Bournemouth Air Festival facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Bournemouth Air Show
RAF Red Arrows Aerobatic Display Team performing their cupid formation at The Bournemouth Air Festival 2009.
Status	Active
Genre	Air show
Dates	3–4 days in August/September
Begins	Thursday
Ends	Sunday
Frequency	Annually
Venue	Bournemouth Beach Area, Bournemouth Gardens.
Location(s)	Bournemouth
Coordinates	50°43′12″N 1°52′48″W / 50.72000°N 1.88000°W / 50.72000; -1.88000
Country	United Kingdom
Years active	2008 – Present
Established	28 – 31 August 2008
Previous event	31 August-3 September 2023
Next event	29-31 August 2024
Attendance	> than 600,000 (2022)
Activity	Aerobatic displays
Organised by	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Website	www.bournemouthair.co.uk

The Bournemouth Air Festival is a super exciting yearly air show held right along the coast in Bournemouth, England. It features amazing aircraft from the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Navy, and even cool civilian planes. Since it started in 2008, over ten million people have come to watch the shows!

This festival usually happens in late August and lasts for four days. You can see air displays during the day, at dusk, and even at night with special lights and music. The local council, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council), organizes it. This event helps local businesses a lot, bringing in about £30 million each year!

Dates for the 2024 Air Festival have been announced, but they are still being checked to make sure everything is ready. The famous Red Arrows will not be flying this year because they have other important commitments around the world.

History of the Air Festival
- Key Moments Each Year
What to See at the Festival
Amazing Aircraft and Teams
Incidents at the Festival
See also

History of the Air Festival

The Bournemouth Air Festival first took to the skies in 2008. It ran from Thursday, August 28, to Sunday, August 31.

Key Moments Each Year

2008: The very first display was by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The Red Arrows performed on three days, drawing over 200,000 people to the beaches for their first show! They even did a special flypast with an old Folland Gnat, which was their plane before the BAE Systems Hawk. About 750,000 people attended the first festival.
2009: The festival grew, attracting 1.3 million visitors!
2010: This year was special because it was the first air show to have flying displays at dusk, with planes showing off LEDs and fireworks.
2011: A sad event happened this year. Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, a pilot with the Red Arrows, died after his plane crashed in Throop after a display.
2015: Bad weather canceled flying on the first day. This festival also saw one of the last flights of the famous Avro Vulcan before it retired from flying.
2017: Flying was canceled on the last day due to strong winds and bad weather.
2020: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual festival couldn't happen. Instead, there was a virtual version online with past displays and music.
2021: The Red Arrows performed for four days in a row, which was unique! Flying was stopped for a bit after a biplane crashed into Poole Harbour.
2023: Bad weather caused some cancellations on the first day of flying.

What to See at the Festival

The festival is free to visit! The main area stretches for 1.5 miles between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers.

RAF Village: You can find the Royal Air Force (RAF) Village on the East Overcliff.
Royal Navy Village: The Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Marines have their village on the beach in Zone 2. Here, you can see vehicles, try out some equipment, and chat with military personnel.

Amazing Aircraft and Teams

Many different aircraft and display teams have been part of the festival. Here are some of them:

