Last weekend was a great success for the Wings over Carew festival.

In its third year, the festival celebrates all things military with aviation history at its heart.

The RAF Falcons parachute display team returned to Wings over Carew on Saturday. Exiting the aircraft at 12,000-feet, the Falcons were reaching speeds of up to 120 mph free falling. Once the parachutes were fully open, which takes only about four seconds, the Falcons started to build their world-famous ‘non-contact’ canopy stack, from the bottom man upwards, leaving approximately 15-feet above the man below.

For safety and visual effect during displays, each man wears smoke canisters attached to their ankles which they operate manually on a radio call from the team coach. The bottom man on the stack is always the very experienced team coach who trails white smoke and the eight men above him trail orange smoke. The prefect weather allowed the Falcons to a few of their trademark stacks and other formations.

With the change in the weather on Sunday, it was almost ‘touch and go’ for the parachute regiment freefall team, the Red Devils.

With the wind picking up in the afternoon and quite a few clouds in the sky, the aircraft carrying the parachute team climbed slowly, circling around the airfield, until it had reached the minimum height of about 2,000-feet needed for the jump.

Despite the tricky weather conditions, the Red Devils performed a spectacular display and received big cheers from the crowds as they were landing.

In addition to the parachute displays, the event featured a packed programme, including the Welsh Army Reserves Transport Regiment, the ATC band and drill team, Fishguard Sea Cadets, Swansea Pipe Band and Welsh Tommies Re-enactment group. The ever so popular static Spitfire, with a working Merlin engine, returned to the event for the third time.

On both days, there was a short memorial service to pay tribute to those who lost their lives locally whilst serving in both World Wars.

As part of the service, there was a guard of honour, the British Legion, cadet bands and the Swansea Pipe Band, with John Brock MBE receiving the salute on behalf of the control tower group on Saturday.

The visitors were also able to look around many stalls and exhibits, including a fine display of vintage military vehicles, classic and rally cars as well as all of the emergency vehicles. There was an army assault course and fairground rides for children.

“The weekend was an outstanding success, with around 3,000 people attending,” said Keith Hamer, one of the Carew Control Tower group’s 30 members.

“We had some wonderful compliments about the event and we are very grateful to everyone who has given us support this year.”

Carew Cheriton Control Tower is a derelict Second World War Air Traffic Control Tower which has been renovated to its original condition by a dedicated group of local people.

As a thriving museum, it is frequented by visitors from far and wide including groups of local school children as part of their historical studies.

Pics. Martin Cavaney Photography