Red Arrows News

Half way point for Red Arrows season marking Jubilee

The Red Arrows' 2022 season has reached its half way point - with the team having already performed for hundreds of thousands of people at home and overseas.

More than 30 displays have been completed by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team since the end of May.

The first week of August brings a traditional pause in display flying and shows, allowing the Red Arrows' dedicated engineers and support staff to carry out planned work on the Hawk jets and make preparations for the second half of the season.

Some of the exciting displays, flypasts and other moments are captured in the images on this page. 

The Red Arrows complete pre-season training in Greece ahead of a busy 2022 season. Image by AS1 Abigail Drewett.
The Red Arrows complete pre-season training in Greece ahead of a busy 2022 season. Image by AS1 Abigail Drewett.

Squadron Leader Tom Bould, Team Leader and Red 1, said: "This really has been a summer of celebration, helping to mark the Platinum Jubilee and supporting world-class events, such as opening the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

"It's been a packed first half of the display season - with sell-out venues and capacity crowds everywhere we've gone and highlighting everyone's insatiable appetite for airshows, live events and aviation.

"We've really enjoyed performing for these huge audiences and having opportunity to also meet so many people at these events and, hopefully, inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds through teamwork and precision."

Thousands of people watch the Red Arrows perform in Scarborough for Armed Forces' Day.
Thousands of people watch the Red Arrows perform in Scarborough for Armed Forces' Day. 

The Red Arrows' 58th display season got underway in late-May following pre-season training in Croatia and Greece.

Since then, the team's completed more than 30 aerobatic displays and made appearances at big shows and festivals in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including several marking Armed Forces' Day.

The Red Arrows have also represented the UK overseas, including through visits to events in France, Denmark and Ireland.

The RAF's VIP Voyager aircraft, Vespina, is flanked by the Red Arrows at an airshow in July. Image by AS1 Abigail Drewett.
The RAF's VIP Voyager aircraft, Vespina, is flanked by the Red Arrows at an airshow in July. Image by AS1 Abigail Drewett. 

Among the most high-profile moments has been providing the finale to a flypast over London celebrating Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.

There's also been several mixed formations, such as with the RAF's VIP Voyager aircraft known as Vespina.

On-the-ground, the team's been equally as busy, with a best-selling new official book released, carrying out several engagements to help promote science, technology, engineering and maths subjects plus meeting Top Gun actor and pilot Tom Cruise at a show in July.

The Red Arrows returned to the Royal Air International Air Tattoo in July. Image by AS1 Abigail Drewett.
The Red Arrows returned to the Royal Air International Air Tattoo in July. Image by AS1 Abigail Drewett.

The next public display by the Red Arrows is on August 10 at Falmouth. The domestic season runs until September, before the team deploys to the Gulf to participate in the Bahrain Air Show for the first time in November. More details are available here.

What's been your favourite moment? Share your images from the flypasts and displays by using #RedArrows on social media.

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