This year’s Air Festival is not only promising new aircraft, international teams and a better Night Air evening programme, but new and exclusive for Thursday evening is a superb dusk air display.
Set to take place from approximately 8pm, the display will be an incredible opening addition to this year’s much anticipated event. The confirmed line-up includes a host of ‘new for this year’ aircraft and teams – Royal Netherlands Air Force, displaying their fantastic F-16 Fighting Falcon, The Parachute Regiment Freefall Team – ‘The Red Devils’ and war bird Hunter Jet, ‘Miss Demeanour’. .
Jon Weaver, Air Festival Director commented: “We always said that this summer we wanted to give people more reason to stay longer and see more of the resort; the evening display certainly achieves this. As the UK’s leading aviation festival, we have worked hard to create something distinctive and dynamic.”
In addition to the dusk display, Thursday evening only, the ‘Night Air’ evening entertainment (Thursday – Saturday night) also includes street entertainers, performances by Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Band Collingwood, performing the Beat Retreat, Royal Marines Combat Display Team, hot air balloon glows, outdoor film screenings, al fresco food stalls in the town square and a firework display on Saturday night.
The 2011 edition of the Southport airshow will be held on the 23rd-24th July 2011, a move away from it’s traditional September slot
The show’s timing is dictated by tides as much of the showground as well as temporary runways and car parks are positioned on the sands just off the town’s promenade. High tides during September 2011 mean that the show has been forced to find a new slot in late July when the tides will be low enough to allow the runways and showground to be built.
The latest 2011 airshow dates can be found in our Airshow calendar.
THE HUGELY popular Dawlish airshow and carnival procession is under threat because of a lack of volunteers, organisers revealed today.
Dawlish carnival committee revealed it might be forced to pull the plug if it failed to attract at least 60 volunteers.
Extra pressure has been heaped on the 14-strong volunteer committee following a review of the police’s role in traffic management at public events.
Unless volunteers come forward by the end of June the committee says it will be forced to remove the three events from the calendar.
Committee chairman Warren Drew said: “We desperately need help and won’t leave any stone unturned until we get it.”
The committee has been forced to increase the number of its marshals after Devon and Cornwall Police informed local authorities that it was no longer responsible for traffic management.
Dawlish carnival committee says it needs 60 people to assist with the August airshow, procession and pram race, all of which require road closure notices to be put in place.
“Without local support we cannot run certain events,” said Mr Drew.
“Indeed, police stated at a recent safety meeting that they will stop any event on public roads if they feel it’s unsafe.
“We’re doing everything we can to try and get people involved,” he said. “The last thing we want is to cancel any of the events.
“We have advertised as widely as we can. We want anyone to come and help, even if it’s only for a couple of hours or half a day.
“Cancelling the airshow or procession would have a real impact on tourism, not just in Dawlish but elsewhere.
“Last year 100,000 people came to South Devon. It put Dawlish on the map.
“Traders benefited from the extra trade and caravan parks and accommodation providers would have taken extra bookings.”
In recent years police nationally have reviewed their role at public events.
Devon and Cornwall Police did the same and then wrote to local authorities outlining changes over the next 12 months.
A force spokesman said: “Devon and Cornwall Police will continue to support public events in the future and carry out the functions and roles for which we have responsibility.
“Event organisers have the responsibility for ensuring their events are properly planned and managed in relation to public and road safety.
“Negotiations are taking place locally with event organisers and local highway authority representatives concerning the future vision for event traffic management,” he said.
Dawlish Carnival celebrations will run from August 14 to 21.
Volunteers will get full training.
To apply, email safety@dawlishcarnival.co.uk or write to the committee care of the Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish.
THE Portrush Airshow will go ahead after all this year after it was saved at the final hour by the local business community.
The September event, which attracts up to 200,000 visitors each year, had been postponed for the first time this year due to a rise in costs and a lack of sponsors.
Coleraine Borough Council normally contributes about £70,000 to £80,000 to the event with the rest coming from corporate sponsors, however contributions from the sponsors were reduced this year because of the economic climate.
During a special meeting of Coleraine Borough Council on Tuesday night though, which the press were not invited to, the Chamber of Commerce confirmed that a number of businesses in the borough had pledged their support to the airshow.
In the light of this announcement, councillors unanimously voted to bring the airshow back.
