LIGHT travels faster than sound.

An awe-inspiring demonstration of the immutable laws of physics came courtesy of the Eurofighter Typhoon on day three of the Bournemouth Air Festival.

The twin-engined fighter jet tore across the Bournemouth skyline in what appeared to be serene silence on Saturday lunchtime.

But moments later an ear-splitting roar completed the Typhoon's elegant demonstration of its ability to travel beyond the speed of sound.

The Red Arrows are a tough act to follow, but with a victory roll over Bournemouth pier, the Typhoon's stunning display of speed and agility made a perfect encore to another perfect display from the RAF's display team.

Announcements that the iconic red Hawk T1 planes would perform manoeuvres called the corkscrew, the python and the split provided scant preparation for the jaw-dropping display of acrobatics that unfolded.

World records seemed par for the course for such an incredible event, and Guy Westgate's eight-barrel rolls in his glider brought cheers from the crowd.

Fourteen tonnes of metal shouldn't soar above the ground with effortless grace, but the De Havilland Sea Vixen lifted its twin-boom tail above the East Cliff with consummate ease.

And a brilliant display from the army's Blue Eagles helicopter display team proved that inverted flight, vertical drops, and "controlled chaos" aren't the sole domain of the fixed-wing flyers.

Later in the afternoon it was the turn of the iconic aircraft of World War II, as a Battle of Britain memorial flight swept past the hundreds of thousands of spectators.

After the famous sight of of the Spitfire, the working man of the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane, (which was the last ever model of its type to enter the Battle) flew past the sunlit sands rolling, turning and trying to overshadow its predecessor with a range of tremendous tricks.

And both were followed by the slower but ever-impressive Lancaster bomber, the first of only two left flying in the world, which led the smaller aircraft in a series of poignant flypasts.

The historic aircraft were swiftly followed by The Blades, a foursome made up of four ex-Red Arrow pilots delivering some of the most jaw-dropping stunts and precise formation aerobatic moves ever seen.

And not to be outdone, the Team Guinot airwalk contained breathtaking moves from its two fearless wingwalkers, which had the crowds gasping in amazement and clamouring for more.

The grand finale to the hot and hazy Saturday afternoon was the RAF Falcons parachute display.

With Sergeant Garry Wotton making his last ever jump with his squadron in 30 knots of strong wind, all the team managed to keep in picture perfect formation and land precisely on the exact spot to rapturous public applause.

Lieutenant Dave Lilly, who was with the Royal Navy Lynx, said: "Up in the air you can't see the beach, it's just black with people. The whole weekend has been fabulous.

"For us coming from Yeovilton, it's not that far at all and if invited we will definitely be back next year. The setting is great and the backdrop from the beach just looks stunning."