The first of many military aircraft have touched down at RAF Fairford.

An amazing assortment of planes, helicopters, and other high-tech jets will appear at the world-renowned three-day event over the weekend.

Around 150,000 visitors are expected from Friday to Sunday with hundreds of aircraft from 25 nations on-site as well as 18 hours of spectacular flying displays.

Swindon and Wiltshire Camera Club member Mike Coxhead captured some stunning photos of the first handful of arrivals.

General admission tickets for Sunday are still available from airtattoo.com though Friday and Saturday have sold out.

This year, the showcase is highlighting the F-16 as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, 75-years of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s centenary as well as its operational theme of ‘Pushing the Boundaries in Air and Space’ in recognition of 100 years of military aviation Test and Evaluation flying. 

Key attractions include the The Royal Moroccan Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcons returning for the first time since 1995, the rare Qatari Boeing F-15QA Ababil jet showing off its maneouvres, and the first UK performance by the Norwegian Yellow Sparrow display team.

Along with the aerial acrobatics, guests can visit the Techno Zone, Inspire Stage to listen to fascinating talks and explore the world of astronauts and aviation up close.