Gloomy backdrop forecast for today’s Guernsey Air Display

However, participants and spectators should be home and dry before forecast rain arrives mid-afternoon.

The display over St Peter Port and the Russel takes flight at just after 11am, with the Team Raven aerobatic display team the first of eight separate aircraft timeslots.

The Red Arrows will bring the display to a close, beginning their performance at approximately 12.40pm.

According to the Guernsey Met Office, bright spells are expected to start the day, with increasing cloud cover through the morning, and rain later in the afternoon.

Those watching the display are being reminded not to fly drones anywhere on the island during the performances, after last year’s event was brought to a halt midway through due to drone activity in the display area above St Peter Port Harbour.

A man from the UK was fined £4,500 and had his drone licence permanently confiscated last month following the incident.

Seven fluorescent marker buoys have been placed by Guernsey Harbours between the Castle Breakwater Lighthouse and the directional occulting light at the entrance to QEII Marina in order to indicate the flight line to pilots taking part in the display.

Additionally, three large marker buoys are in place to indicate the eastern end of the display area.

Between 11am and 1.15pm, entry and exit from St Peter Port Harbour will be strictly controlled, with craft only able to leave or enter with the permission of Guernsey Vessel Traffic Service on VHF Channel 12.

One boat with permission to be out on the water will be the Herm Travel Trident, which is set to take up to 125 passengers hundreds of metres out to sea in order for them to see the display from a different perspective.

Trident manager Peter Wilcox said this was the first year the company was trialling the idea.

‘We are capping the number of passengers at 125 instead of the normal 250, so that people will be able to move around the boat while watching the display,’ he said.

Tickets are £25 for adults and £10 for children, and can be purchased from the Trident ticket kiosk by the Liberation Monument.

While uptake so far has been slow, Mr Wilcox expected the number to rise today as those wandering through Town finalised their plans for watching the event.

‘It’s a shame the weather isn’t meant to be great as if it was sunny then it would definitely be busy, let’s see how it goes,’ he said.

‘It’s our first trial at it, if it works great, if it doesn’t it doesn’t.’

Air Display timetable

Team Raven – 11.02am

Hawker Hurricane – MK1 11.21am

The Titans – 11.33am

Rich Goodwin Jet Pitts – 11.49am

Navy Wings’ Swordfish – 12.03pm

Mustang X-Ray/PC-21 Team – 12.13pm

Navy Wings’ Harvard – 12.27pm

RAF Red Arrows – 12.40pm