With dozens of towns across the UK celebrating Armed Forces Day this weekend, airshow fans can look forward to at least seven free flying displays across the country.
Towns including Plymouth, Folkestone, Milton Keynes, Salisbury, Scarborough, Cleethorpes and Littlehampton are all due to host air displays – some small, but some very large and varied.
Here is a rundown of all the flying action you can expect. Please note that while all these events are free to attend, some require online ticket registration.
National Armed Forces Day Event
SATURDAY 29th JUNE | This year, the National Armed Forces Day Event is being hosted by Salisbury. Thanks to Ministry of Defence backing, Salisbury will see the widest variety of military aircraft of any Armed Forces Day event this year. The air display will be held n the afternoon at Hudson’s Field. Visitors must reserve free tickets to attend.
| Time | Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| TBC | x9 Hawk T.1A Lancaster, Hurricane, Spitfire Tutor T.1 WAH-64D Apache AH.1 x2 Westland Gazelle TBC Fairey Swordfish |
Royal Air Force – Red Arrows Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Royal Air Force Army Air Corps Gazelle Squadron Historic Army Aircraft Flight Navy Wings |
Flypast Display Display Flypast Display Display Display |
Plymouth Armed Forces Day
SATURDAY 29th JUNE | Plymouth has hosted one of the larger Armed Forces Day airshows in the UK for the last few years, with the displays centered on Plymouth Hoe and Smeaton’s Tower. This year’s flying display is slightly shorter than at recent editions of the event, but features the Red Arrows as the headline act.
| Time | Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| 10:30 | Merlin Mk.3 | Royal Navy | Flypast |
| 17:10-17:55 | Sea Fury T.20 Spitfire x9 Hawk T.1A |
Navy Wings Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Royal Air Force – Red Arrows |
Display Flypast Display |
Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Armed Forces Day
SATURDAY 29th JUNE | Wycombe Air Park (Booker Airfield) near High Wycombe will host the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Armed Forces Day event. There is a full and varied flying display programme. Visitors must register to attend.
| Time | Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| 13:40 | Lancaster | Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight | Flypast |
| 14:30 | Extra 330SC | Mark Jefferies | Display |
| 14:40 | Yak-52 | Nigel Wilson | Display |
| 14:50 | Westland Wasp HAS.1 | Terry Martin | Display |
| 15:02 | T-6 Harvard IIA | Anglian Flight Centres | Display |
| 15:12 | x2 Fokker DR.1 x2 RAF SE5a x2 Junkers CL.1 Avro 504 Sopwith Triplane RAF BE2c |
Great War Display Team | Display |
| 15:32 | Auster AOP9 Beaver Sioux AH.1 |
Historic Army Aircraft Flight | Display |
| 15:49 | x3 PA-28 Warrior | Bader’s Bus Company | Display |
| 16:11 | x2 Chipmunk | Vintage Pair | Display |
| 16:23 | – | British Army – Silver Stars | Parachute drop |
Scarborough Armed Forces Day
SATURDAY 29th JUNE | Scarborough traditionally hosts a large Armed Forces Day show, and this year is no different. The RAF Typhoon is sure to be the headline act.
| Time | Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| 11:30 | Spitfire | Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight | Display |
| 13:15 | Tucano T.1 | Royal Air Force | Display |
| 14:00 | Rotorsport Calidus | Peter Davies/Gyro Air Displays | Display |
| 15:00 | Sikorsky S-92 | RNLI/HM Coast Guard | Role Demo |
| 16:00 | Typhoon FGR.4 | Royal Air Force | Display |
Littlehampton Armed Forces Day
SATURDAY 29th JUNE | The Seafront Greens will host historic warbirds as part of Littlehampton’s Armed Forces Day celebration.
| Time | Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| TBC | Hurricane | Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight | Flypast |
| TBC | Spitfire | Boultbee Academy | Display |
North East Lincolnshire Armed Forces Day
SATURDAY 29th-SUNDAY 30th JUNE | The demise of the Cleethorpes Airshow quickly lead to the town hosting one of the biggest Armed Forces Day flying displays in the country. The bulk of the flying action will take place on Sunday. Look out on Saturday for a pyrotechnic-filled dusk air display – the first such performance at an Armed Forces Day event!
| Time (Saturday) |
Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| TBC | Strikemaster Mk.82A Cap-232 |
Mark Petrie Tom Cassells |
Display Display |
| 16:30 | Dakota | Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight | Flypast |
| 21:30 | x2 Vans RV-8 | FireFlies Display Team | Display |
| Time (Sunday) |
Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| TBC | x2 Vans RV-8 Tucano T.1 Typhoon FGR.4 Hurricane Fairchild Argus P-47D Thunderbolt Miles Magister |
FireFlies Display Team Royal Air Force Royal Air Force Royal Air Force – Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Private Fighter Aviation Engineering Ltd. Private |
Display Display Display Display Display Display Display |
Folkestone & Hythe Armed Forces & Community Fun Day
SUNDAY 30th JUNE | The Red Arrows return to Folkestone this year after a popular RAF100 display in 2018 – but this time, they are joined by other airshow acts as well.
| Time | Aircraft | Team/operator | Notes |
| 13:00 | – Dakota |
British Army – The Tigers TBC |
Parachute drop TBC |
| 14:00 | Biplanes | TBC | Display |
| 15:00 | Spitfire | TBC | Display |
| 16:00 | x9 Hawk T.1A | Royal Air Force – Red Arrows | Display |