Mayor of Coleraine, Sandy Gilkinson, said: “I can confirm that the NI International Airshow will take place in September 2010 at West Bay, Portrush.
“On behalf of Coleraine Borough Council I wish to thank the local business community and the Chamber for coming together to save this spectacular event, it shows tremendous spirit in a difficult economic period.”
Karen Yates, Chamber President commented, “I would like to thank everyone that has contributed so far for showing such spirit and commitment, particularly when trading is so difficult. It’s important to note that businesses of all sizes have made contributions from sole traders to large established groups, pledges have come from across the borough and the support province wide has been amazing. Once the line up has been confirmed we will make this public along with the names of the businesses that have saved the Airshow for all of us.”
“It’s not clear if businesses will have to finance the show in the future but we’ll have to put a plan in place,” she added.
Coleraine Borough Council staff will now continue to make arrangements for the airshow to take place on the first weekend of September.
It is yet to be decided whether this year’s airshow will be a one day or weekend event.
Alliance councillor, Barney Fitzpatrick, said: Cllr Fitzpatrick said: “This is a massive boost for our tourism industry and our local economy.
“I want to praise all the local businesses that have dug deep into their pockets at this tough time to save the airshow.
The excellent efforts of many in recent weeks shows the great community spirit in the locality.”
UUP councillor and MLA, David McClarty said: “The decision to cancel had been taken in the first place to keep the rate rise to a bare minimum, and because many businesses who would have supported it were under financial pressure this year.
“In my 20 years as a councillor, this is the biggest reaction to a subject, other than a human tragedy, that I can ever remember,” he said.
The good news will delight the 3,076 people who backed an online campaign to save the airshow.
Facebook users including Ulster Unionist MLA John McCallister and DUP MLAs Trevor Clarke and Jonathan Craig had joined a group called Bring Back The Portrush Airshow 2010.
Comments on the page reflected the disappointment felt across the Province at the cancellation of the airshow.
Some of the comments left included: “Give us all something to look forward to for goodness sake, precious little else given to ratepayers,” and, “I saw the Airshow in 2008. Unbelievable! I know times are hard but the show is such a big morale-boost and crowd puller.”
We’ve heard from a couple of display pilots that the Northern Ireland International Airshow at Portrush, Coleraine is now back on! More news as we get it!
Eastbourne Borough Council have launched Airbourne 2010 unveiling the first details of this year’s flying displays. The full line up can be seen in our detailed preview on the main site.
The official Airbourne Launch Party took place last week at Towner, Eastbourne’s award-winning art gallery, to exclusively reveal this year’s flying programme for the international airshow, which returns to the south coast from 12-15 August.
Headlining the flying schedule confirmed for this year is a special 70-year anniversary display from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the return of crowd favourite the Red Arrows, and the impressive Eurofighter Typhoon. With other aircraft including the Hawk, Tutor, Tucano, Search and Rescue, and King Air also displaying, the flying line-up is already looking action-packed and organisers Eastbourne Borough Council are offering companies the chance to benefit from this prestigious event with sponsorship opportunities available.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Susan Morris said “A Date With Airbourne, our official launch party, was a brand new idea for this year’s event and a great opportunity for us to thank those companies who worked with us last year and network with potential new sponsors.
“Last year’s Airbourne was such a huge success with a record number of sponsors and the numbers of trade stands up by 27%. We are looking to build on that this year, and with fantastic assets already confirmed for this summer, we should be in for another spectacular year.
“We have a wide range of sponsorship packages available offering companies a great opportunity to come on board and benefit not only from the huge footfall that Airbourne receives, but also to raise their company profile by being associated with such a highly regarded event.”
Following the success of last year’s airshow which was reported to have been the most visibly busy in the event’s 17-year history, airshow organisers are again looking to work with the local business community to raise funds to stage the event.
Many local businesses from across the south east attended the Launch Party at Towner on Thursday evening last week to find out about the sponsorship packages available this year and receive an early bird discount on programme adverts.
Securing a record 25 sponsors in 2009 including TravelInsured.co.uk, Eastbourne Borough Council are again starting sponsorship packages from as little as £250 right up to a headline sponsor at £75k, with the option for companies to tailor make packages to suit their budget and needs.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, trade space and corporate hospitality available at Airbourne visit www.eastbourneairshow.com
Swansea City and County Council has decided not to stage a repeat of last year’s Wales National Airshow in 2010 but, instead, to make it a biennial event. So we look forward to a spectacular return of the event to Swansea Bay in the summer of 2011.
