Gloucestershire became a mecca for aviation enthusiasts this weekend as RAF Fairford held one of its most ambitious air tattoos to date.  | | The Red Arrows delighted the crowds |
Hundreds of aircraft from the earliest to the very latest state of the art gathered for a weekend of airborne entertainment. The major theme for this year's festival was 100 years of flight and there was plenty to delight aviation fans as you can see in our photo galleries of the Tattoo - just click on the links below. 
Visitors to the show had the chance of a close-up look at flying machines from days gone by as well as the latest military aircraft including the 21st century Stealth bomber. There was also the opportunity to sample what it's like to fly a modern military aircraft in flight simulators and virtual reality displays that took visitors on dizzying rolls and loop-the-loops.  | | 100 years of flight: from the early days of the RAF to the hi-tech Stealth bomber |  |
And there was plenty to see in the skies overhead too, with eight hours of flying displays on Saturday and Sunday, with the aerial acrobatics of the Red Arrows providing the high spot. Tattoo organisers were delighted that the weather smiled on the show - but visitor numbers were slightly down on last year, when many people were stuck in long traffic jams on the way in and out of the show. The Tattoo is over for another year, but aviation fans will already be looking forward to next year's event. 
Find about other Gloucestershire festivals on our festival listings page. Are you organising a county festival? Tell us all about it at [email protected] | 
The annual Royal International Air Tattoo once again proved to be a big hit with aviation enthusiasts from all over the world.
Avoid the traffic and use the new Park & Ride located in the South Marston Business Park (off the A361 near the Honda factory) on the outskirts of Swindon.
