WITH around a million people expected to watch some part of Bournemouth's first air festival, it's likely that parking spaces will be few and far between - and that the potential for clogged roads is massive.

So, in a bid to keep congestion to a minimum, organisers are urging those looking forward to the festival to plan their travel arrangements in advance and make the most of the park-and-ride service that will be run by festival sponsors More Bus.

It will operate from Bournemouth University and Kings Park on all four days of the free festival - Thursday, August 28, to Sunday, August 31. An additional site at the Littledown Centre will also be used on the Saturday and Sunday.

At a cost of £10 per car, buses will take visitors directly to the centre of the action at Manor Road, East Cliff.

Alternatively, visitors are being urged to travel by train, catch a bus or cycle in and leave their bicycles at one of the extra cycle stands along the East Overcliff.

Because so many people are expected to view the flying displays from the East Overcliff, a number of road closures and restrictions have been put in place.

East Overcliff Drive will be closed from 9am to 7pm on all four days and Grove Road, Manor Road and Meyrick Road will be closed for residents' access only from 9am to 7pm on all four days.

Parking will be suspended 24 hours a day from Wednesday, August 27, to Monday, September 1, on Grove Road, Gervis Road, Manor Road, Meyrick Road and East Overcliff Drive.

In the West Cliff area, Beacon Road will be closed from the Kerley Road junction from 9am to 7pm on each of the four event days and part of West Hill Road and St Michael's Road will be closed for access only from 9am to 7pm on all four days, with parking suspended 24 hours a day.

Eyes to the sky - your indispensible guide

BOURNEMOUTH'S first air festival is set to be the biggest event in the town's history.

You won't want to miss a moment of it - so make sure you pick up a copy of the official air festival programme, which has been produced by the Daily Echo.

Priced at just £5, the brochure tells you everything you need to know about the four-day event taking place between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers.

It includes a map of all the action, a full timetable of all the adrenalin-charged displays, information on all the participating display teams, planes and helicopters and details of all the other entertainment that is set to make the event a big success.

With so many display teams taking part, including a record three appearances by the Red Arrows, planning ahead is the only way to keep abreast of the action.

Programmes are currently being sold at the Daily Echo offices at Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, and at the Dolphin Centre, Poole.

They are also available from Bournemouth's Visitor Information Centre in Westover Road and from Borders book shop in the Square.

Come fly with us...

THE Daily Echo will offer unrivalled coverage of the air festival, with four pages of reports and photographs in the newspaper every day, plus a video on our website.

Our talented team of photographers will be on hand to capture all the action, with all our photos available to view and buy online or in our Richmond Hill office.

We also want to see your photos and will be running a competition to find the best photograph taken by a reader during the four-day event.

Daily Echo sellers will be in Bournemouth Square and on the seafront throughout the air festival, offering readers the chance to buy a special souvenir poster with their paper.

They will also be selling the official air festival programme, produced by the Daily Echo (mentioned above).