Airborne Pyrotechnics

Airborne Pyrotechnics is a UK-based father-and-son aerial display team specialising in dramatic night and twilight pyrotechnic shows with illuminated motor-gliders. Led by Tim Dews and joined by his son Tom (who soloed a Grob at 16), the team operates from Wing Farm Airfield at Longbridge Deverill near Warminster, Wiltshire. Their routines combine graceful formation flying with wingtip fireworks and high-intensity LED effects for a choreographed light show visible across large venues.

Drawing on in-house engineering expertise, the team’s systems integrate thousands of addressable LEDs, smoke, and dedicated pyro pods that allow quiet, elegant sequences or high-energy finales. Airborne Pyrotechnics can perform with one or two Grob 109B motor-gliders as the core pairing, and—depending on event requirements—augment displays with a single-seat Silence Twister or a Grob Twin II sailplane equipped for pyro work.

Grob 109B motor-glider. A two-seat, side-by-side self-launching motor-glider built primarily from glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), with a distinctive T-tail and large canopy for superb visibility. The 109B is powered by the Grob 2500 E1 (approx. 95 hp), providing efficient, low-noise flight ideal for illuminated night displays. The type first flew as the G 109 prototype in 1980, with the uprated 109B following mid-1980s; in UK service it was known as the Vigilant T1 with Air Cadet Volunteer Gliding Squadrons.

Show fit. Airborne Pyrotechnics’ Grob 109Bs carry LED lighting arrays, engine smoke, and pyrotechnic pods mounted on each wingtip—typically loaded to around 4 kg per side for night shows—allowing precisely timed bursts, comets and waterfalls to sync with music.

Supporting types. A Silence Twister—a nimble single-seater inspired by the Spitfire’s planform—adds agile aerobatics with light and pyro effects, while a Grob Twin II glider can be configured with wingtip pyro for serene, soaring sequences.

Airborne Pyrotechnics grew out of the Dews family’s long association with the Grob 109B and composite aircraft maintenance at Wing Farm. As night displays evolved in the UK, Tim and his sons developed bespoke LED and pyrotechnic systems (built and refined in-house) to transform efficient motor-gliders into luminous “lightships.”

The team has since performed all over the world at airshows, city festivals and private events, offering flexible formats—from quiet, elegant “sparkle” sequences to synchronized two-ship displays with dramatic pyro finales—while maintaining the low-noise, graceful aesthetic that suits both urban and rural venues.

• The team’s core pairing uses two Grob 109B motor-gliders fitted for LEDs, smoke and pyro.
• Each 109B can carry around 4 kg of wingtip pyrotechnics per side for night displays.
• The Grob 109 prototype first flew in 1980; the 109B became the RAF cadets’ Vigilant T1 trainer.
• The 109B’s airframe is primarily glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) with a distinctive T-tail and side-by-side seating.
• Depending on the venue, Airborne Pyrotechnics may add a Silence Twister or a Grob Twin II to vary the look and pace of the show.