A flypast from the Red Arrows at the latest Trooping the Colour event offered members of the public a Top Gun pilot-like view of the celebration of King Charles III’s birthday
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Trooping the Colour: Inside the cockpit for Red Arrows fly past
A Red Arrows cockpit camera has shown how the Trooping The Colour event looks from a pilot’s perspective.
Thousands of Royal Family fans watched on as RAF planes flew past the ceremony today. Reports said 34 different aircraft were used in the performance, with three helicopters as well as ten fighter aircraft used in the display. Footage from inside the cockpit has since given members of the public the chance to see the ceremony from a unique angle.
The six-and-a-half minute flypast of Buckingham Palace and The Mall was seen by those in attendance and was later featured in a post from Red Arrows on Twitter. Their flyby was captured from the cockpit, which showed the RAF jets spewing the infamous coloured smoke.
The event, to commemorate King Charles III’s birthday, saw the red, white and blue of the Union Jack spread over the skies as they flew down The Mall. The skies were clear for the 10 formations in the flypast which took place earlier today (June 15). A post from the official Red Arrows Twitter/X page read: “Join the Red Arrows in the cockpit for a spectacular view of the flypast earlier today over London, for His Majesty The King’s Official Birthday.”
Members of the public were delighted with the unique angle, with one writing: “Love seeing this perspective.” Another wrote: “Fantastic viewpoint although (if you are old enough) it looks a bit like the flying formations in Thunderbirds. Double memories.”
The flypast was coordinated by Wing Commander Andy Shaw who said it was an “honour” to have organised the event honouring the King. He said: “It is an honour to be involved in delivering an airborne spectacle worthy of His Majesty the King’s Birthday. I am grateful to have had the chance to work with so many outstanding aviators to make today safe and fit for the King.”
A last-minute change to the event had been needed following the tragic death of a pilot in a spitfire crash last month. Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft, honouring the Battle of Britain, were absent from today’s proceedings due to the death of Mark Long at an air show on May 25. The memorial flight was omitted as a result of the horror crash at a Battle of Britain commemorative event.
An RAF spokesman said: “Due to the ongoing pause in flying for the BBMF after the tragic accident on May 25 2024, regretfully, the BBMF will not be participating in the forthcoming flypast for His Majesty the King’s birthday on June 15 2024.”
