Red Ten and Squadron Leader Mike Ling will be leaving the Red Arrows later this year - so today will be his final Bournemouth Air Festival in the role.
Mike told the Daily Echo: "I was Red 3 in the first one. This is now my ninth time, I missed the 2011 one as I wasn't in the team.
"Now I'm nine out of ten for the Bournemouth Air Festival so it will be emotional today.
"It is a privilege to start the show, then we've got to get up to Northern Ireland and Scotland this afternoon.
"It is a privilege to open the last day of our involvement with the tenth air festival and I'm very much looking forward to it.
"The weather forecast tomorrow is poor, but the weather today is beautiful."
Speaking to the Echo after this morning's pilots briefing, Mike said: "Bournemouth started to really fill up from 9.30am , it should be a great day."
On his future, Mike said: "I will be staying in the RAF a little bit longer, but I don't know what role I'll be taking on. I'm at the mercy of Royal Air Force manning and am still waiting to find out.
"I'll leave the team, possibly at the end of November.
"It is going to be an interesting time."
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