Yeovilton Air Day all set for take-off
FINAL preparations are taking place to welcome over 30,000 visitors to the Royal Naval Air Station Yeoviltons annual International Air Day on Saturday 13 July 2013.
Children from the local community school, Ilchester Primary visited the Air Station witnessing all the excitement of an Air Day as aircraft practised their flying displays! The children covered their ears tightly as the Belgian F16 roared overhead and whooped with delight as Lieutenant AJ Thompson flew a practice solo Black Cats display, The Royal Navy’s contribution to the display scene.
Year Six pupils then had the opportunity to get up close to a few static displays that will be on show on Air Day, bombarding the accompanying aircrew with questions.
Staff member’s ay Ilchester School said “it was absolutely brilliant the children loved it”.
The unanimous consensus from the children “FANTASTIC the best day ever”!
Few events can rival the intensity, drama and spectacle on offer at the award winning show, one of the Southwest’s largest one day events. It promises to be an action-packed day out for all the family with thrilling flying displays and plenty to see and do on the ground.
RNAS Yeoviltons theme for Air Day 2013 is TEAMWORK and visitors will see Teamwork at first hand both in the air and on the ground. The breathtaking flying display will feature military and civilian display teams as well as the resident squadrons performing spectacular role demonstrations such as the famous Commando Assault Finale, full of pyrotechnics.
The ground displays will showcase modern Royal Navy assets and equipment with interactive displays showing the qualities, skills and professionalism of Royal Navy personnel working as a team to provide Front Line support to Protect Our Nation’s Interests.
The 6 hour flying display will open at 1100 with The Red Arrows. Undoubtedly, the stars of the show for many will be roaring displays by the Czech Air Force Gripen, Belgian Air Force F-16 and RAF Typhoon, representing the cutting edge of modern global fighter technology. Amongst the helicopter displays will be the Royal Navy and Army’s latest aircraft - the Wildcat..,
On the historic front, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane will be present along with the Royal Navy Historic Flight’s rare collection of naval warbirds. Their Swordfish (LS326) is a veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic - the 70th anniversary of which is being marked this year - and its flying display will pay tribute to the courage and bravery of all those who served in the North Atlantic during WW2. The Vulcan bomber XH558 will also be firing up her four mighty engines for another majestic performance in the Somerset skies.
There is plenty to entertain the family on the ground at Air Day. The Sporting Bears Motor Club has arranged a special static display for Air Day consisting of 30 cars ranging from a Jaguar XJ220 and Corvette to a Rolls Royce Phantom, centre stage will be taken by the awesome Bugatti Veyron, There will be arena displays from the Band of HM Royal Marines, Plymouth and the fiercely contested Field Gun Competition between HMS Heron and HMS Seahawk (RNAS Culdrose).
In the hangars, the Yeovilton Military Wives Choir will be performing and you will also find engineering fairs presented by My Future My Choice and Imagineering. These two organisations aim to inspire the next generation in a fun, hands-on, interactive way towards a career in engineering. The Commando Village will return with a Forward Operating Base set-up by the Commando Helicopter Force, along with the Royal Marines with plenty of equipment and demonstrations providing an insight of life as a Royal Marines Commando. There will also be trade stalls, funfair, simulators and pleasure flights.