FOLLOWING a dazzling first day, the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival will resume for another jam-packed day of displays and stunts.

Among the brimming roster of awesome aircrafts on show today is the return of one of the crowd’s firm favourites – the RAF Chinook.

The versatile twin bladed aircraft will take to the skies twice today for audiences on Bournemouth seafront to enjoy.

2021 Chinook display manager Flight Sergeant Gavin Anderson said: “It is absolutely fantastic; we are really looking forward to it today.

“This is our first public display of the season and it is going to be great. It is just nice after Covid to be aback.

“The Chinook is always a firm favourite. I’m a bit bias but it is.

“It is a really manoeuvrable aircraft for its size, and I think people who haven’t seen it will be surprised at just how agile it is for an aircraft of its size.”

The 30-metre-long Chinnok HC6A helicopter, which capable of carrying up to 55 troops or up to 10 tonnes of cargo, also has a maximum cruising speed of 184mph.

Bournemouth Echo:

Like many other squadrons, the pandemic put a stop to all of the Chinook public displays last year. However, the team decide to keep audiences interested with exclusive content and archive footage on their social media channels.

“It was a real challenge for us last year, clearly a lot of disappointment for everyone involved with not being able to display,” said Gavin.

“We were really keen to still push something out and give people something to enjoy so we went down the virtual route and tried to fill our YouTube channel with never-seen-before footage and bits like that juts to keep people interested and to give them something to enjoy when everyone was ultimately stuck at home.

“But nothing compared to being back at the actual live event.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Having enjoyed a day watching some of the displays yesterday and with favourable weather conditions today, the Chinook team are ready and raring for their first displays of this year’s event and to entertain crowds in Bournemouth once again.

Gavin added: “So, the engagement is really important to us. We love walking around and seeing people and chatting to them, and you don’t get that on the virtual side.

“So just walking along the seafront this morning to get here and you bump into people, and they are stopping you and chatting, it is great.

“It is pretty many ideas today. The sun looks like it is trying its hardest to break through, but you don’t want it too sunny because that gives you a horrible glare off the surface, so a little bit of cloud cover is nice.

“Also, there is a steady wind which is great, so it is not too bumpy for the guys down the back.”