A top commentary team has been signed up for this year's Fly to the Past festival at Blenheim Palace.

For four hours on Sunday, July 22, the skies above the Woodstock stately home will be filled with a dramatic air display, backed by a hi-tech audio and video production on giant screens in the palace grounds.

Sean Maffett and Jonathan Ruffle will be in charge of the commentary. Their Airsound company has spent the past 20 years establishing itself as the top air show commentary team.

Commentator Sean and producer Jonathan led the presentation team at the first Fly to the Past event at Blenheim in 2003.

Sean said: "We're very keen on making dramatic presentations out of things which might not immediately lend themselves to such theatre, which is why we love Fly to the Past, as it is much more than a normal air show.

"After we worked on the first Fly to the Past event in 2003, we agreed that the format used had to be the future for air shows, and I think the success of the event is a very healthy sign for the whole industry."

Having spent 20 years as a navigator in the RAF, Sean, 66, returned to the civilian world at the age of 38 and has spent a career bringing events - particularly flight-based - to life.

Airsound was responsible for the commentary at the Son-et-Lumière at the Trafalgar 200 celebrations off Portsmouth in 2005.

It was a broadcast on BBC Radio 4 which was responsible for Jonathan and Sean getting together in the first place.

Jonathan, a BBC producer, created a four-hour feature for the station which tracked, in real time, a re-enacted Second World War RAF bombing raid.

After hearing the broadcast, Sean was so impressed he contacted Jonathan and the pair have been working together ever since.

They will work alongside event director Francis Rockliff to ensure that attractions, including Christian Moullec's remarkable geese, a First World War dogfight display, 1940s Spitfires and Lancasters, the RAF Falcons Parachute Team from RAF Brize Norton, and modern jet display teams, blend together.

Sean added: "One of the great things about Fly to the Past is the use of the big screens and great sound system, which most air shows don't have. This means we can create the kind of drama which isn't possible with a simple fly-past at a standard air show. I'm really looking forward to it."

Tickets are available at www.flytothepast.com or by calling the ticket hotline on 01993 822822.