A FAMILY will turn out in force to see one of their own make a dramatic homecoming.

Flight Lieutenant Paul Binns, 34, will be one of the stars of the Sunderland International Airshow when he goes through his paces in his Jaguar GR3 frontline fighter jet from July 29 to 30.

It is the first season that Flt Lt Binns, 34, who hails from Sunderland, will be performing as a Jaguar display pilot.

"My aunts and uncles live in Sunderland and the whole family is planning to turn out in force to watch the display, including my parents who will be travelling up from North Wales," he said. "There will be 18 of them altogether."

Now based at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, Flt Lt Binns attended Barnes Junior School, Sunderland, until he was ten when his parents moved to London.

He said: "It is going to be a special day for me. It will be great to be back on home ground during my first season as a display pilot.

"The Sunderland International Airshow has a strong reputation as a spectacular event and I am looking forward to flying there."

The airshow takes place over the resorts of Seaburn and Roker.

Event coordinator Susan Henderson said: "The Sunderland Airshow has grown from a small one-day event in 1989 to the biggest free outdoor event in the region.

"This means we have an exciting challenge to make it fresh and varied every time."

The 12th airshow, staged by Sunderland City Council, will feature old favourites as well as exciting new acts.

Topping the bill will be the RAF's premier aerobatics display team, the Red Arrows, who will trail the sky with red, white and blue smoke as they perform their manoeuvres.

The Tornado GR-1 fighter jet will inject speed into the event, while the RAF and Royal Navy Harriers will display a coordinated sequence.

The RAF Falcons and the Army's parachute team - the Red Devils - will try to outshine each other with freefall manoeuvres, while other attractions include motorbike and helicopter display teams, a Battle of Britain memorial flight, featuring a Spitfire and Hurricane, and cavalry dashes