TSA Consulting is delighted to have been asked to organise the flying display element of the Southend Festival of the Air 2010. This will see the 25th staging of an airshow on the May Bank Holiday weekend along the Thames Estuary at Southend – the longest running seafront airshow – and all have seen the critical involvement of Ray Thilthorpe in the role of Flying Display Director and latterly as a member of the Flying Control Committee and ‘specialist aviation commentator’ to the team from BBC Radio Essex
Here in the UK, we still have February, March and April to get through until our airshow season gets underway. However, in other parts of the world, the 2010 season is already getting going. One of the first big shows of the year is the Al Ain Aerobatics Show in the United Arab Emirates. Al Ain in January is a superb venue for an airshow with warm blue skies and the dramatic desert backdrop.
For 2009 and 2010 Al Ain has hosted the AERO GP, an “air-racing” style event organised by Flying Aces who also has an internet broadcasting arm, airsports.tv. For the last two days of the Al Ain Aerobatics Show, airsports.tv has broadcast live footage from the flying displays and AERO GP on it’s website. The Al Ain Aerobatics Show is very much a global airshow bringing the very best acts together from around the world. This year acts came from Croatia, France, Italy, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK, the USA as well as the UAE. While the show does bring in a healthy number of tourists, the live internet coverage gives the show a true global audience.
The footage coming out of Al Ain has been spectucular, though was regular interrupted by adverts for show sponsors and even clips from the 2009 event (infact, I even saw myself in the footage! – Ed) as the footage was also being shown on big screens at the event. However, Airsports.tv’s footage gave a really good feel to this unique event. But why doesn’t such footage appear from UK shows? After all, internet streaming has started to become a popular feature of american airshows and major sporting events.
The cost of setting up the broadcast are perhaps prohibitive; as well as all the camera crews, live production suites and associated facilities are also required. Video footage is professionally captured at many airshows by the likes of Planes TV, but is rarely broadcast live as it’s taken back to their offices to be edited. However, live internet streaming could have some major benefits for some of the UK shows.
The Al Ain show is an important part of Abu Dhabi’s tourist strategy which cites major events such an airshows and Formula 1 motor-racing as vital attractions. In the UK, we also have airshows which are held in support of tourism, namely the big seaside events such as Sunderland, Eastbourne and Bournemouth. Could internet streaming help them? Well yes! Event’s like Bournemouth see themselves growing into international attractions bringing in visitors from Europe for their shows and internet broadcasting would be an ideal platform to promote the event and the town/resort. However, if internet broadcasting is to take off at UK shows, it’s possibly only ever going to happen with some large sponsorship which is unlikely in the current economic climate.
In the meantime, enjoy some of the higlights from Airsports.tv’s coverage of Al Ain 2010:-
SWANSEA’S skies will be sizzling with activity this summer thanks to the return of the Wales National Airshow to the city.
Swansea Council is teaming up with the Royal Air Force, the Army and the Navy to organise two days of jaw-dropping entertainment on Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12.
The event will be held along the promenade and across Swansea Bay with ground displays, trade stands and funfairs starting at the Civic Centre and running along the coast towards Mumbles.
And it will tie in with celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of an announcement on July 3 back in 1969 that Swansea was to receive city status.
The Prince of Wales made the announcement from the steps of the Guildhall just two days after his investiture at Caernarvon Castle.
Some of the other plans to mark the occasion include the opportunity for the 1st the Queen’s Dragoon Guards (The Welsh Cavalry) to march with bayonets fixed and colours flying through the city centre to a formal freedom ceremony at The Guildhall on July 11.
And this event will be a double celebration for the Afghanistan veterans because it also marks the 50th anniversary of their formation.
The Wales National Airshow was last held in Swansea two years ago when over 50,000 people from across the UK attended and this year’s event is expected to be bigger and better than ever before.
The Royal Air Force has already confirmed the Red Arrows, The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Hawks and Tutors will all be making appearances and the Royal Navy says the Black Cats Helicopter Display Team will also be taking part.
Further participants will be announced over coming weeks with displays set for the ground as well as the air.
