Eyes on the skies and watch out for the Tornado!

Thursday 08 September 2016

A Jerseyman will be taking part in the big International Air Display today, and he'll be making some noise!

George Le Cornu will be taking the controls and taking off in a Tornado - a plane the event organiser has been trying to secure for the display for a number of years.

The Island has enjoyed the annual air display for over 62 years and organiser Mike Higgins has been putting it on for the last 20. 

He said: "I think he's the only Jersey pilot flying in the display. We were going to have a second Sir Dominic Rotherham, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and he was going to be in the Merlin Helicopter team but they've had to pull out at the last minute. 

"But I'm delighted George is here and he's flying a plane that we haven't had for a number of years. We've been trying to get a Tornado in our display for years but it's difficult to get them because our display is mid-week.

"He's going to be on very early. Helping Wings are going to fly in the display to start to show the different forms of flight. George isn't going to be doing full aerobatics, it's going to be a fly-by. Then we're going to fly Helping Wings and then George will be back for another fly-by so you'll be able to see the different wing configurations as it goes by.

"George is delighted and says it's nice to be home and show people the aeroplane that he's flying."

"They are all planes that I like and I hope everyone else will like too. We have the Swedish jets, they are going to be flying all in formation and that's going to be good, the first time they've done that outside Sweden. It's taken me three or four years to get the North American P38, that's a lightening, a twin engine twin boom fighter and the other one is a Chance Vought Corsair - they are part of the Red Bull group and they will be impressive.

But it's not all about the big planes, the Patrouille de France, that's the blue and French version of the Red Arrows will be flying just after 15:00 and the Red Arrows are all to brighten up the skies for the show's finale from 16:38 until 17:00.

You'll find all the times you need here.