The British armed forces will come together to perform a 70-aircraft flyover of Buckingham Palace on the Thursday 2nd June to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
A traditional part of Trooping the Colour, the Queen’s annual official birthday celebration, this year’s flyover is set to be considerably larger than usual and will have the rare distinction of including aircraft from the Royal Navy and British Army, alongside
Lasting six minutes, the flypast will feature the Red Arrows, who are expected to fly nine aircraft for the occasion, despite displaying just seven during their full aerobatic displays this year. It will also include the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the first public flying display appearance of an RAF P-8 Poseidon on the UK mainland, a trio of C-130s in their retirement year and a 17-ship formation of Typhoons creating the number “70” in the sky.
Other elements of the flypast have also begun their rehearsals; 72 Squadron and 45 Squadron from RAF Valley have been practicing a five-ship formation, featuring a Phenom T.1 leading a trio of Texan T.1s, while Joint Helicopter Command units based at RAF Benson will bring together three Pumas and three Chinooks in a single formation. The flypast is also expected to involve a 13-ship formation of Hawk T.2s and a variety of other types, including the Wildcat, A400M and C-17.
The flypast will amass over Suffolk and Essex, will pass over Buckingham Palace from the east between 13:00 and 13:06, and will disperse to the west of London. There should be good vantage points across the city from Stratford to Westminster and Battersea.