A WEEKEND of high-flying fun is scheduled at Halfpenny Green this Bank Holiday, as a TV documentary remembers the Royal tragedy that rocked the airfield, near Stourbridge, in the early 1970s.

Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport is set to host its popular Wings and Wheels event on Sunday August 30 and Monday August 31.

The family event, staged by Halfpenny Green Air Scouts, has been running for six years and offers visitors chance to see model aircrafts in action and enjoy helicopter rides and light aircraft pleasure flights.

There had been talk about reviving a full airshow, like those hosted by the Bobbington airfield in the late 1960s/early 70s, but following last Saturday's Shoreham Airshow disaster any ideas of the sort have been shelved.

The popular air shows at Halfpenny Green came to a dramatic halt with the 1972 horror crash that killed Prince William of Gloucester, a cousin of the Queen, who is set to be remembered in a poignant Channel 4 Secret History documentary tomorrow (Thursday August 27) at 9pm.

Wings and Wheels organiser Vaughan Meers remembers "vividly" the tragedy which he witnessed 43 years ago as a young aircraft enthusiast while assisting the airshow commentator in the control tower.

He told the News "When the plane went down I jumped on to the first response vehicle and we were out there first. It upset me terribly at the time."

Pilot Mr Meers, now 65, recalls the dashing young prince had been "very friendly" that fateful day, adding: "He was a wonderful man. He was having a great day and was looking forward to the air race."

But the show ended in tragedy when the 30-year-old prince's Piper Cherokee plane crashed and burst into flames, killing him and co-pilot Vyrell Mitchell.

Mr Meers said: "Due to what happened we consider it prudent only to go ahead with the Wings and Wheels events. Safety is our number one priority, always has been and always will be. In six years of hosting Wings and Wheels - the only accident we have had was a lady getting bitten by a wasp."

He said he was devastated to hear of the crash at Shoreham, which is believed to have claimed the lives of 11 people, and he said: "It just shouldn't have happened. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch in Farnborough are the best in the world at finding out the causes. I've every faith in them coming up with an answer."

And he said a flight instructor with Westbeach Flight Academy, based at Halfpenny Green, had often piloted the Hawker Hunter that plunged onto the A27 in West Sussex.

He added: "All that type of aircraft has been grounded, but we have never had Hunter acrobatics at Halfpenny Green. The Wings and Wheels event is a very different show to Shoreham."

The airport will, however, be graced with a flypast from the Red Arrows, just before 2pm on Sunday and Mr Meers said: "By the looks of it - we're expecting a bumper crowd."

Other attractions at the Wings and Wheels event, which is open from 10am to 5pm on both days, will include a Rolls Royce 'Griffin' engine, military and classic car display, traction engine, WWII re-enactments, barbecue, bouncy castle, donkey rides, meerkats, birds of prey and hangar displays.

Pleasure flights in a de Havilland Dove will be weather permitting.

Money raised from the event will go to the Halfpenny Green Air Scouts and the Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre in Wolverhampton.

Funds will also be collected over the weekend for Help for Heroes and the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

Admission on the gate is £6 for adults, £3 for children and £15 for a family ticket.

For more details check out http://wings-wheels.co.uk/