A spectacular Torbay Airshow will take place on Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June 2016 at Paignton Green.
**MANY OF THE ROADS AROUND PAIGNTON WILL BE CLOSED FROM 6PM FRIDAY**
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**SEE HERE FOR A MAP OF THE AREA AFFECTED**
Come and stay with us for the weekend! From just £45 per person per night on a B&B basis, or just £53 per person per night on a Half Board basis! Have a look here at our tariff & special offers for 2016. Have a seat on our terrace or sit in our beautiful landscaped gardens with a cold drink from our well-stocked bar or a fantastic Devon cream tea and take advantage of our position in the bay to view the amazing displays.
Activities at this FREE event will run from Friday, 2pm to 10pm, Saturday 10am to 10pm, and Sunday 10am to 6pm. It is estimated that 150,000 visitors will attend the event over the weekend.
The inaugural Torbay Airshow will combine the best possible flying displays with the stunning locality of the Bay. The Bay’s unique curvature lends itself to high quality aviation aerobatics, with both hi-tech aircraft and vintage war birds taking to the skies.
Entry to the airshow is FREE with the best viewing area at Paignton Green, where there are a number of options for you and your family to upgrade your visit for a truly memorable weekend.
The Military RAF aircraft line-up includes the world’s premier Aerobatic Team ‘The Red Arrows’, the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, King Air B200 and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which includes the Hawker Hurricane, Avro Lancaster and a Spitfire.
With a trademark combination of close formations and precision flying, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, has been displaying since 1965. One of the premier aerobatic teams in the world, the Red Arrows are the public face of the Royal Air Force and are ambassadors for the United Kingdom.
Some of the best military and civilian airshow performers will soar through the skies over Torbay in June 2016 and will be complimented by a host of activities on the ground.
Red Arrows
The team is made up of more than 120 people, including pilots, engineers and essential support staff. Together, they demonstrate the excellence and capabilities of the Royal Air Force and the Service’s skilled, talented people.
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Typhoon FGR4 provides the RAF with a highly capable and extremely agile multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, including air policing, peace support and high intensity conflict.
The pilot can carry out many functions by voice command or through a hands-on stick and throttle system. Combined with an advanced cockpit and the HEA (Helmet equipment assembly) the pilot is superbly equipped for all aspects of air operations.
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber designed and built by Avro for the Royal Air Force.
The Avro Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber of World War Two. It is a legend that lives on today and the contribution made by the aircraft and its crews to the freedom of our nation will, hopefully, never be forgotten. The prototype Lancaster took to the air for its first flight from Woodford, Manchester, on 9 January 1941; the first production Lancaster flew later that year on 31 October.
The Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries before, during and after the Second World War.
The Spitfire played a major part in achieving ultimate victory in World War Two and truly deserves its place as probably the most successful fighter design ever, and certainly as the most famous and charismatic of all time.
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force. It will always be remembered for the vital role it played, with its partner the Spitfire, in hectic battles during the summer of 1940. Hurricanes destroyed more enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain than did all the other air and ground defences combined.
Royal Navy Sea Vixen
Epitomising the ingenuity of British engineers, British Industry and the British Spirit, the Sea Vixen is a must see for aviation enthusiasts and families alike.
As an island nation, the potent sea fighter also became a symbol of our national identity and the determination and resilience of the British people, as she flew day and night from the carriers as the all-weather interceptor poised at any time to defend the fleet.
After a successful first year on the display circuit in 2015, this spectacular and popular aircraft is set to become a must see for aviation enthusiasts and families alike at national airshows over the years ahead.
Breitling Wingwalkers announced for Torbay Airshow
An exciting new addition has today been announced for Torbay Airshow – the Breitling Wingwalkers.
The world’s only aerobatic formation wingwalking team will join the impressive line up taking to the skies over the weekend.
Breitling Wingwalkers have performed at over 2500 different events and are seen live by over 6 million spectators each year in the UK alone.
A Torbay Council spokesperson said: “Performing a breath-taking sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres and handstands while strapped to the top wings of the team’s beautiful Boeing Stearman 1940 biplanes, the displays are breath-taking.
“The pilots fly the aircraft through a well-rehearsed energetic routine of dazzling aerobatics and close formation flypasts as the wingwalkers wave at the crowd. These manoeuvres include loops, rolls, stall turns and even inverted flight! During all of this, the wingwalkers experience speeds of up to 150 mph and ‘G’ forces of up to 4G!”
UK based AeroSuperBatics who operate the Breitling Wingwalkers have been specialists in display flying for over 30 years and operate one of the best known and loved civilian air display acts in Europe.
Wingwalkers were the idea of an American flier called Ormer Locklear who in 1918 came up with a stunt that was guaranteed to wow the crowds: he would climb out of the aeroplane and walk along the wing and even climb from one aeroplane onto another.
Not surprisingly there were a few mishaps in the early days. Ormer himself came a cropper while working on a film. The early wing walk pioneers were operating without a safety net: no parachutes, no safety wires tethering them to the aircraft. A slip of the foot and it was the high dive for our brave showman or showgirl. In 1938 the authorities in America decided that parachutes had to be worn.
Today, the wing walkers are safely tethered to their Boeing Stearman biplanes, but the glamour, spectacle, sounds and atmosphere are just the same as they were when young and brave Ormer Locklear went for a dramatic 10ft stroll along the wing of his warplane in 1918.
Yakovlev’s announced as part of flying programme
Torbay Airshow today announced that the UK based aerobatic display team, the Yakovlev’s, will be flying over the weekend.
A Torbay Council spokesperson said: “Our flying programme just gets better and better. The Yakovlev’s are specialist airborne display team flying authentic cold war Russian training aircraft in precise, yet graceful combinations of tight formations and exciting aerobatics, high speed passes and breath-taking crosses.
“Earning a reputation for excellence over the last 14 years, and delighting over a billion people in the process, across four continents, the team flies the Russian aircraft made by the Yakovlev’s design bureau. This display is sure not to disappoint.”
These reliable and robust aircraft were designed for training and world class aerobatic competitions. Leading the Yakovlev’s is the world’s most powerful Yak 52, known as the Super 52. This world championship aerobatic aircraft is much loved for their sparkling performance, grace and precision formation flying.
Consummate believers in pushing the boundaries of high performance, The Yakovlev’s exude the highest of standards in every aspect of their operation.
In 2012 the team broke China Central Television (CCTV) viewing figures, attracting more than 380 million spectators over a five-day period when they were displaying at Faku on the North Korean border for the first ever AOPA China Airday.
Strikemaster announced
Another great addition for the Torbay Airshow flying line-up was announced today – the BAC 167 Strikemaster.
The BAC Strikemaster will be piloted by Mark Petrie, a former RAF pilot who also now flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with British Airways.
A British jet-powered training and light-attack aircraft, the Strikemaster is a development of the Hunting Jet Provost trainer, a jet engineered version of the Percival Provost, which originally flew in 1950 with a radial piston engine.
The Strikemaster is an armed version of the Jet Provost trainer aircraft and is operated by NWMAS (North Wales Military Aviation Services Ltd). Modified with an uprated engine, wing hardpoints, a strengthened airframe, new communication and navigation gear, uprated ejection seats, a revised fuel system, and shortened landing gear.
First flown in 1967, the aircraft was marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft, but most large-scale purchasers were air forces wanting an advanced trainer although Ecuador, Oman and Yemen have used their aircraft in combat. A total of 146 were built.
The Blades unique display team joins line up
Torbay Airshow today announced the world renowned display team, The Blades, to its line-up.
The Blades are a full-time civilian aerobatic display team based in the UK and is made up entirely of former RAF Red Arrows pilots.
Renowned worldwide for flying close formation aerobatics to the highest level within a dynamic and cutting edge display, The Blades currently hold a world record in formation looping.
A Torbay Council spokesperson said: “With over 30,000 hours of flying between them, The Blades are amongst the most experienced display pilots in the UK. Add to the fact that all are former RAF fast-jet and Red Arrows pilots and it is little wonder that their air display is renowned world-wide and very much in demand. The display is a fantastic, jaw-dropping sequence of over 30 separate manoeuvres to be flown and yet still leave the audience wanting more.”
