This Royal Australian Navy Lockheed Neptune P2V submarine hunter flew in from Nowra on Friday with John Pearse aboard.

Trevor Veale

THOSE magnificent men in their flying machines enthralled captive crowds at Saturday's Coffs Coast Air Show spectacular.

Coffs Harbour Aero Club president Tony Donelan rated it as the most successful air show ever staged in Coffs Harbour, an appropriate honour considering it marked the 80th anniversary of the airport and the club.

“It was a fantastic day. We estimate between 5000 and 6000 people attended the air show. It was a huge day,” Mr Donelan said.

“The car park was full, and it was as big a crowd as I've seen for a long time. It was a fantastic crowd and we had no problems.”

Even if you didn't make it to the aero club for the gala event, all you had to do was look skyward or simply listen as death-defying wizardry and graceful manoeuvres unfolded.

Mr Donelan said the previous show 18 months ago attracted 12 performing aircraft, but Saturday's was even better with 21.

Spectators and participants were drawn from throughout NSW and as far afield as Queensland.

Among the showstoppers were the RAAF Roulettes, a P51D Mustang and a Czech Albatross jet fighter.

In fact, there was something for everyone, ranging from aerobatic displays and start-ups to taxis and fly-pasts and an amazing array of aircraft from historic bi-planes to modern jets and war planes.

“These air shows are so expensive to put on, and it's almost impossible to get the Roulettes because of the cost involved,” Mr Donelan told the Advocate.

Coffs Harbour-based Precision Helicopters also got in on the action with helicopter handling displays and joy flights.

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Coffs airshow celebrates 80 years