The Bournemouth Air Show takes place at the end of August/ early September each year featuring air displays over four days against a backdrop of the beautiful sweeping bay.
There is no admittance charge to the festival and thousands of plane lovers flock to the Dorset resort on the south coast of England to watch this extravaganza. Following the cancellation of the 2020 show it was exciting for us to be back in Bournemouth to enjoy its 13th edition.
Headlining the show were the amazing Red Arrows who performed at 3.00 p.m. on all four days. The Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatic Display Team has been in existence since 1964 and are known as the ‘Red’s’ because of their bright red flying suits.
The aerobatic team reach speeds of up to 600 miles an hour in their BAE Systems Hawk T1 jets and even if you aren’t a fan of aircraft it’s always a thrill to watch their breathtaking synchronised formations and precision timing. We gazed in awe as they performed loops, rolls and painted the sky red, white and blue with their colourful trails and trademark Diamond 9 shape.
Helicopters on display included the RAF Chinook, a twin rotor that can carry up to 55 troops or 10 tonnes of cargo. Because of its size it’s almost unthinkable that it can perform the aerobatic stunts demonstrated. The Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter also entertained the crowds over Bournemouth bay. It’s designed to serve battlefield and warfare roles and can reach speeds of 300 km/hr.
Enthralling the crowds of spectators down on the beach and watching from the cliff tops were The Blades, a British civilian aerobatic team and the only full-time civilian aerobatic team in the United Kingdom. All the pilots are former members of the Royal Air Force, having all previously flown with the Red Arrows. The team fly Extra EA300 two seat aerobatic monoplanes and were exciting to watch.
Crowds remained on the beach as dusk fell for the evening flying entertainment with an Rolls Royce Spitfire, RAF Typhoon and The Fireflies on display.
The noise from the Typhoon could be heard from miles away as it roared past, rattling windows in its wake. As a complete contrast to the Typhoon, the graceful Fireflies lit up the skies with a beautiful pyrotechnic display creating a fitting end to the first two days.
Performing each day, the Tigers Free Fall Parachute Team showed off their impressive skills with seven parachute jumpers falling from the sky thousands of feet in the air to a marker on the ground. As one of the British army’s premier display teams they certainly captivated the crowds with their flag flying routines.
From sky to sea, a first for the air show this year was a parade of new and classic Sunseeker motor yachts who are based just along the coast in Poole.
The AeroSuperBatics WingWalkers are the world’s only formation wing walking team and perform regularly at the air show. The wing walkers are strapped to the top of Boeing Stearman biplanes while they perform dazzling aerobatics, handstands and close formation flypasts. We had been thrilled with their display on the second day of the show and were excited to be watching them again the following afternoon.
However, shortly after the commencement of their display, one of the planes developed engine trouble and decided to return to Bournemouth Airport. Unfortunately it was unable to make it so far and had to ditch into the sea just along the coast at Sandbanks. Thankfully, both the pilot and Wing Walker were rescued immediately suffering only minor injuries as the plane came down next to the chain ferry and there were many boats to lend a hand nearby. Following this incident it was understandable that flying was suspended for the remainder of the day.
There was much to see on the ground as well as the festival site stretches all the way between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers with military villages, a funfair, trade stands together with many food and drink options. Along the East Cliff queues of people were waiting for a chance to sit in a Red Arrows plane in the RAF Village and others eager to climb on board an army tank on the beach.
The HM RM Band Collingwood performed the Beat Retreat Sunset Ceremony in the Lower Gardens at 6.30 p,m. on three of the evenings and although I’ve watched it before, it’s still a wonderful sight. Beat Retreat is a military ceremony and has its origins in the early years of armed warfare when the beating of drums and the parading of guards heralded the return to camp and the lowering of flags at the end of the day. Nowadays it’s all about marching to the band playing iconic tunes.
The town’s Lower Gardens were also home to the vintage garden HMS Bathtub Bar which was proving popular with its live music from noon until late evening.
Nearby in the bandstand we enjoyed watching the Prince of Wales Army Band performing on one of the afternoons to rapturous applause.
If all this wasn’t enough, to round off both the Friday and Saturday displays, a magnificent firework display took place at 10.00 p.m. from Bournemouth Pier with crowds staying in the town to watch the spectacle from both the beach and cliff tops.
Throughout the festival the weather stayed fine and although it did turn cloudy at times, conditions remained perfect for flying and for wandering around the festival site. It was sad that an accident had occurred but on the following day when flying resumed, it was announced the pair on board had been shaken but otherwise unharmed.
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A walk from Bournemouth to Sandbanks
A walk between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers
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The airshow looks incredibly beautiful Marion!
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It was thank you and it’s amazing that it’s all free.
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That’s nice and good to know Marion!
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such a cool event. and perfect location, hopefully something similar can happen here this summer
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It was great Andy, fingers crossed something similar takes place with you in the coming months. Take care, Marion.
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Fun!
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It was indeed!
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Cool 😎
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Thank you, I’m pleased you enjoyed reading this post.
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Thank you Marion. Makes me nostalgic for our own air show here in Bray. Missing for the last two years, but perhaps next year it will be lighting up our skies again. The Red Arrows were a particular treat when they featured here some years back.
