THE world-famous Farnborough International Airshow made its long-awaited return last week, delighting aviation enthusiasts, families and aerospace big-wigs in equal measure.

British astronaut Tim Peake opened the biennial airshow’s Futures Day last Friday welcoming more than 6,000 future pilots, engineers and space travellers many from schools across Surrey and Hampshire, while a five-day trade exhibition gave way to the public airshow last Saturday and Sunday.

Thousands gathered at the airport over the weekend to watch a five-day flying display headlined by the first UK appearance of the RAF’s new $100 million vertical landing stealth fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II.

Other highlights included the gravity-defying Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger airliner, as well as the deafening roar of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Europe’s only flying B-17 Flying Fortress and a display - albeit limited post-Shoreham air disaster - by the Red Arrows.

This was complemented by a static display of aircraft both manned and unmanned, as well as a 100th anniversary exhibition by Boeing and the Space Zone - showing off some of the latest extra-orbital technology, including a life-size model of a Mars rover.

The airshow’s trade event was opened by David Cameron in one of his final appointments as Prime Minister alongside Virgin Atlantic boss Richard Branson, and exceeded expectations - recording orders and options to the value of $123.9 billion.

This included sales of 856 aircraft valued at $93.98 billion, 1,407 engines valued at $22.7 billion and a variety of other business deals totalling £7.2 billion.