A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to the Eastbourne Air Show to watch the fabulous flying displays (and get slightly sunburnt!!). If you haven't been before the show includes older planes like the rumbling Spitfires, so iconic in their use during the war, and more modern planes and jets with commentary by pilots themselves who can explain the practice and skill that goes into these demonstrations.
I hadn't been to the air show for several years but usually we catch the odd glimpse of the planes as they fly over our house as we are on the flight path from certain airfields on the way to Eastbourne - it was nice to actually see the entire show this time around and feel the atmosphere. (These photos aren't fantastic, they were just snapped on my phone as we watched!)
It could not have been a nicer day for it either, although it was quite breezy. The helicopters were struggling to hover in the same spot as the wind was pushing them down the beach a bit. My favourite display was the Fireflies who trailed smoke in the sky and drew pretty patterns. They were so elegant, crossing each others paths and just kind of lazily doodling in cloud form.
Does anyone remember the Utterly Butterlys? They were wing walkers in East Sussex, and used to practice almost outside our house! We haven't seen them for many years now but wing walking still goes on with these crazy ladies (sorry I can't remember their names) gallivanting around on top of planes! I can't imagine what it must have been like for these two daredevils up on the wings of the plane and in the wind!! We were quite relieved to learn that they somehow hop in and out of the second seat in the plane when they've finished doing the acrobatics rather than stay strapped up there all of the way back to the airfield!
We hung around in Eastbourne after the main show was finished- rounded off with a jet that was punching holes in clouds and leaving its sound far behind it- because the Fireflies were coming back for an evening performance complete with fireworks off of the plane wings!
It was an amazing show and was also enhanced with fireworks and music from the beach. With a limited stretch of time - they had to be grounded by a certain time in the evening but it needed to be dark enough to be effective- they left it to the last possible minute and it was well worth the wait with the sky swirls in firework trails rather than smoke.
It was a truly amazing show! One of those lovely summer days that you can wrap around yourself and smile at when it's cold and wet in the winter.
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