Pilots meet and greet at Bournemouth Air Festival 2022

Pilots taking flight in the Bournemouth Air Festival hosted a meet and greet on Saturday morning, inviting their fans to the Highcliff Marriott Hotel for autographs and pictures.

Crews including the Red Arrows, Typhoon, Chinook, Tigers and Royal Navy Black Cats took part in the event, which ran ahead of Saturday’s flying schedule.

Red Arrows Squadron Leader, Graeme Muscat, said: “People support us all through the year, and they contact us on our social media, so it’s great to be able to meet them face to face and have that interaction.

"It’s my first season, but I know Bournemouth holds a very special place in the Red Arrows hearts, so it’s very good to be here."

Read more: Bournemouth Air Festival day three updates live

Fans of all ages could be seen queuing in the grounds of the hotel shortly after 10am, many of which had travelled from far and wide to meet the pilots.

Matthew Lacey, 24, was visiting from Somerset, and although he had met the pilots before, he was just as pleased to see them again. He said: “I just love the atmosphere. I come down for all four days.

"There is nothing better than seeing fast jets fly over your head. I just love the sound, and just being on the beach and enjoying the sights.

9-year-old Jonathon Courtney at the meet and greet

"Everyone comes from all over- it’s a beautiful place. It's my third time now. 2019 was the first year I came down and it was actually the first trip I ever went on by myself, and I've not looked back."

Nine-year-old Jonathon Courtney was just as excited to meet the pilots, and said he’d been a fan of the Red Arrows his whole life. He said: “I find them really good and entertaining, and also they can inspire a lot of people.”

Following the event, the Red Arrows wrote on Twitter. “One of the big highlights of our team’s time at the #Bournemouth Air Festival is always the opportunity to meet thousands of people at the event.”