Aviation enthusiasts arrived in their thousands at RAF Leuchars for another spectacular air show.
Iconic aircraft through the ages, from the Vulcan to state-of-the-art Typhoons, soared over Fife on Saturday.
This year’s event was a celebration of old and new to mark 100 years of the RAF at Leuchars.
There was an especially warm welcome for the Red Arrows aerobatic display team, after they tragically lost pilot Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging in a crash in Bournemouth last month.
In a show of professionalism, the team resumed public displays in time for Leuchars and their display was a highlight of the programme.
As the eight-strong team completed a series of breathtaking manoeuvres, the gap in the sky left by Red 4 was a constant reminder of the dangers encountered by military pilots.
Crowds were also delighted by the Arrows’ Gallic equivalent, Patrouille de France.
Squadron Leader Jon Greenhowe from RAF Leuchars said: “We’ve seen two of the world’s premiere display teams Patrouille de France from our strategic partners across the water and the RAF aerobatic team the Red Arrows.
“I’m delighted that they’ve been able to make it, particularly in the circumstances and on a day when they’ve had to come from Jersey. It’s been a significantly long day for them.”
A heavy shower caused a flurry of people to leave in the afternoon and the weather was also partly responsible for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight being cancelled this year.
Sq Ldr Greenhowe said: “Unfortunately the aeroplanes are quite old and the Dakota was declared unserviceable so, for safety reasons and regulations of flight, we were unable to display that aircraft.
“In addition, with the weather yesterday and today, some of the older aircraft can only fly under visual flight rules, so they can’t fly in cloud or poor weather, and a combination of wind and visibility problems unfortunately prevented the Spitfire and Hurricane from making the journey. Having the Vulcan in the air would have made up for it for some people.
“I think it’s fair to say the event in itself has been a phenomenal success. We’ve had over 35,000 people through the gate, we’ve seen an excellent flying display culminating with the Typhoon flypast, which is the future of the air force, and we’ve seen the Vulcan, which is the iconic history of the British aviation industry. It was great to see her flying.
“We thank the many thousands of people who attended today and value their support to the RAF in Scotland.”
The base’s Typhoons were on call as usual during the event, ready to be deployed at any time to protect UK airspace through quick reaction alert (QRA) duties.
A formidable performance was also given by Tornado GR4s.
Traffic delays were kept to a minimum through the use of park-and-ride services. In addition, around 2000 people chose to travel to Leuchars by train.
Superintendent Dougie Milton said: “This was a highly successful, family event, which was enjoyed by tens of thousands of people.”
He said that, by following advice, drivers ensured police could manage the large volume of traffic and ensure as few delays as possible.For more photos, visit our air show gallery here.