Another exciting display has been added to the line-up for this summer’s Wales National Airshow.

Swansea Council has confirmed that the MiG-15 UTI will be flying in the skies above Swansea Bay during the weekend of 2 and 3 July.

The aircraft is painted and marked as Red 18 to represent Russian-Soviet pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s MiG-15. Gagarin, who in 1961 became the first human to journey into outer space, was originally a fighter pilot stationed close to Russia’s border with Norway.

The MiG 15, which can reach speeds of over 1,000 km/h, is now flown by the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron. The plane was operational in conflicts including the Korean War and the Suez Canal crisis.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, said: “The Wales National Airshow, the best free event of its kind in the country, is now just three weeks away.

“We have a really exciting air display lined up for this year and the addition of the MiG 15 enhances that even further. We’re also delighted to confirm and welcome the Trade Centre Wales as the event’s main sponsor for 2016.

“There’s a huge amount of work involved behind the scenes in organising a major of event of this scale in order to be able to deliver a truly world class event for local residents and visitors to Swansea Bay. The Wales National Airshow is one of the highlight events of the Enjoy Swansea Bay programme and is great news for Swansea people and Swansea businesses, helping pump millions of pounds into the local economy over the course of a single weekend.”

Other displays already confirmed for the Airshow are the Breitling Wingwalkers, the Tigers parachute team, the Red Arrows, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Bronco Demo Team, Team Yakovlevs and Team Raven.

Don’t miss the Early Bird price for the Official APP!

The official WNAS16 App, available on iPhone, Android and Windows phones is only available for the early bird price of £1.49 until midnight on June 20. It has been launched to help keep Wales National Airshow fans up to speed with this summer’s free event. Features include a dynamic timetable of displays (updated in real-time on the days of the airshow), live news, information on aircraft and ground displays, links to other events, hotels and details of special offer discounts at Swansea restaurants. Finally, a special offers section contains numerous discount vouchers that can be redeemed at a number of hotels, restaurants, and attractions around Swansea.

The App, which is the only way to access a timetable of the air displays, can be downloaded from iTunes, Google Play and the Windows Phone App Store.  By purchasing the APP for a nominal price, spectators will also be helping to sustain this great event on an annual basis.

Car parking spaces in the city centre fill up quickly due to the popularity of the event, so it’s also now possible to book premium parking at the Recreation Ground. All day parking is available at £16.50 per car, per day. The Recreation Ground car park, open from 9am to 7pm on both days of the Airshow, is located right next to the main ground display area.

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