Organisers are claiming record numbers of people have gone through the gates to make the 2008 Farnborough Airshow the biggest yet.

The largest number of exhibiting countries and a record 1,500 stands already puts this year’s event in the history books.

This achievement comes as the biennial aviation showpiece celebrates 60 years at Farnborough and marks 100 years since Samuel Cody’s historic first sustained flight in the UK.

Show bosses are promising that visitors will be impressed with the event’s family-friendly attractions this weekend, with a flying display that mixes landmark aircraft from the show’s history with some modern favourites.

A first day record on trade visitors has pleased Farnb-orough International, the aviation industry-owned company that runs the show.

In all, 300,000 people are expected to visit the show over its seven days, paying between £23 and £28 a ticket, although under 16s are allowed in free with an adult at the weekend.

On Wednesday, Amanda Stainer, Farnborough Internat-ional’s exhibitions and events director, was pleased with the way the event was running.

“We have had record numbers coming in on the gates from our trade visitors,” she said.

“A lot of business was done and there have been a lot of big announcements.

“I always love the public days and I am looking forward to be able to open the doors to the public and for them to be able to see what we have seen this week.

“I am looking forward to be able to share with them how exciting this industry is and what a special flying display we have.”

The Red Arrows opened the show on Monday morning with their colourful trademark flypast.

The RAF team will appear again today (Friday) and tomorrow, before performing its final display on Sunday evening to close the 2008 event.

The opening day flying display included an ear-splitting one-off flight by the American F-22 fighter, making its Farnborough debut.

The plane made only one appearance at the show and will not feature in the weekend’s flying displays, as it had to travel back to the United States for an air show there.

Adding some extra glamour to the event on Monday, Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, winner of the colourful British Grand Prix, raced his McLaren Mercedes down the main runway against an airborne Learjet 60 XR.

Hamilton is a regular visitor to the TAG-owned Farnbor-ough Airport, where he makes use of the facilities for private jet travel.

After his high-speed publicity stunt he told reporters that he spends so much time there that Farnborough felt like a “second home” to him.

Opposition leader David Cameron was also at Farnborough on the same day, alongside Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox and his deputy, Gerald Howarth, the MP for Aldershot, Farnborough and Yateley.

Mr Howarth said that while he knew people in the area had mixed feelings about the air show, with traffic jams their main concern, most were “very proud” that the show put Farnborough on the international map.

“The show is hugely important for Farnborough and for north-east Hampshire generally because it is a focal point for aerospace,” he said.

“You can go anywhere in the world and say Farnborough and people know what you are talking about. It is really on the world map.”

Mr Howarth said the Conservative Party leadership had been at the event to showcase the party’s support for Britain’s arms and aviation industries.

“This was one way of saying that, as the Conservative Party is possibly preparing for government, we are very serious about what these generators of economic wealth and defenders of our country are doing,” he added.

However, Mr Howarth said that there was no conflict between the party’s new green image, led by Mr Cameron, and its support for the aviation industry.

With aviation increasingly coming under the spotlight from the environmental lobby, the industry responded at this year’s show with a big effort to show its green credentials.

Many of the companies exhibiting at the show are advertising their products as “environmentally friendly” in a bid to win a competitive advantage.

The aviation industry, accused by environmentalists as perpetrators of some of the fastest-growing levels of carbon emissions, is also keen to avoid government-imposed green taxes to force it to change its ways.

One of the exhibitions is a “recycled” aeroplane, showing that there is life to aircraft parts once they are past their airworthy prime — and the show site is dotted with recycling bins.

Advertisements for planes such as the A380 and new Bombardier C-Series make a play of their relative fuel efficiency.

John Wheeler, the Crondall-based businessman who runs the Colonial Club, one of the dining and meeting suites at the show, said he was looking forward to the “carnival atmosphere” of the weekend.

Mr Wheeler, who hosted Prince Michael on Wednesday and will greet Shadow Chancellor George Osborne today, said people coming to the show could expect to see a great selection of historic aircraft.

“This year is interesting because you have got a mixture of the new technology along with the reflection of Samuel Cody’s historic flight and the Flyer replica in the history of flight pavilion,” he said.

“As the week moves on, the flying displays have got longer, building up to five hours of displays at the weekend. That’s going to be superb.”

Anyone going to the show at the weekend is advised to leave plenty of time for the journey and to use public transport wherever possible.

So far there have been long peak-hour delays for people travelling through the area in their cars, and the problem is expected to be much worse at the weekend.

Ms Stainer added that while the temporary one-way traffic system was working well, organisers were advising people to take the train and use free buses from Farnborough Main, North Camp and Aldershot stations.

South West Trains is running extra services to stations in the area this weekend and more trains are stopping at Farnborough Main than normal.