Bournemouth Air Festival News Release
It's back, it's bigger, it's better!
Red Arrows, RAF Falcons, Royal Navy ‘Fly 100’ celebrations, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Eurofighter Typhoon all confirmed for this summer’s aviation spectacular!
More Bus Bournemouth Air Festival organisers today unveiled what promises to be a bigger and even better Festival line-up for Britain’s largest free summer event. After the incredible success of last year, visitors, holiday makers, residents and aviation enthusiasts can expect another four days of breath-taking aviation entertainment.
Sponsored for a second year by More Bus, the Festival will bring a spectacular line-up of entertainment to what could be a million people from 20th – 23rd August.
2008’s inaugural event attracted over 750,000 people to the town; generated over £25 million for Bournemouth and raised its profile above and beyond any other event that has been held before in the UK’s leading seaside resort.
Mark Smith Director of Tourism said: “In 2008 our over-riding objective for last year was to establish an event that would appeal to locals and attract people from all over the UK. In 2009 our objectives are to build the evening entertainment programme, boost the already brilliant day displays and cement our reputation as the leading free air event in the country - we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Bournemouth this August.”
This year Bournemouth is the regions premier event for the Fly Navy 100 Naval celebrations. The resort will be receiving RFA Mounts Bay as well as the HMS Cattistock, Black Cats Helicopter Display Team (featuring Lynx helicopters), beach assaults, demonstrations from the Royal Marines Commando Display Team and music from The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines will ‘beat retreat’ in the award-winning Lower Gardens every evening.
Only in its second year, the Air Festival will be receiving more RAF assets than any other event in the UK this year.
History will be repeating itself when the internationally renowned and much anticipated Red Arrows return for an incredible three performances, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – buckle up and get ready for some dynamic performances from one of the world’s leading aerobatic display teams. Also from the RAF will be the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as well as the Hawk and awesome Eurofighter Typhoon. In addition to increased RAF support and sponsorship of the Saturday night fireworks, there are a number of civilian aircraft ready to astound and astonish the crowds.
Taking to the skies and complementing the military displays will be the world’s only formation wing walking team - Team Guinot, locally-based world championship Russian designed aerobatic aircraft Yakovlevs Aerobatic Team are celebrating their 10th year and promise more radical gyroscopic turns. Not forgetting the Blades Aerobatic Display Team, who will be performing some of their most adventurous aerobatic manoeuvres. Air Festival organisers are in discussions with extra display teams to bring more excitement to this year’s summer event – all of which will be announced as they are confirmed.
The event is not just based upon visual acrobatics and feats of breathtaking sky-high aviation; the Festival has developed its successful evening ‘Night Air’ entertainment line-up.
’Night Air’ will include amongst other highlights The Band of Her Majesty Royal Marines, a hot air balloon show featuring 23 hot air balloons, which will be accompanied by a laser show on Friday and Saturday night; displays by the Royal Marines, street entertainers and fireworks display on Saturday night.