The Red Arrows will take to the skies over London this weekend for the King’s Birthday in a flypast. On Saturday, June 15, the military aircraft will fly over East Anglia and down over Buckingham Palace.
The formation will then continue its flight back through the centre of the country before finishing in RAF Waddington. Below, we’ve compiled all the information you might need to watch the iconic flight show yourself.
There’s information on when you can see the Red Arrows, the best vantage points and the full route to and from RAF Waddington.
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What are the Red Arrows?
The Red Arrows, also known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, are one of the best aerobatic display teams in the world. The Red Arrows are the public face of the Royal Air Force (RAF), flying distinctive Hawk fast-jets to demonstrate the skills of the RAF’s pilots at home and overseas.
The team used its trademark Diamond Nine shape in their displays along with close formations and precision flying to perform for huge crowds since their inception in 1965. The RAF says all their Red Arrows display pilots have flown operationally in frontline aircraft such as the advanced Typhoon.
What is the King’s Birthday flypast?
Every year, on the monarch’s official birthday, the Red Arrows put on a display in celebration. The RAF team flies from their base at RAF Waddington down to Buckingham Palace, where they fly directly overhead.
The monarch and members of the Royal Family will come out onto the balcony to watch the display, following the Trooping the Colour ceremony on Horse Guards Parade earlier in the day. This will be King Charles III’s second parade and flypast as monarch.
When will the flypast take place?
The Red Arrows flypast will take place on Saturday, June 15, the day of King Charles’ official royal birthday. The Red Arrows are expected to fly over Buckingham Palace at around 1pm.
The flypast will begin at RAF Waddington at 12.28pm, and finish back at the air base an hour later at 1.34pm. These timings may change slightly due to weather conditions or other factors.
Full route for Red Arrows flypast
- 12.28pm – RAF Waddington
- 12.30pm – West of Martin
- 12.32 – South of Great Hale
- 12.39pm – Over sea
- 12.44pm – Over sea
- 12.49pm – Over sea
- 12.51pm – Over sea
- 12.55pm – Woodbridge airfield
- 12.58pm – Vicinity of Colchester
- 1.03pm – South west of Kelvedon Hatch
- 1.04pm – Fairlop
- 1.05pm – Stratford velodrome
- 1.06pm – Buckingham Palace
- 1.07pm – Belgravia
- 1.08pm – Brentford
- 1.09pm – Heathrow
- 1.10pm – Windsor Castle
- 1.14pm – Halton camp
- 1.20pm – South of East Haddon
- 1.25pm – Vicinity of Oakham
- 1.26pm – Cottesmore airfield
- 1.27pm – West of Burton-le-Coggles
- 1.29pm – North of Belvoir
- 1.32pm – South east of Bassingham
- 1.33pm – Lincoln
- 1.34pm – RAF Waddington
Interactive flight path map
Below is a flight path interactive map from Military Airshows.
Best places to watch the flypast
Often, the best spot to watch the Red Arrows fly overhead is on the Mall by Buckingham Palace. However, it can get very busy and crowded as locals and tourists alike come together to see the display.
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