Plane beautiful: The day the Red Arrows were upstaged by Mother Nature




Their twisting aerial manoeuvres with coloured smoke trailing in the wake is not normally upstaged.

But the Red Arrows's display was not the only thing to light up the sky yesterday.

A rainbow cast itself across the coast of Fowey in Cornwall just as the RAF acrobatic team were about to perform its stunts.

Plane brilliant: The usually spectacular Red Arrows display was given a helping hand by Mother Nature



The burst of colour brought to life the spectacle that is normally reserved only for the tiny red aircraft.

The team of five planes were performing at the town's annual Royal Regatta in front of thousands of people.

It is the 32nd year-in-a-row that the Red Arrows have taken to the skies above the town at speeds of more than 400mph.

Crowd pleaser: The display brightened up the grey skies above the Fowey estuary



But the colourful display could have not happened if RAF chiefs had got their way.



Three years ago, senior officers who were ordered to cut millions from their budgets proposed saving £500,000 a year by restricting 'The Reds' to cheaper white smoke.

But ministers realised the plans would be a public relations disaster and ordered a rethink in 2006.

Double the fun: As the Red Arrows race through the rainbow, a second can be seen



Coloured trails have been a Red Arrows trademark since they formed in 1965. People all over the world watch their breathtaking stunts as the nine jets criss-cross the sky 6ft apart at 400mph, trailing Union Jack colours.

To create the smoke, diesel is sprayed into the Hawk jets' exhaust plumes, where it vaporises into white gas. This is vital for safety as it helps pilots pick out other planes quickly.

But the red and blue smoke uses costly specialist dyes, extra tanks and hydraulic nozzles.