Southport Air Show 2024

THE Southport Air Show took place again over:- 13 July and 14 July 2024, keeping the Southport Seafront Air Show's title as North West's largest Air Show. Typical, true to form the weather threatened to put the dampeners on the fun, but the rain stayed off and visitors managed to enjoy the show while keeping dry.

Issues during 2023 show had resulted in many improvements which definitely helped the show to be held successfully this time round, with just the Typhoon display being cancelled, on the Sunday, due to:- "due to unforeseen circumstances." The only sideshow that we know of, to have been cancelled, was the model aircraft flying displays, as the beach was to wet for the models to take off and land.

This year numbers attending appeared to be significantly down, with the bad press from 2023 taking effect, the on going bad weather putting some off, cost of living, and on Sunday, the European Cup, might have affected numbers. Due to the beach being very wet, the event had less attractions on it, but on the other side of the sea wall, there will be plenty of activities to keep all ages entertained.

This years show thrilled the crowds with a good range of aerial displays, from the basic aircraft like the Tutor, to the:- Red Arrows. as well as the Battle of Britain aircraft, the Swordfish, Bristol Blenheim, Rolls Royce Spitfire and Rolls Royce P-51 Mustang, all appearing on both days. Saturday's spectators also got the chance to see and hear the RAF's amazing Euro Fighter Typhoon!

The flight programme also included:- Rich Goodwin Pitts S-25 Special; Wingwalkers; Starlings; Black Cats; Catalina; Vampire Solo; Strikemaster Solo, as well as the Wasp.

Since hitting the headlines on the display circuit, Southport got its chance to see what the owner and designer says is:- "basically a poor man's Harrier." For many of those attending this years show, aerobatic pilot Rich Goodwin's 'crazy' biplane, which had 2 jet engines strapped on to it, giving it 350lbs of thrust, had to be the highlight. A spectator said:- "You hear a jet and see a biplane and ask yourself what the??? It is just nuts! What an aircraft, and what a pilot!" On the ground, others also agreed with another attendee adding:- "Its like something out of a cartoon, like you would see in Disney's 'Planes, Fire and Rescue.' It was nuts.  Very British homemade, back garden innovation at it's best!"

Oddly, we are told that the aircraft was developed been from a garden shed!

The other highlight that shocked many of those who heard it can from the sounds of the 69th Field Regiment RA - The Garrison's Artillery Guns firing 3 times each day! 

We have to compliment the beach cleaning crews who did an amazing job keeping the litter down over both days.

This is some of the footage we shot at this years show and some of our many photographs from the 2 day event. We have even more photos on the following ???? pages within this edition. Please let us know what you thought was the best of the aircraft from the weekend and your thoughts of the show by get in contact via emailing our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:-  Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.

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