SOARING SUCCESS
One million look to skies as airshow spectacular reaches new heights
The roar of the RAF Typhoon brought a thunderous conclusion to the 28 th Sunderland International Air show.
It is estimated that up to a million spectators flocked to Roker and Seaburn over the weekend to see dozens of aircraft take to the skies for a spectacular display of agility and power.
Attractions at the annual free event included perennial crowd favourites The Red Arrows who put on a showstopping performance of aerial acrobatics at Friday night’s opening ceremony and to close the first day of flying on Saturday.
Yesterday, the Eurofighter Typhoon, which can reach speeds of 700 miles an hour, could be heard for miles as it soared over the coast line to cap off a second full day of flying, which was brought forward an hour due to the threat of poor weather.
Other highlights included the super fast display team The Blades, which is made up of former RAF Red Arrows pilots; the RAF Falcons who parachuted onto the beach; The Tigers who hurtled to the ground at 100 miles an hour; World War I I fighter plane P51 Mustang; the agile Royal Navy Black Cats; the P40 Kittyhawk; the Red Bull Matadors and the historic Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which featured a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane.
On the ground, there were plenty of cheers for the amphibious beach assault demonstration, which showcased the versatility of British Forces in a combined Navy-Army operation against a fictional enemy.
The beach was closed as explosives shot into the sky and gunfire rang out as troops made their way from H MS Bulwark to Sea burn beach.
Commanding Officer Captain Ian Wicks from The Tigers, who made the journey from their base in Germany for the event, said: “We’ve had a fantastic time here. We jumped using three parachutes linked together, which is the first time we’ ve done that, and the crowd really liked it.
“The organisers said it’s the best display they’ve seen us do.
“This was our second year at Sunderland and it’ s certainly become a highlight for us.
“You get a different perspective from the sky and it’s amazing to be 6,000ft above the ground looking down at all the little dots.
“We deploy the parachutes at 3,500ft and you can start to hear the crowds then so I always encourage people to cheer loudly.”