RAF100 Parade and Flypast The event on 10 July will see up to 100 aircraft take to the skies, with historic aircraft such as Spitfires alongside some of the RAF's newest additions - including the first opportunity for the public to see its next generation aircraft, the Lightning. Take a look at the aircraft taking part in the RAF's huge centenary flypast
I am about 30 miles from the place in Essex where I think the aircraft may be seen before they get to London, so will go there by about 12.30 pm. Just now the temperature in North West Essex is about 18 deg. C. and 100% cloud cover, quite unlike the majority of the past 40 days. Isn't it always the way ! https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/95077/20180622_flypast_route_map_V1.pdf
This was superb. I was on the roof at my work, right under the flight path. The planning involved must have been ridiculous!
Brilliant. Funny how the biggest smiles - from the Queen that is - still seem to be reserved for the BBMF. Something about the sound of a few Merlins. Agree that the F35 looks quietly awesome.
Cressing Temple car park ( near Braintree, features old Essex barns and cafe run by Essex County Council ) is a very large field and had a fair few hopefuls with show off cameras and a farmer combining in the next field rather spoiling the sound of merlins. But we did get the BBMF circling about a mile away before the off. Clouds with dots.
Fabulous display. I'm not a plane sort of chap, but that made the hairs on the back of neck stand up.
Should be sinister,they cost £9 million each....reported to have a low radar signature, an improved specification which seems to be claimed for any new similar aircraft appearing in the military shop window. I remember another flypast which must have had about 600 aircraft in flight and 300 aircraft on static display.......a good day out...may have been the largest flypast that the RAF ever put on and Merlins galore
Cost is actually about £92 million each with, I believe, a total life cycle cost of about £135 million. ....and the location of 'your' 600 aircraft flypast was?
I was out in the morning, but on my way home to watch the ceremony, at exactly 12:10 pm, I watched the Chinooks fly over my house on their way to meet up with the rest of the planes Fantastic show ! Well done to all concerned ! Ron
Thanks for correcting my typo,I did intend to quote £90 million....I shall have pay attention more to proof reading before I post. If you look further into the F 35 project you will find a great deal of criticism regrading cost which has escalated by 100% since it was envisaged and started in 2001.I see that Trump has managed to shave off £7 million of the unit cost from L.M.The British were quick off the mark to show interest in this wonder of a JSF and adopted the fighter for the future..an aircraft that proimised qualities of vertical take off and landing,be a stealth fighter and be agile as a long range fighter. There is also the naval version,the F 35C which the RN will receive for the two carriers and is currently under initial trials by the USN...operational trials are to start later this year.This aircraft requires a greater wingspan to accommodate the lower landing speeds as appropriate to carriers and must be an additional unit cost. In the end the aircraft is 10 years late and the RAF have just received a few aircraft at Marham destined for No 617 Squadron.The life time costs/aircraft are more likely to exceed your quoted cost....The US/.Lockheed Martin have also envisaged that the aircraft type will remain in service until 2070. There is an early publication relating to the F 35 by Bill Sweetman going back to 2004 entitled Ultimate Fighter. Lockheed Martin F 35 Joint Strike Fighter "Your" 600 aircraft flypast,......I have seen a figure approaching 650 aircraft .....it may have been a time before you were born. Bomber Command was represented by Lincolns,Canberras and the B 29 Washington, both static display and in the air.Many piston engined squadrons had just converted or were in the process of converting to the Canberra. It was the Queen's Coronation Flypast at Odiham on the afternoon of 15 July 1953 which I remember participating in.I must stress I was a groundcrew Air Radar Mechanic on No 97 Squadron and flew in one of the Hemswell Lincoln aircraft which made up the Hemswell contingent of 9 Lincolns from No 97 and No 83 Squadrons....I think 97 put up 4 Lincolns and the rest were from 83. In all, 45 Lincolns were put up for the flypast and comprised of 6 x 9 flights from various RAF airfields.Regarding the static display, from the film of the proceedings, the Lincolns looked well turned out, spick and span but I noticed that the upper wing surfaces were not shown which always carried the signs of engine oil leaks streaking over wing surfaces. From Hemswell,No 109 and 139 Squadrons put up a contingent of Canberras....these were the last to leave allowing the slow Lincolns away first. At the time it was easy for groundcrew to have a flight on an operational squadron but demand for this trip was high so it was decided by names out of the hat....one additional ride per aircraft. Memories of yesteryear as below...the account of the proceedings said to run for 25 minutes RAF Royal Review 15th July 1953
My husband was in the RAF in the early 60s and worked on Shackletons, groundcrew radio mechanic. In Aden, and BallyKelly. He has lots of photos and stories from those days - before I met him.
Excellent and understood. I was two years old at that time and living in Lincolnshire so away and unaware of the fun.....but my dad's former Tank Commander did live in Odiham at one time.....does that count?