THERE were smiles all around at the second day of Clacton's 28th Clacton Airshow.

The mighty RAF Typhoon and the Norwegian MiG15 and the roared above the crowds along Clacton seafront while aerobatic displays from the RAF Tucano and The Blades wowed spectators.

Highlights included the smiley face trail left in the sky by the Pitts Biplane and a heart emblazoned above the seafront by the Fireflies.

Other dispays included the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring a Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster bomber, along with the P47 Thunderbolt and a Mustang, in the Ultimate Warbirds display.

Kirby Primary Academy pupil Lacie Keston, 8, said: "The airshow is the most brilliant thing in the world - it's the best I've ever seen.

"I loved the planes and my favourite ones was the Fireflies because they drew a heart in the sky."

There was also plenty of entertainment on the ground, with Titan the Robot and stalls on West Greensward.

Braintree and Witham Times:

  • Clacton Pier hosted a fireworks display following the night flights on Thursday. Picture: Matthew Mallett.

Mike Carran, event director, said: "The weather was unbelievably good and it was great to see so many people here.

"We never quite knew what it would be like without the Red Arrows, because they are such a big draw.

"But it was so enjoyable and ran very smoothly. There was a real feel good atmosphere.

"The night flights were fantastic on Thursday - they're now a real fixture at the airshow.

Organisers said it is too early to tell how many people came along across the two days, however the airshow usually attracts up to 250,000 people.

Braintree and Witham Times:

  • The Blades in the skies over Clacton

Alex Porter, Tendring Council cabinet member for tourism, said: "It's fantastic to see so many people here enjoying themselves, and the event just keeps getting bigger and better.

"The flights are really quite something to behold and with so much to do on the ground it is a great day out.

“This event is so important for the local economy, bringing an estimated £5million to Clacton, while tourism as a whole is worth more than £370million to Tendring’s annual economy and supports 16 per cent of jobs.

"I would also encourage people to download the Love Tendring app to keep up to date with events in the district."

Next year’s Clacton Airshow will take place on August 27 and 28.