Swooping and soaring above a brilliant blue sea, aircraft from across the decades performed a breathtaking display for Falmouth Armed Forces Day.

Crowds of people watched from vantage points around the town to see the display over Falmouth Bay.

As always, one of the most anticipated sections was the Red Arrows, who wowed with their famous aerobatics and coloured smoke trails.

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Mark Quilter)

Earlier in the day the Red Arrows also made an appearance in the flypast to mark the end of the Military Parade through the town centre

The Red Arrows later posted a video on Twitter, which you can see below, showing what it's like to be in cockpit while flying one of the aeroplanes. 

Another popular visitor in the display was the Typhoon, which thundered through the sky.

The arrival of the twin-engined RAF fighter jet followed the Black Cats helicopter display team from the Royal Navy.

Falmouth Packet: Air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayAir display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: John Chapman)

Next up was the Chinook - or the Boeing CH-47 Chinook to give it its full name. The tandem rotor helicopter, is most commonly used for dropping troops onto battlefields and extracting casualties, with Britain first using Chinooks in a wartime setting in the Falklands War in 1982.

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Mark Quilter)

This was followed by the North American Harvard, from the Second Word War. It was one of the first American aircraft ordered by the RAF, with a contract for 200 planes being placed in June 1938. According to the RAF Museum, British purchasing contracts reached 1,100 orders before American Lend Lease arrangements began and by the end of the war more than 5,000 had been supplied to British and Commonwealth Air Forces.

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Anna Benney)

After a display from the Merlin Mk2, known as "the latest version of the world's most potent submarine hunting helicopter", the Seafire closed the display. The historic aircraft is a Royal Navy version of the Spitfire, arguably Britain's most famous aircraft.

The RAF Falcons parachute display team kicked of the display, jumping out of plans and landing in the grounds of Pendennis Castle.

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Jim Jeffries)

Sadly the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight had to pull out and no longer took part as scheduled, for safety reasons.

The Royal Air Force issued a statement to say: "The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is currently investigating a fault on a Merlin engine and has taken the decision to temporarily pause flying.

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Mark Carter)

"Several of our aircraft are powered by the Merlin and as a result these historic aircraft will be unable to support Armed Forces Day events around the country as we would have liked.

"This is hugely disappointing for us and to all those who love to see these iconic aircraft; however, safety remains our paramount concern."

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Mark Quilter/PCC)

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) commemorates those who have lost their lives serving in the RAF, or its predecessor the Royal Flying Corps, in all conflicts from 1914 up to the present day.

It had been hoped that the flight over Cornwall would have included a Mk Vb AB910 Spitfire that was re-allocated to 130 Sqn at Perranporth Airfield, flying convoy protection patrols and escorting daylight bombing raids, after flying 143 operational missions spanning almost three years on ‘ops’ during the Second World War.

Falmouth Packet: Air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayAir display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Dan West)

Falmouth Packet: The air display at Falmouth Armed Forces DayThe air display at Falmouth Armed Forces Day (Image: Mark Quilter)