Act	Aircraft	Information	Photo
AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers	Boeing–Stearman A75N1 (PT17)	This is the only formation wingwalking team in the world! People stand on the wings of the planes as they fly.
Avro Vulcan	B.2 XH558 The Spirit of Great Britain	This was a huge, jet-powered bomber used by the RAF. One special plane, XH558, was restored to fly in air shows until 2015.
B-17G ‘Sally B’	Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress	At 78 years old, this is the only B-17 Flying Fortress still flying in Europe! It's a memorial to US airmen from World War II.
North American B-25 Mitchell	North American B-25 Mitchell	An American medium bomber from 1941, named after a US aviation pioneer. It was used in every part of World War II.
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight	Dakota, Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane	This RAF group flies historic planes like the Lancaster, Spitfire, and Hurricane to remember those who fought in the Battle of Britain.
Wildcat Demo Team (Black Cats)	AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2	These are the Royal Navy's helicopter display team, showing off amazing moves with two Wildcat helicopters.
Breitling Jet Team	Aero L-39 Albatros	This was Europe's largest civilian aerobatic team, flying seven L-39 Albatros jets in amazing formations.
Bristol Blenheim		A British light bomber used a lot in the early years of World War II.
Canadair T-33 Silver Star	Lockheed T-33	A Canadian-built version of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer.
Chinook Display Team	Boeing CH-47 Chinook	The RAF's Chinook Display Team flies the huge Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter, performing aerobatics!
Eurofighter Typhoon Display Team	Eurofighter Typhoon	A super-fast, twin-engine fighter jet designed to be excellent in air-to-air combat.
Fairey Swordfish		A biplane torpedo bomber from the 1930s, nicknamed "Stringbag." It was used by the Royal Navy throughout World War II.
Gerald Cooper Xtreme Air XA41	XtremeAir Sbach 300	A German aerobatic aircraft known for its amazing stunt flying.
Hawker Hurricane	Hawker Hurricane Mk X Hawker Sea Fury T.20	The Hawker Hurricane was a British fighter plane famous during World War II. The Sea Fury was a powerful propeller-driven fighter used after the war.
Hispano	Hispano Buchón ‘Black 8’ Hispano HA-1112-M4L Buchón ‘White 9’	These are Spanish-built versions of the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, often seen in movies.	Hispano Buchón ‘Black 8’
J-3 Cub (with fireworks)		A simple, lightweight American aircraft built between 1938 and 1947. It's known for being easy to fly and affordable.
MiG-15		A Soviet jet fighter from the Cold War era. It was one of the first successful jet fighters with swept wings, making it very fast.
Otto the Helicopter	Schweizer S300	A light helicopter often used for training and agriculture.
P-51 Mustang	North American P-51 Mustang ‘Contrary Mary’ P-51D Mustang ‘Miss Helen’	A famous American long-range fighter and fighter-bomber from World War II and the Korean War.
Boeing P-8A Poseidon	Boeing P-8A Poseidon	A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft used by navies, based on the civilian Boeing 737. It hunts submarines and ships.
Pitts S2S	Pitts Special	A series of light biplanes designed for aerobatics. They have won many competitions since 1944.	Pitts Specials ‘G-SWON’ & ‘G-STUI’
RAF Tucano	Short Tucano	A two-seat turboprop trainer aircraft built in Northern Ireland, used by the RAF for basic training.
Red Arrows	BAE Systems Hawk	The official aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force, famous for their red jets and amazing formations.	A BAE Systems Hawk in Red Arrows livery. The aircraft photographed is the one Jon Egging was flying when he crashed at the 2011 Festival.
Republic P47 Thunderbolt ‘Nellie’	Republic P-47 Thunderbolt	A heavy American fighter and fighter-bomber from World War II, known for its powerful machine guns and bomb load.
Saab J35 Draken	Saab J35 Draken	A Swedish fighter-interceptor from the 1950s. It was one of the first Western European combat aircraft to fly faster than Mach 2!
Great War Display Team	Six WW1 Fighters	This team flies replica fighter planes from World War I, like the SE5a and Fokker Dr.I, in exciting displays.
Firefly's	Slingsby T67 Firefly	A two-seat aerobatic training aircraft built in England.
Supermarine Spitfire	Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXb Supermarine Spitfire Mk1XT ‘Grace’ G-LFIX ‘ML407’ Supermarine Spitfire TR IX Supermarine Spitfire X1X PS853 Vickers Supermarine Spitfire X1X PS853 – G-RRGN	A famous British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the RAF and other Allied countries during and after World War II.
Strikemaster Pair	BAC Strikemaster	A British jet-powered training and light attack aircraft, developed from the Jet Provost trainer.
Team Raven	Van's Aircraft RV-8	A team flying homebuilt RV-8 aircraft, known for their exciting formation displays.
The Blades	Extra 300LPs and an Extra 330SC	A British civilian aerobatic team known for their precise and thrilling displays. They were founded by former Red Arrows pilots.
Tigers Parachute Display Team	NA	The British Army's freefall parachute team, performing amazing skydiving displays.
Twisters	Silence Twister	A German ultralight aircraft designed for amateur builders, known for its unique look.
‘Take on Gravity’ jetsuits		People flying with special jet suits, showing off future technology!
Vampires FB.52 and T.55	De Havilland Vampire FB.52 and T.55	A British jet fighter, the second jet fighter used by the RAF, and the first with a single jet engine.

Incidents at the Festival

Sometimes, unexpected things happen at big events. Here are a few incidents that have occurred at the Bournemouth Air Festival:

2011 Flash Flooding

The first day of the 2011 festival had to be canceled because of very heavy rain and flooding.

2011 Red Arrows Crash

During the 2011 festival, Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, a pilot with the Red Arrows display team, sadly died after his plane crashed in Throop. This happened after a display as the Red Arrows were returning to the airport.

2018 'Jet Suit' Ditching

During a demonstration of a jet suit, the pilot, Dr. Angelo Grubisic, landed in the sea shortly after taking off. Luckily, he was not hurt and lifeguards quickly brought him to shore.

2021 Biplane Crash

In 2021, a biplane that was part of the AeroSuperBatics wing-walking display crashed into the sea in Poole Harbour. The plane lost power during its performance. The pilot and the wing-walker on the plane had only minor injuries. The AeroSuperBatics team returned to fly at the 2022 festival.

2022 Drone Seizures

On the first day of the 2022 festival, police stopped three drones from flying in the special restricted airspace. It's against the rules to fly drones in these areas because it can be dangerous for the air show and people watching.