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I’m so pleased you have had an opportunity to see the Red Arrows Shane as they are always thrilling to watch. Thanks so much for commenting. Marion.
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Great information as well as images.😊
Do check out my blogs too.🤗
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Thank you Shreya. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I’ll take a look at your blog as soon as I have time.
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Thank you 🤗
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That’s a great area to see this airshow. Wow seeing those Red Arrows are fantastic and the Parachute Team. Sometimes here in Nova Scotia we have air shows every year..due to our Military . Anita
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It was a splendid air show and the cliff tops made good vantage points for viewing the aircraft and the parachutists.
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Such an amazing site to see. Happy Weekend Anita
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Thank you, hope your weekend goes well too!
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I love the Red Arrows! So glad you got to see them
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The Red Arrows were brilliant and thrilling to watch. Thanks for commenting.
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Your photos are always good but they were especially exceptional quality here! Very clear photos of planes which must have been some considerable distance away and moving fast. Well done!
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Thanks Ken for your compliments. I took quite a lot of photos some of which worked and others didn’t. It was a great air show and I’m pleased you enjoyed reading about it.
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Seems like you had a wonderful time! Love your photo’s of all the different planes in the air – especially the Red Arrows! And how great that there are so many things to see … something for everyone!
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The Air Show us a great free event that helps to bring lots of people into Bournemouth for the weekend. The Red Arrows are amazing and always so exciting to watch their daring manoeuvres.
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What a thrilling event. I love air shows (and you did great with your photos). I can imagine what a pleasure it would be to watch from a beachside setting. That wing walker strapped to a sinking plane must have had a terrible shock, so glad to hear it all ended well.
By the way, I have tandem skydived and can thoroughly recommend it 🙂
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How exciting that you have dared to tandem skydive. I’m sure ai would enjoy it floating down but the thought of jumping out of the plane door terrifies me! The air show was great and amazing that it is all free. Marion
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I tell everyone – you don’t “jump”. You merely swing your legs out the open door of a plane, lean forward, and gravity takes care of the rest. Simples 🙂
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I’ve never been to an air show, but it must be fascinating to see pilots make daring maneuvers for entertainment purposes. They do result in some cool formations and it must’ve been a fun day for all of you!
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Attending an air show is a fun experience with many viewpoints available to watch the daring manoeuvres. Thanks so much for commenting. Marion
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What a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing your journey.
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The air show was an amazing spectacle. Thank you for following my travels.
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What an incredible event to get to watch! I always love air shows like these. My dad was a parachuter for the navy and I remember watching them parachute into the stadium and the thrill of watching them glide effortlessly through the sky trying to guess which one was my dad.
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How amazing that your Dad was a parachuter. I could never bring myself to jump out of a plane, could you? Great to watch though.
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He just retired a few years ago but he has some amazing stories from jumping out of planes to being in the depths of the ocean and everywhere in between. I couldn’t jump out of a plane for anything! I much prefer to see the sky from my airplane seat 🙂
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Same with me!
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What a thrilling day Marion. So much to see and do. I love a good airshow with flying and static displays and have not been to one in years. Too bad about the ditching aircraft. Glad everyone was alright. Thanks for sharing. Allan
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It was a great day out, I’m sure you would have done a better job than me at capturing the planes as they whizzed by so fast but they came out reasonably I think.
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You did great. I always have trouble with moving vehicles. Partly due to my bifocals, at least that is my excuse. Cheers.
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Although I love Bournemouth and have visited many times, I have never been there for the air show which looks wonderful. I have seen the Red Arrows and there is something about them that always makes me feel very emotional. I’ll have to see if I can arrange a stay with my friend who lives in Westbourne when the air show takes place next year!
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How about a grandstand seat from our balcony with a glass of wine ! Be nice, wouldn’t it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Marion
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Now, that sounds wonderful, Marion!
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That sounds like quite the air show! I love that there was even a display of fireworks later in the evening. That’s too bad that one of the planes experienced engine troubles, but glad to hear that no one was harmed. Thanks for sharing. Linda
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It was a great air show and a bit tricky to photo as the aircraft moved so fast but some shots came out reasonably well. Yes it was good that the air crew were uninjured and it was just the plane that suffered. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Marion
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What a fun event, Marion as the Air Shows lets aviation enthusiasts get up close to a variety of flying machines while watching stunt teams and pilots show off their skills high in the sky. I love watching planes take flight and would love to visit the Air Show at least once in my lifetime. Thanks for sharing, and have a lovely day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Thanks Aiva, the air show was great but sometimes a bit tricky to photograph but at least some of the photos worked reasonably well. Have a good week too! Marion
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Now this was a surprise article because a) I didn’t know Bournemouth had an air show and b) you’re on holiday in Helsinki. Well done for keeping everything going while you’re away. Some expert scheduling I guess. Some great shots of the planes Marion, love the Tigers Free Fall Parachute Team with the Union Jack.
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I’m fortunate to live near Bournemouth and the air show is something we enjoy, especially the Red Arrows and Typhoon. I live about 6 miles away and can easily hear the boom of the Typhoon. Glad you enjoyed it.
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Thanks for your welcome thoughts. The air show is a splendid event and I’m glad we were able to get back there.
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