airbourne

The Airbourne Festival has been running for years now. For the locals it brings traffic chaos and I’m not sure of how much benefit it is to the local community. If watching airplanes whizzing around the sky is your thing then this is for you. If you come by car either be prepared to park a very long way away from the action or spend ages stuck in traffic jams or looking for a parking spot. The closing night fireworks are indeed spectacular as is the traffic jams caused by all those people trying to get home.

Fantastic day out! My wife doesn’t like to go so I jump on a coach/​bus and make a day of it. Great.
No parking problems. It is a well produced show that is, honestly, outstanding.

i love the time of year when airbourne is on the loud roars of the spitfires and red arrows zooming above you fills you with joy and excitment i enjoy going to the beach with a picnic or wacthing the planes gliding in the sky while strolling along the seafront with some fish and chips or just simply wacthing them from my back garden the only price you have to pay is parking thats around about 5.00 for a good day out i go every year and seem to be enjoying it more every year

That was the Best Open Air plane Show in my life

The best free airshow in the world, awesome aircraft shown off against the beautiful coastline with everything from the old spitfire to the roaring Typhoon. Great stalls and other entertainment all along the seafront with a huge firework display to finish it off. They tried one year to charge £5 but complacently failed so promise it to be free forever. Officially the world’s biggest seafront airshow :)

We were in Eastbourne on a coach holiday August 2009 so this event for us was a bonus we watched the air displays in comfort sipping our drinks on the hotel terrace We were so glad it was a nice day and it was free this year

Always quite nice, when its not raining that is. great famaily day out if it is sunny, take a picnic on to the beach and enjoy the planes, helicopters and jets. As well as air craft there are hundreds of stands with food, gifts and military displays.

Airbourne used to be free event that was fun for all the family but last year they got greedy and ruined alot of what it was about by closing of the main viewing beaches and charging the people who pay to put the event on in the first place (eastbourne tax payers)
Its a good event with plenty to watch and enjoy for all the family so if your not from eastbourne i reccomend it if you are there’s stilll a few places you can see it from well for free.
The planes on show range from war planes to wing walkers etc and also helicopters but the pick of the bunch is ofcourse the world famous red arrows which are always worth a look.

airbourne is fantastic, hopefully the council wont charge again to get into arena.
most of the displays are unmissable. pity the harrier not been there as this has to be one of the best planes to watch at the event.
would give 5 stars but the arena area is always the same every year and some of the trade stands are dodgey.

Airbourne has its good and bad points! I give it 5 stars, as it is on the whole a free event and can be watched from my back garden, or on the beach. Programmes are available if you wish to pay, unfortunately there is no outline in the local papers, making most inclined to buy programmes. Has received bad publicity over the last year and criticism for charging. Parking is at a premium for residents, but thats a small price to pay to witness such an airshow. The Red Arrows do a great display that is enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Weather is normally good for this weekend. There is alos a park and ride that runs from 5 acre field, to cope with the influx of people. Its been rounning for as long as i can remember, which is testimony to its success.

I like the idea of Airbourne and all that it stands for — a free event that is aimed at all age groups and singles, couples and families alike.
Last year was a disaster, with people being charged to enter enclosures on the seafront in ‘prime’ positions for viewing the air show. Ticket sales were poor with many residents bouycotting the show as a result of the charges. Having lived in Eastbourne most of my life i usually catch at least one day of the show, but avoided it last year because of charges — purely out of principle, it’s always been free before. Residents are usually happy to put up with the disruption caused by Airbourne (increased traffic congestion, extremely busy shops, fully booked hotels, packed beaches etc) as it is an enjoyable, FREE event. As it was so unsuccessful charging for it last year, this year it will be going ahead but free of charge.
The shows themselves i find a bit longwinded with lengthy gaps between the different planes etc, but if you are patient enough to sit it out then the red arrows are amazing, with fab formations and they even create hearts in coloured smoke — they really are a sight to behold. The whole atmosphere is amazing. There are stalls all around the wish tower slopes over the four days which are fun to wander through (pricey if you take the kids though!) and some of the stalls are interactive&informative while others offer career info, with yet more selling all manner of knick knacks.
A great day out for all the family, although can be extremely crowded, so keep a tight hold of any little ‘uns!

Formerly known as the biggest free seaside airshow in the world, Airbourne lost its title last year when the Borough Council introduced an entry fee for the four day airshow.
Thankfully Airbourne is returning to being free this year. Last year’s £5 entry was a mistake. I love this event. I find everyone from the RAF, Army, Royal Navy and Marines to be very friendly and are always happy to talk to children and grown ups alike.
The displays don’t seem to be as varied as they have been in previous years, but this is largely down to operational commitments by the armed forces.
The Red Arrows are always a huge attraction and tend to take to the skies for around 10 – 15 minutes for their display — normally they do at least two over the four days. Also the RAF Falcons were very popular in the past, but they weren’t at the event last year, as the Western Lawns are now deemed to be too small for them to land in, after one Falcon suffered a nasty accident in 2007.
Other displays which often turn up include the Hawk, Tucano, US Air Force, F16s, Merlin, Sea King, Chinook, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Wing Walkers and the Eurofighter — which is very loud!
On the ground, there’s the RAF Village, which is a good area for children to collect stickers from pilots and crew, as well as autographs. This is also where the recruitment stand is. There are also simulators and planes available for you to sit in the cockpit. Elsewhere in the arena, there tends to be a dog display. Last year the RAF Police Dogs weren’t there, but the Essex Dog Display Team — who are non-​military — were. The Royal Marines also performed an unarmed combat display last year, and in the past, various ATC branches have taken on each other.
If you go along, prepare for big crowds as around half a million visit the Western Lawns and seafront over the four days. Also leave early to make sure you can get parked ok, or use public transport. There is a park and ride set up from Five Acre Field, and a bike park for those cycling in.
The event’s been going for around 17 years now, which proves its popularity. There’s little cover around the display area, so take along umbrellas — just in case! — and suncream.
In the evenings, there’s often activities at the bandstand. The final evening sees the Sunset Ceremony, which features one of the planes return for a final display before disappearing into the horizon. After dark there’s a massive firework display. If you go to this, be warned, it takes a very long time to get out of town again by car.

I wish I could give this more stars!!! It was a spectacular display of aircraft from spitfires to the lancaster bomber and had amazing acrobat displays from the wing walkers and the red arrows well breathtaking. So pleased we were in the are at that time!