Why you need to visit the Jersey International Air Display

Next September marks the 63rd edition of the Jersey International Air Display, the island's world-famous commemoration of the Battle of Britain. Plan ahead, pack a picnic and grab a front row seat at the spectacular 2015 celebrations.

Known as one of the best air shows in Europe, the Jersey International Air Display draws in crowds from across the continent, all eager to see some of the world's most iconic aircraft take to the skies. Here's how to make the most of your visit.

When the first show took place in 1952, it was known as the Battle of Britain Air Display. Over 60 years later, the event is still an iconic commemoration of the three-month air battle between Germany and Britain at the start of the Second World War. Many historians view the RAF's victory against the Luftwaffe in 1940 as a key turning point in Britain's favour. Winston Churchill famously said of the Battle: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

With the exception of 1954, the air display has been held every September since 1951, taking place in the run up to Battle of Britain Day, when the RAF defeated the largest German air raid of the war. The event was renamed in 1997 to welcome international involvement, and it now features aircraft from the USA and Russia, as well as traditional RAF planes.

The choreography in the skies is the main event, but there's plenty to occupy visitors on the ground too. The site in St Aubin's Bay, just a stone's throw from the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Jersey, is awash with food stalls, bustling parks, military vehicles and static aircraft displays.

If you head to only one, the static display in People's Park at St Helier is a prime location for watching the show. The aircraft fly early in the morning and stay on show across the sprawling green for the rest of each day, with several crew members available for a chat. Further east, Lower Park is home to a more intimate display, where you can see helicopters and scope out some hearty street eats at the tantalising food fair.

There are several excellent vantage points in the naturally-formed amphitheatre of St Aubin's Bay. The Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Jersey offers prime views of the Bay and the surrounding area, or alternatively, you could head to the popular Lower Park or Victoria Avenue. Lower Park offers several grassy verges where you can settle down with a picnic, while the arena area on Victoria Avenue hosts the BBC, who provide a running commentary of the show.

With astounding airborne acrobatics from Spitfires, bombers and the ever crowd-pleasing Red Arrows, the 2015 Jersey International Air Display is definitely a date for the diary.