Daredevils of the Dome: Magnificent men in their flying machines tackle Thames obstacle course at 260mph

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Thousands flocked to the Thames to watch tiny single-seater planes which can reach speeds of more than 260mph racing each other along a mile-long obstacle course.

The white-knuckle event was held in the shadow of the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich, South East London.

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Watch thrilling highlights from the race on the video below

Air Power: One of the competitors zooms in over the former Millenium Dome

Spectators: Tony Blair, with son Leo, watching the annual Red Bull Air Race 2007, held along the River Thames at the Greenwich Peninsula

Pilots must negotiate an aerial track marked out by 60ft high air-filled pylons as fast as possible.

The pylons are colour-coded – blue ones mean the pilots must fly between them horizontally, while red ones mean they must rotate through 90 degrees.

Penalties are given for flying above 60ft between pylons, dangerous flying or hitting the pylons, which explode on impact to avoid damage to planes.

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More pilots manoeuvre their planes between the 60ft high pylons

Among those watching the UK leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series were former Prime Minister Tony Blair, his wife Cherie and their sons Euan and Leo.

The Blairs witnessed the qualifying for today's final and saw British entrant Paul Bonhomme come in third in his highly acrobatic Zivko Edge 540.

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Zikvo Edge 540, Seats 1, Length 21ft, Wing Span 24ft, Weight 1168lb, Power 344 HP, Top Speed 264 mph, Rollrate 420 degrees/second; Max G force +/-12

The competition is in its third season touring ten venues chosen for their stunning backdrops, including Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul and Budapest.

The competitors, from a variety of backgrounds, include commercial pilots, movie stuntmen and acrobatic pilots. Scroll down for more

Other pilots manoeuvre their planes between the 60ft-high pylons

Americans Mike Mangold and Kirby Chambliss have won the last two championships, but this season the leader is Mr Bonhomme, a British Airways pilot.