Welshpool Air Show swoops for Red Arrows

26/09/2010 @ 02:38

As Welshpool prepares to be the centre of a mass NATO air exercise next month, organisers of the town’s air show are hoping they will be compensated by a visit from the world’s leading aerobatic display team next summer.

Exercise Joint Warrior will see air forces from 14 countries using 35 types of aircraft criss-cross our skies for two weeks, allowing British and allied forces to fine tune their abilities to cope with ongoing and future threats.

And in an ambitious move, organisers of the Welshpool Air Show hope that by changing the date of the 2011 event to June 12, it will persuade the Royal Air Force to allow the Red Arrows to perform over our skies as a ‘thank-you’ to local communities.

The date has been brought forward a month to coincide with the RAF Cosford Air Show where the Red Arrows have confirmed to perform. And with Welshpool’s close proximity across the border it is hoped that the pilots will be tempted to perform twice.

“We hope that by rescheduling the date to the same day as the RAF Cosford Air Show we will be able to attract more air displays and we will definitely stand a better chance of getting the Red Arrows,” said town clerk Robert Robinson.

However, it seems to be in the very early stages and RAF Cosford Wing Commander John Stanfield has some friendly advice for Welshpool: “The organisers of Welshpool Air Show will need to speak to our organisers about the possibilities first. There are strict rules and guidelines which need to be followed and I would suggest they get in touch.”