Every summer, people gather by the thousands at airshows around England to share in their passion for aviation. Over these ‘green and pleasant lands’, the sound of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines reverberates. Aircraft of every vintage soar through the skies, calligraphing with their smoke trails and leaving transient autographs.

These are quaint occasions bearing every hallmark of the British summer: from sunburn to soft-serve ice cream. Lawn chairs and tents line the flight line; food stalls and shops selling aviation memorabilia dot the landscape. Rain or shine, people young and old wait with bated breath for the next heart-racing aerobatic display.

The attendees are delightfully eclectic; some are highly eccentric. From toy guns to telephotos, ‘Top Gun’ t-shirts to top hats, everyone is here for a different reason. Some come for the machinery and some for the history; others are dragged along by their partners. Nevertheless, there is a sense that all in the crowd are transfixed—each with their eyes and hearts turned skywards.