Fine weather on Saturday (July 14) and forecast poor weather on the Sunday led to unusually high numbers of people attending on the first day.

Early indications are that the crowd figure over the two days is between five and 10 per cent up on last year's total of 160,000. Due to the weather, around two-thirds opted to come on the first day.

Air Tattoo organisers said that in light of this, they will be looking at arrangements for 2008 and will be considering introducing day-specific tickets.

In total, more than 320 aircraft from 24 countries representing 37 air arms took part in the Air Tattoo.

Among the highlights of the nine-hour flying programme was the debut Air Tattoo display by the USAF Thunderbirds team who were taking part in the airshow's tribute to the USAF on its 60th anniversary.

Other highlights included a graceful performance by a giant Oasis Boeing 747, thrilling aerobatic performances by a Chinook helicopter from 18 (B) Sqn, RAF Odiham and an RAF Typhoon from 29 Sqn based at RAF Coningsby and a unique joint flypast by the Red Arrows, three Spitfires and a Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) to mark the BBMF's 50th anniversary.

On the ground, enthusiasts enjoyed a fascinating range of rarely-seen aircraft including Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30s and new Hawks that are still to be delivered by BAE Systems to the IAF later this year.

Other aircraft of note included a Brazilian Embraer R-99A airborne early warning aircraft, which is rarely seen outside South America; a Canadian CT-142 navigational training aircraft from the City of Winnipeg Sqn and two Turkish Air Force NF-5Bs.

Among the guests attending the Air Tattoo were HRH Prince Michael of Kent; HRH Prince Feisal of Jordan; HRH the Duke of Kent; The Rt Hon Baroness Margaret Thatcher; Gen T Michael Moseley, Chief of the US Air Force; and Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, Chief of the Air Staff.

Also present were Beatles producer Sir George Martin, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson, actor Sir David Jason, racing driver Jenson Button, BBC Radio 2 presenter Sarah Kennedy and singer Connie Fisher.

Despite the large crowds, there were relatively few incidents over the weekend. However, a 63-year-old man fell ill at the showground on Sunday and was taken to the RIAT medical centre for treatment. He was transferred to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon by ambulance where he later died.

A spokesman for the Air Tattoo expressed condolences to the dead man's family. “We were very sad to learn of the death of the gentleman at the Great Western Hospital and our thoughts are with his family.”

Additionally, the Air Tattoo's Senior Medical Officer Alison Amos said her staff dealt with around 200 minor ailments either at the first aid posts or the airshow's medical centre.

Air Tattoo senior fire officer Barry Scott said his team responded to only a handful of call-outs over the airshow. Among the incidents they had to deal with was a rescue of two contractors who became stuck in the air when the electrical elevated platform they were working on lost power.

They also damped down small grass fires sparked by pyrotechnics during the Royal Air Force role demo on Saturday. Senior Fire Officer Barry Scott said: “It's been one of our quietest shows in years.”

Over the weekend, around 30 children and vulnerable adults were separated from their families. All were subsequently reunited.

Air Tattoo Director Tim Prince said that poor weather conditions presented a major challenge in terms of planning the airshow.

“It has probably been the most difficult run-up to an Air Tattoo that I have experienced in recent years simply because the weather was so unpredictable. We had to consider the impact of heavy rain on our car parks and looked at various scenarios. Thankfully, in the end, people were able to enjoy the Air Tattoo in fine weather.

“I am not only pleased for the public but also for the 3,000-plus volunteers who give up so much of their time each year to stage the world's greatest airshow.”

The Bowman family from Bristol: Grandad Arthur, parents Sarah and Paul and three daughters Emily, Grace and Ria, were attending RIAT for the first time and all agreed it was a “brilliant day out”.

Mrs Bowman said: “The security was very good and made us feel really comfortable and safe.”

Paul Bowman added: “it was really well organised and everything ran really smoothly. We're definitely coming back!”

Andy Wear from West Swindon came with wife Sarah and his two young children Anthony and Sophie.

Mr Wear said “We've been here many times before but always came by car. This year, we came in on the special bus service from SWINDON and that's much easier and quicker. We booked into the Jubilee Gardens special enclosure and it was excellent value for money and the location was superb.”

Anthony, seven, said “My favourites were the helicopters and they really took me by surprise when they turned upside down!”

John Miller, 31, a teacher at Lawrence Sheriff School, a Department for Education and Skills funded school in Rugby, came to the Air Tattoo with a party of 13 pupils and three teachers. They spent four hours visiting the hundreds of exhibits in the showground and watching the flying display and then headed for the special youth exhibit area “TRI@RIAT”.

Mr Miller said “The kids were flagging by mid-afternoon but, as soon as they got into the hands-on “Imagineering” section of Tri@RIAT, they immediately picked up and haven't stopped since. To be able to bring any pupils aged 15 and under to a top event for free is fantastic. I would thoroughly recommend it to the other schools.”

The Royal International Air Tattoo is held annually in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.