Record crowds once again packed the Elvington Air Spectacular yesterday, with even more spectators than on Sunday.

Visitors mingle among the traction engines at the steam fair in York

More than 10,000 people attended the Bank Holiday Monday show, which brought the crowd total for the three days at Elvington to more than 25,000.

The show was well and truly stolen by the Red Arrows' finale. The daredevil flying aces drew a vapour trail red heart in the sky with an arrow through it as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, on the anniversary of her death.

An ecstatic crowd had earlier been wowed by a Spitfire display and the Crunchie Flying Circus, Europe's only professional aerobatic wingwalking team.

A daring wingwalker stood on the top wing of a highly modified 1940s Boeing Stearman open cockpit bi-plane, while the pilot put the aircraft through loops, rolls, stalls, turns, and low level barnstorming fly-pasts.

The team speciality was the miraculous 'mirror' formation, which involved one Stearman flying inverted, while the other slid in beneath allowing the wingwalkers to touch hands.

The sun-soaked crowd were also treated to a fly-past from one of the only Lancaster bombers left in preservation. The Lancaster 'City of Lincoln' teamed up with Flying Fortress 'Sally B' for a wonderful reunion.

Meanwhile steam buffs will be planning return trips to York after the Bank Holiday Steam Fair proved a big success.

The fair, which ended last night, is set to return to Knavesmire on future August Bank Holidays.

The event boasted as its main attraction a superb carousel powered by a traction engine.

The engine Renown dates back to 1920, and was restored from scratch by Ian and Gary Howard. They even had to make their own parts in re-building the engine and it provided the power for Frank Lythgoe's Golden Galloping Horses.

The horses gave visitors a leisurely ride back through time, as well as an excellent view of the showground.

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