Clacton Airshow: What it's like behind the scenes as a journalist

Braving the wind and rain, I arrived at Clacton at around 9am on Thursday to speak to some of the early birds who came down to secure their spots on the beach.

I admired their dedication to the event and their set-up full of windbreakers and blankets.

After grabbing a few quotes and pictures it was off to see how Essex Police’s new live facial recognition technology works.

It was in place for the first time at the airshow, having been trialled elsewhere in the county.

The officers kindly talked me through how it works and it was later revealed they had made an arrest using it.

It was very interesting learning it can be used for both catching criminals and finding missing children.

I then made my way to the media room, which was in the heart of the main airshow area, boasting dozens of stalls and food vendors.

Reporter Grace Capel enjoyed her first Clacton Airshow (Image: Newsquest)

Although it was cozy, I appreciated the protection from the wind and the fact I could listen to BBC Essex Radio without actually needing a radio as the presenters were right next to me.

I got straight into writing about the event on my laptop before turning around and seeing Clacton MP Nigel Farage arriving for his first airshow.

I spoke to him and got a quick video for our websites.

Then it was back to waiting for the first show, which had been pushed back from 2pm to 4pm due to the high winds and safety of the pilots.

Luckily my favourite aeroplane, the Spitfire, was still safe to fly and I absolutely loved watching it soar through the skies – it was magnificent.

During each act, I went outside to watch the plane or helicopter for a minute before dashing back inside to add more information about the show to the live blog.

In between each show, I also spoke to various crowd members about their time at the free event and despite the weather, everyone was having a good time.

I really enjoyed my time at the airshow and will definitely try to attend the event without having to report on it next year.