Thousand visit Ragley Hall for Midlands Air Show to see highlights such as Red Arrows, B17 bomber and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Thousands of aviation fans descended on Ragley Hall near Alcester over the weekend for the Midlands Air Festival, which once again delivered a spectacular showcase of aerobatics, vintage aircraft and family entertainment.

The festival featured the first public display of the season by the RAF Red Arrows, whose trademark precision and colourful smoke trails wowed spectators gathered on the historic estate. Their breathtaking formation flying drew applause from the crowd and marked a dramatic highlight of the three-day event.

Another standout moment came from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring a moving flypast by a Lancaster bomber, Spitfire and Hurricane. The historic aircraft flew in close formation, offering a powerful tribute to the courage and sacrifice of RAF crews during the Second World War.

Fans of historic aviation were treated to rare appearances by the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress ‘Sally B’ and the Douglas R4D-6S Skytrain, the US Navy version of the DC-3 transport aircraft. Both planes captured the imagination of the crowd and added to the nostalgic atmosphere.

Adding adrenaline to the skies were the AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers, who delivered jaw-dropping stunts atop vintage biplanes, looping and rolling through the air in a dazzling display of bravery and showmanship. There was also a dramatic helicopter aerobatic display by Flying Bulls BO-105 pilot Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil famed for his 2012 world record space jump from 39km above the Earth.

On the ground, visitors explored vintage fairground rides, street food, and hands-on aviation exhibits. A major highlight was the Nightfire show on Saturday evening which combined fireworks and glowing hot air balloons.

Trevor Graham, the flying display director, told the Herald: “Every year we aim to deliver something special, and this time we brought together some real crowd-pleasers.

“It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the festival — we’re already planning for next year.”