Windy weather fails to blow Blackpool Air Show off course!
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Blackpool’s breath taking Air Show battled the elements to boost visitor numbers and wow the crowds.
Tens of thousands of people visited the resort this weekend to watch the world famous RAF Red Arrows, the Fylde’s very own Eurofighter Typhoon and many, many more spectacular flying machines.
And despite rain on Sunday morning and winds on Monday afternoon which meant the programme had to be re-organised, lady luck shined on the resort to allow the show – in typical Blackpool style – to go on.
Cllr Graham Cain, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: “I was out on the Promenade throughout the day on both Sunday and Monday and people were having a fantastic time.
“We have to give enormous credit to the brave pilots who showed off their skills in very difficult conditions and the crowds for braving the breeze to catch a glimpse of the Red Arrows, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the spectacular Breitling Wing Walkers and all the other performers.
“In true Blackpool style, the show must go on and I’m very proud of everyone who took part to make the 105th annual air show a very special occasion.”
As well as a range of spectacular displays, there were also stalls from the Friends of the Red Arrows, Disney Planes 2, the Lytham Spitfire and charities like the Royal British Legion, Blackpool Carers Centre and Foster Carers Ltd.
Heart North West’s Heart Angels were also on hand running competitions throughout the two days to win a fantastic VIP helicopter ride across the Blackpool coastline.
Blackpool Air Show has now been wowing the public since 1909 when the town put on the very first official air show in Britain.
That was the same year French flyer Louis Bleriot made the first historic crossing of the English Channel.
Expect a similarly spectacular display next year!
The Blackpool Air Show is the latest in a series of events designed to light up Blackpool’s summer.
We’ve still got all this to look forward to:
- Ride the Lights – 26 August between 7pm and 10pm – where we open up Blackpool Promenade to bikes to allow cyclists to ride through the resort’s famous Illuminations
- Switch-On Festival Weekend – 29/30/31 August – we mark the start of the resort’s annual illuminations season with a weekend of spectacular music and performance from artists like Little Mix, Texas, Rebecca Ferguson and the cast of hit musicals like Thriller Live and Dirty Dancing. Britain’s most popular comedian, Peter Kay, is this year’s Switch-On star.
- Illuminations – 29 August for 10 weeks – Britain’s most spectacular light show returns to Blackpool Promenade for another year.
- The World Fireworks Championships – 5/12/19/26 September – Blackpool plays host to the best fireworks display teams in the world with the competitors planning more dramatic and spectacular displays than ever before to wow the crowds.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
VisitBlackpool is the tourism arm of Blackpool Council and is tasked with promoting the UK's most popular holiday destination to leisure and business visitors, both domestically and internationally.
Blackpool’s Back
Merlin Entertainments – which runs a host of attractions in the town including The Blackpool Tower, Madame Tussauds and Sea Life – together with Visit Blackpool, are driving the exciting family-focused awareness campaign to re-energise the iconic seaside resort.
The initiative #Blackpoolsback aims to challenge any negative perceptions of the resort, by reminding families of everything Blackpool has to offer. This includes an unrivalled concentration of world-class family attractions, an award-winning beach as well as a summer packed with exciting events.
Joe Robinson
Communications Officer, Deputy Chief Executive’s Department, Tel: (01253) 477189