RAF Colours Presentation Ceremony at RAF Fairford
The Queen is set to present the Royal Air Force with new colours during the largest event of its kind to happen for over three decades.
The event will take place at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK – a site which, over the two following days, will host the Royal International Air Tattoo – the world’s largest military airshow.
RAF Flypast
Approximately 5,000 guests – current RAF personnel among them – are due to be present, and, at the end of the ceremony, they will be able to watch a large-scale flypast featuring RAF machines past and present.
‘Colours’ are essentially ceremonial flags, and are given to a service in view of the achievements it has accomplished.
RAF Project Officer Group Captain Tony Barmby described the significant of the event, stating:”For most RAF personnel, involvement in such a parade is a once-in-a-career experience."
"I'm very proud to have the chance to play a part", he added.
Today’s presentation is the culmination of a whole series of events that have been taking place in connection with the Royal Air Force’s 90th Anniversary. In terms of its size, it is set to be the largest put on since 1977, when the RAF celebrated its Silver Jubilee at RAF Finningley.
Aircraft in the Flypast
The flypast is set to include the following aircraft types, beginning with a four-ship formation of RAF Typhoons:
- Three RAF Chinook helicopters
- Two RAF Merlin and two RAF Puma helicopters
- One RAF Sea King helicopter
- Four RAF Squirrel helicopters
- Two RAF Tutors and two RAF Slingsby Firefly training aircraft
- Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Avro Lancaster, Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane historic aircraft
- One RAF Hercules transport aircraft, two RAF King Air B200 training aircraft and two BAE HS125 VIP transport aircraft
- Nine RAF Tucano training aircraft
- Five RAF Hawk jet trainers
- One RAF VC-10 tanker aircraft and one Boeing E-3D Sentry surveillance aircraft
- One RAF Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft and two Hawks
- One RAF Nimrod maritime surveillance aircraft and two Hawks
- One RAF Tristar tanker aircraft and two Hawks
- One RAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft
- Nine RAF Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft
- Four RAF Harrier GR7 strike aircraft
- Nine RAF Tornado F-3 multi-role combat aircraft
- Nine RAF Tornado GR4 strike aircraft
- The Royal Air Force Red Arrows aerobatic team
The formations, together, involve a total of 90 aircraft, one for every year of the RAF’s existence to date.
Source – Armed Forces International’s Aviation Expert
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