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Bournemouth Air Festival 'attracts more than 800,000'

The pilot of Otto the Helicopter explains what it's like to fire off 1,000 fireworks during an air display

An estimated 812,000 people attended one of UK's biggest annual air festivals, organisers have said.

Aerobatic displays and vintage planes were on show at the 12th Bournemouth Air Festival, held over four days.

The usual Red Arrows performance was absent from this year's event, while the display team is on a nine-week tour of North America.

A large fire on the East Cliff on Thursday's opening day is being treated as a possible arson by police.

The festival said the planes generated 275 tonnes of carbon emissions which were offset by planting 275 trees in the area and by a £3,500 contribution to a project to protect the Amazonian rainforest.

Blades Aerobatic Display Team Blades Aerobatic Display TeamBlades Aerobatic Display Team
The Blades Aerobatic Display Team was among the performers
Martin Hoare Photography Avro Lancaster / Battle of Britain Memorial FlightMartin Hoare Photography
Bournemouth Pier was a vantage point for a fly-past by an Avro Lancaster
Martin Hoare Photography (left to right) P-47D Thunderbolt, Spitfire, Me109, MustangMartin Hoare Photography
World War Two aircraft were among the vintage planes on show
PA Tigers Freefall Parachute Display TeamPA
The British Army's Tigers Parachute Display Team landed on the beach
PA Bournemouth beach 2019PA
An estimated 812,000 people attended the event
PA Saab 35 DrakenPA
A Saab Draken was among the aircraft making debuts in Bournemouth
@DazzaOnDrums Fire on the Undercliff, Bournemouth@DazzaOnDrums
A cliff fire on the opening day is being treated as a possible arson