THE Royal International Air Tattoo was sold out on both days with 130,000 people attending across the weekend.

Air tattoo chief executive Tim Prince said: “We have been blessed with excellent weather, and this air tattoo has been buzzing with happy people.

“Our aircraft participants from home and abroad have shared with us the magic and excellence of aviation, and together with our own Royal Air Force, the air tattoo team and its numerous supporters have been proud to stage RIAT 2013, in its 42nd year, in support of the RAF Charitable Trust.”

Show producer Nigel Samuels said: “The new initiatives to upgrade the overall show experience have been a huge success, with the introduction of three Service Stations and new themed areas. The Vintage Village and the Adrenalin and Techno Zones have exceeded our wildest expectations and customers appear delighted with our air tattoo crew volunteers.”

The show’s medical teams reported a quiet time, with chief medical officer Sqn Ldr Darren Ellison reporting that 180 visitors were treated for minor injuries over the weekend.

He said: “We were prepared for heat-related conditions but our contingency plans weren’t needed and those who did require treatment had only minor problems – five people were transferred to hospital but the rest were treated at the air tattoo medical centre and then discharged home.”

Senior fire officer Barry Scott said his team was exceptionally quiet, both during the preparation stage and throughout the airshow.

He added: “Our concern was the tinder-dry state of the grass, but fortunately we’ve had no problems.”

Traffic manager Malcolm Bowdler said: “The country roads around Fairford inevitably lead to some delays, but this year the early opening of the car parks at 6am each day helped free up approach routes.”

Other celebrity guests included Countryfile presenter Adam Henson and Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden.

Dignitaries included Prince Feisal of Jordan, the new Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Defence, and Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology.