The Royal Air Force will have the honour of parading a wide range of RAF aircraft for His Majesty King Charles III to celebrate His Official Birthday.
Over 30 aircraft are due to take to the skies above the crowds on The Mall and over Buckingham Palace on Saturday 15 June 2024 subject to weather, serviceability, and operational requirements.
The formation, which will be led by Chinook helicopters from No. 7 Squadron of RAF Odiham, will fly over Buckingham Palace as the Royal Family watch on from the balcony following the King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour).
The aircraft will come from eight different RAF stations, and 15 Squadrons will be participating, with two thirds of those Squadrons being involved in D-Day 80 years ago.
The aircraft will highlight the wide range used by the RAF to secure our skies and protect our people both at home and abroad. This includes helicopters, training, air transport, air-to-air refuelling, maritime, ISTAR, and fast jet combat aircraft.
At the front of the flypast will be three Chinook helicopters and the event will culminate in a spectacular show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows.
Following the Chinooks will be three Typhoons from 29 Squadron, RAF Coningsby. Up until very recently, this wave of aircraft was to be a Lancaster, Spitfire, and Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), but the tragic death of Squadron Leader Mark Long in a Spitfire crash on Saturday 25 May, means that they are unfortunately no longer taking part.
This formation is therefore using the BBMF radio callsign of “Memorial Flight” in his honour, and all three pilots are instructors from the Typhoon Conversion unit, where Squadron Leader Long also flew Typhoons, and each are his close friends and colleagues.
Even more fittingly, this formation will be led by Squadron Leader Andy Millikin who is a previous commanding officer of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and an ex-Spitfire pilot. He is an ex-full time military pilot, and is now a defence contractor who today is flying in his role as an RAF Reservist. The flypast, however, will be his last flight in a Typhoon as he reduces his Reservist commitment to the RAF, a proud and emotional day for him and his colleagues.
“It is always a privilege to be part of His Majesty the King’s Birthday celebrations, where the Flypast is an opportunity for us to honour His Majesty the King, our Commander-in-Chief, on this special occasion.
“The flypast will consist of 34 aircraft, including rotary assets from Joint Aviation Command, training aircraft from No.22 Group, in addition to No.1 Group aircraft from the Air Mobility, ISTAR and Combat Air Forces, immediately prior to the iconic Red Arrows in their 60th year.”
Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin
Air Officer Commanding 1 Group
The aircraft of the Armed Forces have a long and proud history of taking part in this occasion, with the first King’s Birthday Flypast taking place in 1913 and most recently formed part of Their Majesties’ Coronation in 2023 and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
The King’s Birthday Flypast will conclude Trooping the Colour which will take place on Horse Guards Parade, a ceremony dating back to the reign of King Charles II, becoming an annual event in 1760. Over 1,400 officers and soldiers form the parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and Corps of Drums march and play in unison.
