Published at 11:10, Thursday, 07 June 2012

THE festival’s attractions covered land, sea – and, most spectacularly, the air.

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Stunning aerobatics and the ever-thrilling Red Arrows had the crowds’ hearts in their mouths as they watched the displays on Sunday afternoon.

Wowing visitors were the RV8tors display team who combined high speeds (up to 230mph) with tight formation aerobatics which will stay long in the memory.

The Red Arrows gave a spectacular display across Whitehaven harbourside.

Travelling at speeds of up to 800mph, they twisted and turned performing dare-devil stunts for the appreciative crowd.

The team is now made up of seven planes instead of the usual nine following the sad deaths of two of their team. Flt Lt Jon Egging lost his life in a display at Bournemouth and then three months later Flt Lt Sean Cunningham died when he was ejected from his stationary aircraft.

The planes were grounded after both tragedies and the Whitehaven show paid tribute to both men. They did a special ‘memorial bend’ for their lost colleagues.

There were also formations including the ‘Concorde’ and ‘Detonator’.

The jubilee-themed red, white and blue smoke ensured it was a right royal occasion.

On Tuesday the Red Arrows soared above the skies of London to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Festival organiser Gerard Richardson explained the differences in some flight timings. “I gave the wrong information to the programme printer after the SAR Demo was moved back from Sunday to Friday and as a result the SAR demo was listed as 5pm Friday instead of 7pm,’’ he said.

The wingwalkers had to be cancelled due to weather conditions where they were based.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk