AIRMAN Jason Aylett – the man behind the town's annual high-flying air displays – has been handed a New Year's honour for his royal regatta efforts.

Flight Sergeant Aylett has spent the last 10 years co-ordinating the regatta air displays, which bring tens of thousands of visitors flooding into Dartmouth every August. If you haven't met him, you may well have heard him – because he does the commentary for the air displays over the public address system.

Born and brought up in Dartmouth, he is a member of the royal regatta committee and helps ensure that the Red Arrows visits and the other popular displays – from the RAF Typhoon flyby to the navy helicopters displays – all go ahead without a hitch.

Flt Sgt Aylett, whose mother Mary still lives in Dartmouth, has been awarded an Air Officers Commanding Commendation for his work – which is part of the RAF's New Year's awards.

The airman, who is based at RAF Brize Norton, said of his award: 'It was a big surprise.

'I didn't know it was coming and I was overwhelmed. It's nice to be recognised for what you do.'

Flt Sgt Aylett was a pupil at St John the Baptist Primary School and then went to Cuthbert Mayne School in Torbay before joining the RAF 17 years ago.

He saidL 'I keep in touch with Dartmouth and come back as much as I can to make the regatta meetings at the beginning of every month.

'I only ever left Dartmouth because they don't have an airfield there.'

Flt Sgt Aylett, who is an air loadmaster with 30 Squadron, has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans, Sierra Leone and Libya – and is due to do another tour in Afghanistan leaving today.

He is married to Ciara and the couple have one daughter, Chiara, aged eight.

Regatta chairman Hilary Bastone congratulated the flight sergeant on his commendation as he added: 'I think he is a superb young man who is fully committed to the regatta despite the fact that he has a full time career in the RAF. He has made a major contribution to the regatta. The award is well deserved because he has gone that extra mile to help his local community.'