AERIAL skills will be put to the test this weekend at the Teesside Model Air Show.

The two-day event attracted more than 3,000 people last year, who were entertained by the acrobatics of the planes and the skill needed to keep the models, some of which can reach speeds of 200mph, under control.

More than 30 pilots from all over the country are scheduled to land with their helicopters, jets and war planes at the air show this weekend, which runs from 10am until 5pm on Saturday and Sunday at the flying site in the village of Redmarshall, near Stockton.

In the early Sixties, Teesside Model Flying Club was based at Thornaby airfield, before moving to a site at Castle Levington, just outside Middlesbrough, and then to the current 14-acre site in Drovers Lane.

Model plane starter kits can be bought for about £150, with prices soaring up to £25,000 for the most advanced models.

Keith Evans, club chairman, said: "It is a fantastic hobby. You can make a model aeroplane from start to finish and then watch it move and react in exactly the same way as the real thing. Learning how to take off and land takes real skill.

"The aim of the show this weekend is to show off and promote the hobby. What we would love is to encourage youngsters from Stockton to get off the street corners and get into flying."

Training is given every Tuesday evening during the summer.

Mr Evans said the safety of the pilots and the spectators on the site was paramount, and all pilots were closely observed by a flight director.

Everyone who flies at the site must have insurance and have passed a proficiency test, as the high-speed models are capable of causing injury.

The club has 150 members of all ages who can hone their skills any day of the week from 9am until dusk.

Tickets for the show cost £5 for adults, £2 for under-18s and free for under-fives.