A PILOT and an aircraft historian from Peebles play crucial roles at Scotland’s National Airshow.

Up in the skies Red Arrows ace, former Peebles High School pupil, Flight Lieutenant Stewart Campbell will wow the crowds as part of the famous display team at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune, tomorrow (Saturday).

On the ground National Musuem of Flight curator, 44-year-old Ian Brown, also from the town, is expecting large crowds around a replica World War One Sopwith Strutter being built specially for the show.

Mr Brown who has worked at the museum for nine years said: “This year’s show is going to be a hot ticket, it’s a shame there is no Leuchars show, but ours is better than ever.

“We have the supersonic Typhoon, vintage wartime aircraft including a Hurricane, Spitfire and one of only two Lancasters.

“To commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War, ‘First World War and Strutter 11Ž2 Experience’ will show what life was like at the aerodrome at East Fortune at that time.

“With actors playing the pilots, the aircrew and the ground staff. “Visitors will also be able to see a First World War fighter plane being built on site and learn first-hand what it was like to fly the Sopwith Strutter in combat.” Like many schoolboys Mr Brown’s interest in flight was fired by making Airfix models. He wanted to join the Royal Air Force as an engineering officer but soon gave that up when he realised his maths was not good enough.

Being interested in the history is just as good he says and after six years at the Nation Museum he landed the only job in Scotland as an aircraft museum curator.

He does not fly himself but has been up in a Tiger Moth at Duxford in England as a birthday present.

“We have a Tiger Moth at the museum but flying in one gives you a whole different experience from reading about it in books.”