WALES AIRSHOW: In pictures — day two over Swansea Bay

The Wales Airshow is over for another year. The second and final day of flying ran along the Swansea seafront until 6pm on Sunday.

Organisers signed off afterwards, thanking everyone who came and everyone who took part, and saying they would be back next year.

Day two ran a display short. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which brought its wartime Dakota over the water on Saturday, did not appear.

That took the flight’s Spitfire, Hurricane and Dakota off the Sunday bill altogether. Organisers said the rest of the timetable was unchanged.

The RAF Typhoon flew both days. It was the act the 2026 programme was built around once the Red Arrows dropped out.

The underside of an RAF Typhoon fighter jet banking against cloud over Swansea Bay — The RAF Typhoon over Swansea Bay (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

The most unusual aircraft over the bay wore French colours. The Grumman Firecat is a water bomber: a 1950s US Navy Tracker, converted in Canada into a firefighting tanker, and flown for decades by France’s Sécurité Civile.

A red and white Firecat water bomber in French markings flying level with two white smoke trails — Twin smoke trails behind the Firecat over the bay (Image: Wales Airshow)

This one carries the tanker number T15. It was retired in 2019, restored by a French volunteer association and flown again in 2023, and now works the European display circuit.

A Firecat water bomber climbing steeply with a curved smoke trail behind it — The Firecat pulls up trailing smoke (Image: Wales Airshow)

It ran its routine trailing smoke across the bay, days after crews spent a Thursday evening on Kilvey Hill dealing with a gorse fire above St Thomas.

A Firecat water bomber in a steep climbing turn against white cloud — The water bomber turns above the bay (Image: Wales Airshow)

The AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers were on both days.

A wingwalker standing on the top wing of a red and blue Boeing Stearman biplane in flight — An AeroSuperBatics wingwalker on the top wing of the Stearman (Image: Wales Airshow)

The team straps a performer to the top wing of a Boeing Stearman biplane and then flies aerobatics with her standing up there.

A red and white biplane banking hard with a wingwalker on the upper wing and heavy smoke behind — The wingwalker rides the top wing through a hard turn (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

A red and white Stearman biplane with a wingwalker standing on the upper wing — The Stearman comes past the beach (Image: Wales Airshow)

A Stearman biplane climbing away with a long white smoke trail behind it — The Stearman climbs away trailing smoke (Image: Wales Airshow)

The Gazelle Squadron worked the crowd line in its helicopters.

A dark blue Westland Gazelle helicopter in Royal Navy markings in flight over Swansea Bay — A Gazelle Squadron helicopter over Swansea Bay (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

A Westland Gazelle helicopter banking against a clear blue sky — The Gazelle turns along the crowd line (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

The RAF Tutor took its turn, the basic trainer every RAF pilot starts on.

A yellow and black Grob Tutor training aircraft in flight over Swansea — The RAF Tutor display over the seafront (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

Aerobatics came from the Firebirds and the Starlings, light aircraft flying formation passes and solo routines with the smoke on, Mumbles lighthouse sitting on the horizon behind them.

Two light aircraft flying wingtip to wingtip against a pale sky over Swansea Bay — A pair flying formation over the bay (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

A light aircraft trailing white smoke over Swansea Bay with Mumbles lighthouse and pier in the distance — Smoke across the bay, with Mumbles lighthouse and pier behind (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

A single light aircraft cutting through its own smoke trail during an aerobatic manoeuvre — Smoke marks out an aerobatic routine over the bay (Image: Enjoy Swansea)

Navy Wings brought back the Fairey Swordfish and the Westland Wasp for a second day over the water.

The Rolls-Royce Spitfire PS853 was also on the Sunday bill, a photo-reconnaissance airframe that flew unarmed in the war and relied on its engine to outrun anything sent after it.

Three of Saturday’s acts did not fly again. The Jet Pitts, the Apache and Otto the Schweizer 300C were all single-day appearances.

There was no second night show either. Afterburn, with its lit aircraft, pyrotechnics and 200 drones spelling out Swansea Jack, the Mumbles Train and Dylan Thomas, ran on Saturday only.

Council leader Rob Stewart said well over 100,000 people turned out on Saturday, describing the airshow as Wales’ biggest free event. Swansea Council, which runs the show, says it draws more than 200,000 visitors across the weekend.

On the ground the promenade carried flight simulators, VR experiences, military displays, live music, a funfair and food stalls both days. A Red Arrows Hawk sat on the sand as a static exhibit, drawing a crowd to the barriers. The Red Arrows themselves never flew at Swansea this year, with the team spending the summer touring the United States.