Vulcan bomber makes appearance in front of record crowds Waddington Air Show
July 5th 2010
Vulcan bomber makes appearance in front of record crowds Waddington Air Show
The Avro Vulcan XH55 drew full attention from the gathered crowds as it made a rare flying appearance at RAF Waddington
RECORD crowds were wowed by aircraft past and present at the 16th RAF Waddington International Air Show.
It is thought 100,000 flooded to the air spectacular on Saturday alone, leading officials to close the gates at 11.30am.
And according to some, the success was down to the much anticipated flight of Cold War bomber, the Vulcan.
The show fell silent as the Avro Vulcan XH558 arrived from RAF Brize Norton and showed what it could do with a display that lasted around 15 minutes.
Wing Commander Andy Pemberton said: "It has been fantastic, and we think the numbers are about 25 per cent up on last year.
"I think there have been two main factors that have contributed to the show's success, one is the Vulcan and the second is that people realised Saturday was going to be the hottest day of the weekend.
"The air show team place a great emphasis on providing entertainment for the whole family, not just for aviation enthusiasts, and walking around you just see lots of smiling faces."
The show, which has gone from strength to strength since its inception, has started to attract national attention, with a mention on Vernon Kay's Radio 1 programme on Saturday morning as fans queued to get in.
Its reputation did not disappoint. Daredevil acts from the county's own Red Arrows had the crowd whooping and cheering alongside displays from old war time aircraft and aircraft from Europe.
And the roar of three Tornado engines set car alarms off close to the runway.
An aircrew from Offutt airbase, Nebraska in the US flew in on a Rivet Joint, an RC-135 aircraft which is set to replace the Nimrods which fly out of Waddington.
Major Michael Zimmerman was bowled over by the show.
"We have had a great time and this is a great air show," he said.
"When we do air shows in the US, we do not get the international flavour you get here, so that's something new for us. I am surprised to see some of the old US airplanes that are here.
"It's the first time I have seen the Red Arrows and they are putting on a pretty good show."
"The Vulcan was amazing though," he added.
The 70th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain was one of the themes for this year's show, along with the 90th anniversary of RAF pageants.
And the delivery of RAF Waddington's AWACs, 20-years-ago was also celebrated.
Retired police officer Ann Griffiths from Sheffield, was a first-time spectator.
"It's been a real treat for us and the highlight has definitely been the Red Arrows," she said.
"We are planning to come again, it's wonderful."