During the display, aircraft will perform an opposition cross at combined speeds of over 400mph followed by extreme gravity defying solo ‘gyroscopic’ aerobatics, synchronised rolls, twists, double-tumbles and knife-edge spins. What sets The Blades apart is that there is never a quiet moment in their display; you will be captivated from start to finish.
The Blades fly Extra EA-300s. They are low-wing, high performance aircraft designed for the most adventurous aerobatic manoeuvres and created with advanced aerobatic flying in mind. A competitive aerobatic display pilot during the 1980s, Walter Extra decided to design and build the ultimate aerobatic aeroplane, with optimum structure, weight and performance and the forerunner of today’s aircraft was born.
Since it was first produced, the Extra has undergone many modifications and the current design utilises the most advanced materials and construction techniques to provide an extremely light-weight and agile aeroplane.
The Blades have flown over 600 displays throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle-East. The aim is to showcase the amazing capabilities of the Extra 300 combined with the skill, experience and heritage of the pilots. The Team is very much in demand as the display adds a real ‘wow’ factor to any airshow.
Gyro Air Display added to flying programme
Another addition to the Torbay Airshow flying programme was announced today – Gyro Air Display.
The Gyro flying display, also known as a Gyrocopter or Gyroplane, is described as a flying windmill or a rotating parachute which looks like a sycamore seed gently floating down as it spins.
This display is unusual and the aircraft are great to watch and is described by the pilots as fun to fly. The rotor blades of the gyro are completely freewheeling in flight, being driven solely by the air going up through the rotor disk.
There is no mechanical drive to the rotors in flight, the phenomenon of autorotation drives them, once airborne the rotors just look after themselves and keep spinning, even if the airspeed indicator is showing zero.
The aircraft’s propeller pushes the aircraft through the air for forward flight and the rotor is inclined slightly back with the air flowing up though the rotor disk to keep the rotors spinning. Stop the engine and the aircraft slows and descends, the air still flows through the disk and keeps them turning, even when flying sideways or backwards – birds don’t even fly backwards deliberately.
As the rest of the aircraft is hanging from the rotor it acts like a pendulum giving the gyrocopter natural stability, the rotors wings are flying through the air at 350mph so turbulent unstable air and wind gusts are sampled. This makes the gyroplane much more stable that many other aircraft and capable of flying in the most challenging of conditions.
Twister Aerobatic Team
The Twister is a very nimble aircraft and allows them to keep the display within a tight space and always in front of the spectators. Their display is an aerial ballet combining sweeping close formation loops and barrel rolls with synchronised and opposition aerobatics and some extra sparkle with their acclaimed ‘Pyro display’. As well the wingtip pyrotechnics, our aircraft also feature high powered spotlamps to illuminate the display smoke and coloured LEDs along the aircraft fuselage.
Tigers Freefall Parachute Display Team
The Tigers were formed over 20 years ago and are firmly established as one of the top parachute display teams within the United Kingdom. The team has been very successful in competitions throughout this period, with the team performing at events such as the British National Parachute Championships and the World Parachute Championships.
The Tigers are the flagship team for the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, whose seniority stems from the Tangier Regiment of 1661 and thus has the distinction of being the senior English Infantry Regiment of the line.
In addition to exhilarating daytime and night-time flying, we also aim to keep the whole family entertained with a wide and varied programme of exciting events and activities over the weekend at the event village on Paignton Green. This will include musical entertainment, commercial and military trade-stands, quality food and VIP enclosures to suit all pockets.
There will be plenty to stimulate the senses in the lively airshow village which encompasses live music, a fun fair and bouncy castles, interactive exhibits, artisan food stands, licensed catering and ice cream vendors and many many stalls.
The Red Arrows will be bringing their internationally renowned display unit. The RAF Careers recruitment team will also be on hand for those who want to ‘Rise above the Rest’ in the Royal Air Force.
For those wanting that special treatment there are a number of options including the Lift off Launch Party, a VIP enclosure, Hurricane Hangout, Fly-by Family Fun areas and helicopter flights around the Bay.
Food and drink will be widely available through via catering stalls, licensed bars and ice cream vendors.