Cllr Chris Holley, Swansea Council Leader, said: “The event two years ago is probably still very much alive in people’s memories and I’m delighted that we have been able to secure the Wales National Airshow as a highlight in this year’s Swansea Bay Summer Festival programme.
“This is a real coup for Swansea as the only Welsh city to be hosting such a prestigious national airshow and it will give local residents and visitors the chance to see some spectacular state-of-the-art technology both in the air and on the ground.
“I’m sure the atmosphere will be terrific and the local economy is sure to benefit from the inevitable influx of visitors over the two days.”
Arfon Davies, of Ammanford, attended the event in 2007.
He said: “It’s great to see major events like this coming to the area.
“I really enjoyed the event two years back and will definitely be coming to the airshow in July. The Typhoon Eurofighter was absolutely amazing.”
Opening times will be approximately 10am to 6pm with flight times to be confirmed closer to the event.
Have a look at www.swanseabayfestival.com for more information.
An appeal is also being made to people celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary from July to December this year and to people celebrating their 40th birthday on July 3 this year to attend a series of garden parties being hosted by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House.
And any people marking these milestones in 2009 are being asked to contact Swansea Council’s corporate marketing department by emailing corporate.marketing@swansea.gov.uk or by writing to the team at the Civic Centre.
Other plans to celebrate the occasion include the distribution of commemorative coins commissioned from The Royal Mint to babies born on July 3 this year.
Eastbourne are challenging Bournemouth to a head to head airshow challenge with Eastbourne adamant that Airbourne will remain the World’s biggest FREE seafront airshow as the Red Arrows return for all FOUR days.
Eastbourne Airshow has taken place every August for the past 17 years and become established as a major international airshow, attracting thousands of visitors to the resort every summer. With Bournemouth announcing their line-up last week, Eastbourne are already beating them hands down as the sunniest resort in the UK has secured crowd favourite, the Red Arrows, for all FOUR days.
An Eastbourne Borough Council spokesperson said “Airbourne has a long running history in Eastbourne building up a reputation as a spectacular international airshow and a major show to be reckoned with. Bournemouth are only just entering their second year, while we have an unrivalled background regularly attracting top flying displays year in year out. It’s going to take a lot for Bournemouth to steal our crown.”
The organisers of Eastbourne Airshow, Eastbourne Borough Council, are preparing for a busy year in 2009 with preparations for Airbourne well underway.
The Red Arrows have already confirmed they will zoom over the town on all four days with their red, white and blue smoke trails forming stunning formations in the sky. Plus the Reds will also make a special ground appearance on Saturday, greeting visitors around the arena.
With the Council appealing to people around the World to help spread the Airbourne word by downloading the airshow logo from the official website and attaching it to any online communication, organisers are using the power of e-marketing to raise awareness of this year’s event.
Airbourne returns to the Sussex coast from 13-16 August and while the Bournemouth event takes place just a week later, visitors that opt for the Eastbourne airshow can enjoy two free events in the town in just one week.
Airshow enthusiasts, residents, and Eastbourne visitors can enjoy the spectacular flying displays from 13-16 August and the following weekend cheer on the gravity racers in the World Downhill Skateboarding Championships at Beachy Head.
Waddington and Lowestoft will see displays by the French Air Force Alpha Jet solo display. The full calendar is below:-
09 May : Bordeaux Socats
17 May : Châteauroux
23/24 May: Plovdiv (Bulgarie)
30 May: Millau
06/07 June : Cazaux (MNA)
11 June : Cognac (20ans CD)
14 June : Tours (MNA)
19/20 June : Volkel (Hollande)
27/28 June : Reims (MNA)
04/05 July : Waddington (UK)
14 July : Valencienne
19 July : Vigo (Espagne)
23/24 July : Lowestoft (UK)
26 July : Vannes
01 August : Palavas les flots
02 August : Mainfonds
15 August: Saint Tropez
16 August : Toulon
23 August: Berk sur mer
29/30 August : Radom (Pologne)
05 September : Montichiari (Italie)
06 September : Saint Quentin
13 September : Belgrade (Serbie)
19 September : Clermont
20 September : Sanicole (Belgique)
26 September : Moulins
27 September : Lille Merville
04 October : Barcelone (Espagne)
10/11 October : Gergovie
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Eastbourne Borough Council have launched Airbourne 2010 unveiling the first details of this year’s flying displays. The full line up can be seen in our 
