircraft to the collection and may also sell aircraft to other parties. Consequently, descriptions of the fleet need to be understood as snapshots rather than permanent inventories. Stephen Grey remained actively involved until his retirement in 2013. Ownership then passed to his son, Nick Grey. The transition occurred during the twentieth-anniversary year of Flying Legends, the company's best-known public event. Flying Legends was organized as a two-day airshow, traditionally held at Duxford at the beginning of July. It became a recurring venue for displaying historic military aircraft in flight and helped establish The Fighter Collection's public identity beyond the maintenance and storage of individual aircraft. The event's twentieth anniversary in 2013 demonstrated its long-running status within the British airshow calendar. Flying Legends was subsequently cancelled in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2023, the show moved from Duxford Aerodrome to RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire. The event was cancelled again in 2024, and the supplied reference material does not record a later edition. The Fighter Collection's core activity remains the stewardship and operation of vintage military aircraft. Its work combines specialist engineering, conservation, flight operations, and public interpretation. Duxford provides an especially relevant setting because of its association with military aviation history and the Imperial War Museum. The collection should therefore be classified as an aviation-heritage operator and private historic-aircraft collection, not as a video-game publisher. The available reference material does not provide a complete current aircraft register, detailed financial information, a formal website, or a comprehensive account of the company's activities after the 2024 Flying Legends cancellation.

• 2024

  Flying Legends is cancelled again

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  The relocated event is cancelled again, with no later return documented in the supplied reference.

• 2023

  Flying Legends relocates to RAF Church Fenton

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  The show moves from Duxford Aerodrome to RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire.

• 2022

  Third consecutive Flying Legends cancellation

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  The event is cancelled for a third consecutive year.

• 2021

  Second consecutive Flying Legends cancellation

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  The event is cancelled for a second consecutive year.

• 2020

  Flying Legends is cancelled

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  The annual airshow does not take place.

• 2013

  Twentieth anniversary and ownership transition

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  Flying Legends celebrates its twentieth anniversary. Stephen Grey retires from active involvement, and ownership passes to Nick Grey.

• 1993

  Flying Legends begins

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  The annual two-day Flying Legends airshow is established, based on the reference's identification of the 2013 event as its twentieth anniversary.

• The Fighter Collection is founded

  [1]The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org

  Stephen Grey establishes The Fighter Collection as a private operator and custodian of airworthy vintage military aircraft.

A specialist British aviation-heritage operator focused on preserving and flying historic military aircraft while presenting them to the public through museum access and airshow activity.

• Historic aircraft

  Airworthy vintage military aircraft collection

  The organization's principal asset is a changing collection of vintage military aircraft maintained in airworthy condition. The aircraft are stored and serviced in Hangar 2 at Duxford Aerodrome and may be flown in public demonstrations or airshow appearances. The collection is not necessarily fixed: aircraft can be acquired or sold over time, so a current inventory requires a dated source.

• Airshow · 1993

  Flying Legends

  Flying Legends is The Fighter Collection's annual two-day airshow and its most prominent public-facing offering. Traditionally held at Duxford Aerodrome in early July, it presented historic military aircraft in flight. After cancellations from 2020 through 2022, the event moved to RAF Church Fenton for 2023 and was cancelled again in 2024.

• 2013Flying Legends twentieth anniversary

  United Kingdom

  The 2013 edition of Flying Legends marked two decades of the airshow and reinforced the event's role in presenting historic military aircraft to the public.

  Outcome. The anniversary was held at Duxford during the year Stephen Grey retired from active involvement and Nick Grey became the owner.

  Source

• 2023

  Relocation of Flying Legends to RAF Church FentonStrategy

  Background

  After three consecutive cancellations, the long-running airshow moved away from its traditional Duxford Aerodrome venue.

  Action taken

  The 2023 event was staged at RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire.

  Aftermath

  Flying Legends was cancelled again in 2024, and the supplied material does not document a subsequent edition.

  Source

1. 1The Fighter Collectionen.wikipedia.org