Air display set to return to seafront

This summer’s Bray Air Display will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23.

The event was recognised earlier this year as ‘Best Festival/Event Experience (large)’ at the prestigious National Irish Tourism Industry Awards.

An impressive line-up of aerobatic performers has been confirmed for this year’s display including a demonstration of an F-18 jet from the Spanish air force.

This will be the first time that the exciting Spanish display team will perform at Bray represented by Captains Herrera and Agulló, both based at Zaragoza air base in Spain. Also on display this year will be the very special Catalina flying boat; the Ravens, a UK based formation aerobatic display team formed in May 2014 and the ‘Swedish Air Force Historic Flight’ team flying Viggen jets.

A British Spitfire, probably the best known fighter plane ever produced, will also be part of the line-up.

Patrouille Tranchant, a Celtic jet team from Brittany, France flying four Fouga will take part again this year following their first ever appearance in Ireland at Bray last summer.

Patrouille Tranchant pilot Hugues Duval became the first pilot in aviation history to cross the English Channel on an electric powered ‘CriCri’ aircraft on July 9 2015.

Norway will be represented by an MIG aircraft as well as a pair of ‘Vampires’, while Irish aviation will be celebrated at the event by the Irish Historic Flight Foundation flying Boeing Stearman and Chipmunk aircraft.

As well as the incredible display in the skies over Bray, there will be a food and craft village, musical entertainment, a family fun fair and helicopter pleasure flights.

Sé Pardy, Flight Display Director, Bray Air Display, said: ‘ The organising team is working hard to deliver another stellar event this summer. We have a wonderful lineup of acts confirmed to date and we’re looking forward to thrilling spectators once more this July. Keep an eye on brayairdisplay. com and social media for updates. We will be announcing more acts over the coming weeks.’

The main supporter of the Bray Air Display is the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) as part of its #AviationIreland campaign to promote aviation across the State. Eamonn Brennan, Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority said: ‘ The Bray Display has been a phenomenal success over the last couple of years. Aviation is a hugely important economic driver for our country.’

Wicklow County Council and Bray.ie also support the event. Go to brayairdisplay.com for more information.