Olympics to end in blaze of glory

Opening ceremony: But will the close be equally spectacular?

The closing ceremony for the Sydney Games is set be a spectacular affair featuring the Australian F-111 air force and the biggest firework display on earth.

The fighter planes will ignite a massive plume of flame over the Olympic stadium on Sunday night to start a stunning fireworks finale to signal the end of the Games.

"It is utterly spectacular," said Ignatius Jones, artistic director.

"The people in the stadium will feel the heat, most definitely."

The Australian air force will fly 1,000 feet above Stadium Australia as the closing ceremony ends.

Fuel

"It will jettison most of its fuel and ignite it with its after-burn," said Jones.

It will be geographically the largest pyrotechnic effect in history

  Ignatius Jones

"It catches fire very quickly and forms this 1,000 foot plume of flame."

Lightning shells will then explode like giant flashbulbs at 24 different points along the Parramatta River from the stadium to downtown Sydney, where another F-111 will perform a second "dump and burn" operation above the famous Harbour Bridge.

"It's like a giant firework that lights at the stadium and then burns down the river," Jones said.

"It will be very different from the river of fire on the Thames in that it will work."

Pyrotechnics

Jones, who masterminded Sydney's impressive pyrotechnical welcome to the 21st century, said Sunday's Olympic extravaganza would be far bigger, with the Harbour Bridge threaded with fireworks and yet more on four giant barges, 10 smaller boats and the rooftops of seven buildings.

The 23-minute show, which will consume $1.7m worth of fireworks, will also include a simultaneous fireburst of colour from 41 sites spread over more than 10 miles.

"That will be geographically the largest pyrotechnic effect in history," Jones said.