The RAF Cosford Air Show has returned to attract 50,000 people from all over the UK to Shropshire to see five hours of flying and more than 100 exhibits and ground fairs. The Red ArrowsThe Red ArrowsThe Red ArrowsThe Red Arrows The famous Red Arrows stole the show with their color screen, but aircraft of all shapes and sizes aroused huge crowds. Two emblematic spitfires There were huge smiles on the faces of those who arrived at the sold out show, from aviation enthusiasts to family and friends who met for a day out. The gates at the site opened at 7am to welcome those who arrived early and while there were moving queues, organizers said traffic control went smoothly. Visitors queue patiently Squadron Leader Chris Wilson said it was amazing to see so many people having a great time. “Looking at people enjoying themselves and looking at them in awe for what we have here, all the aircraft, is wonderful,” he said. All aircraft were exposed “Two days ago this site was empty and thanks to all the hard work it has turned into a spectacular event.” Neil Draper and son Harley, from Birmingham, loved their day out “We add the show as a family day and seeing all the young people having fun shows that we did it. And of course we have aviation enthusiasts who set up their cameras at 8 in the morning to capture the flying screens.” There was all kinds of pride that day Shrewsbury’s ex-husband Brian Durand-Pert traveled from Suffolk with their wife, Hannah, and their sons, seven-year-old Arte and three-year-old Etienne, for the show. Both dressed in RAF suits, the boys knew exactly what they wanted to see – the A400 M Atlas. All aircraft were exposed “Arte is also a member of the Catalina Society based near where we live,” Brian said. The “flying boat” was just one of the aircraft participating in the show over the last 70 years to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. A Rafale from the French Air Force Others that have ascended to the skies included the RAF Typhoon appearance team and the Rafale solo show, the RAF Falcons, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and, for the first time, a RAF F35B Lightning. Also appearing on the route were appearances of the Typhoons, Chinooks, the French Rafale and the Belgian F16. A Chinook takes off Flight Lieutenant Paul Huyton from the Chinook projection team said that, like the others, he volunteered to take part in the demonstration work. “We are team members on the weekends and return to our daily work week,” he said. The guests put their necks to watch the spectacular achievements “We are always ready for front-line service, wherever that is.”
