Ceremonial or honorific aircraft flight
This article is about ceremonial military flypasts. For the British aviation magazine, see
FlyPast
.
The
Red Arrows
and
Concorde
conclude a special flypast over
Buckingham Palace
,
London
, on 4 June 2002 celebrating the
Queen's Golden Jubilee
Mikoyan MiG-29 & Chengdu F-7 during Bangladesh Air Force Victory Day Flypast and Aerobatics Show 2016
A
flypast
is a ceremonial or honorific flight by an aircraft or group of aircraft. The term flypast is used in the
United Kingdom
and the
Commonwealth
. In the
United States
, the terms
flyover
and
flyby
are used.
Flypasts are often tied in with Royal or state events, anniversaries, celebrations, and occasionally funerary or memorial occasions. Sometimes flypasts occur in special situations, to honour someone or to celebrate certain types of aircraft. They have affinities with
parades
, of which they form the aerial component. Often they occur in purely display contexts at
airshows
, but it is the flypasts linked with civic, ceremonial and national pride, that imprint themselves on a nation's memory.
[
citation needed
]
Some flypasts have been described in broadcast and print media as "historic".
Flypasts are regularly featured in public and ceremonial life in the United Kingdom, where they function as a particular kind of
aerial salute
. They serve to show respect, display aircraft, showcase flying skills and as a form of
entertainment
to delight the public, for example, during their annual appearance after
Trooping the Colour
. Flypasts reflect milestones of national life, varying in scope from personal, to community and local, to military, and to national. They may honour individuals in private or public life or commemorate happenings at a particular location. They are also used to honour aircraft. On occasions both small and large they may occur over land or sea, sometimes connected with memorial or thanksgiving services.
In
Commonwealth
countries?notably
Singapore
,
Canada
and
Australia
?they occur on national days and occasionally on anniversaries. They are seen more rarely in other territories.
Locations
[
edit
]
The Red Arrows taking part in the
RAF100 parade
and flypast over London
Flypast locations are usually of national importance. In the UK, these include
Buckingham Palace
, where the
Royal Family
on the balcony will join the thousands of spectators in streets and parks below. Other
London
settings have included the
River Thames
. The 50th and 60th anniversaries of World War II were celebrated by flypasts over
Normandy
in
France
. Festivities of
Trafalgar 200
were centred over
Portsmouth
and at sea.
This was during the celebration of the 90th Saudi National Day, seen in the picture is a C-130, an F-15's, an F-15C, a Panavia Tornado and a Eurofighter Typhoon
Settings have included the
National Stadium
,
The Float@Marina Bay
and the
Padang
in
Singapore
;
Rajpath
in
New Delhi
, India; Pakistan's Parliament House in
Islamabad
; Australia's
Parliament House
and
Anzac Parade
to the
Australian War Memorial
, in
Canberra
;
Parliament Hill
, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; and
Rizal Park
in
Manila
,
Philippines
.
Early flypasts
[
edit
]
The connection of Trooping the Colour with Royal Air Force flypasts began in 1913 when the
Royal Flying Corps
Military
Wing
performed a flypast for
King George V
on Laffan's Plain, near Aldershot.
[1]
On 6 July 1935, George V carried out his
Silver Jubilee
Review of the
Royal Air Force
at
RAF Duxford
and
RAF Mildenhall
which included 200 aircraft on the ground and a flypast of 350 aircraft.
King George VI
attended a flypast at the opening ceremony of the
Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938
at
Ibrox Stadium
on 5 May 1938, with his consort
Queen Elizabeth
.
United Kingdom
[
edit
]
Flypasts are a regular occurrence in the United Kingdom at national events or commemorations. In 1954 the Queen conducted a Coronation Review of the Royal Air Force at
RAF Odiham
which included a flypast by about 640 aircraft - among them 440 jet aircraft.
[2]
Flypast of an
Avro Lancaster
, a
Supermarine Spitfire
and a
Hawker Hurricane
over
Buckingham Palace
on 29 April 2011, after the wedding ceremony of
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
and
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
On many occasions, the flypasts are performed by the
Red Arrows
aerobatic team of the
Royal Air Force
, but on more important events like Royal occasions, for example the Queen's 80th birthday during 2006, was a flypast following the
Trooping the Colour
. Headed by the Lancaster with 2 Hurricanes and 2 Spitfires (
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
), the 49 aircraft in 9 formations included Typhoons, Jaguars, Tristar, VC10, C-17A Globemaster III and E-3 Sentry. The highlight was a "Diamond 9" formation of Tornado GR4s and the appearance of a
Canberra
escorted by the Red Arrows.
Historic aircraft of the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
, including
Supermarine Spitfires
and the
Avro Lancaster
perform flypasts throughout the year particularly on military anniversaries and occasions and as a mark of respect at funerals and memorial services.
On 31 March 2021 the Red Arrows performed a flypast as part of a series of commemorative events taking place in Australia to mark the centenary celebrations of the
Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF).
[3]
National or Republic Day celebrations
[
edit
]
In many countries, flypasts, normally performed by the precision aerobatic team of a country's
air force
, are an integral part of
Republic Day
or
National Day
celebrations.
On
Canada Day
1 July, the
Snowbirds
of the
Royal Canadian Air Force
perform a flyby over
Parliament Hill
in Ottawa. In 2017, this flypast was extended to 39 aircraft to mark
Canada
's 150th birthday.
The
Pakistan Air Force
conducts a flypast every year on 23 March to commemorate the
Lahore Declaration
and the
Republic Day
of
Pakistan
which occurred on 23 March 1956. This is done in
Islamabad
.
In
Singapore
the National Day Parade on 9 August 2005 celebrated 40 years of independence with an elaborate flypast
[4]
including two
Chinook helicopters
flying the national flag past the Esplanade Theatre
in Padang.
In
Finland
, during Independence Day parade on 6 December the
Finnish Air Force
has traditionally performed a flyover of four fighters at the moment when the honour company of the Air force passes the podium where a representative of the war veterans, a representative of the city and the commander of the military province in question receive the parade troops marching past, the Helicopter battalion of
Utti Jaeger Regiment
has also performed flyovers timed to happen at the same time when the honour company of the
Finnish Army
provided by the Utti Jaeger Regiment passes the podium.
In
India
,
Republic Day
celebrations on 26 January includes a flypast in Delhi.
In the
Philippines
, flypasts (also called flybys) by
Philippine Air Force
are held to celebrate
Independence Day
on 12 June and
Rizal Day
on 30 December.
Air Force anniversaries
[
edit
]
C-130s flypass, Air Fest 2010 show, Moron Air Base, Argentina
During October 2006, the
Indian Air Force
celebrated its
Platinum Jubilee
with a flypast of around 78 aircraft, including the
Sukhoi 30 MKI
, the
Mirage 2000
, and
MiG-25
attack aircraft.
[5]
On 1 April 2008, a flypast by the
Red Arrows
over Central London marked the 90th Anniversary of the founding of the
Royal Air Force
. The milestone was also celebrated that June following
Trooping the Colour
2008 with a flypast of 55 aircraft, and in July with a Royal Review and flypast of 90 aircraft at the
Royal International Air Tattoo
.
[6]
Ten years later, the RAF's centenary was celebrated over
The Mall, London
and
Buckingham Palace
on 10 July 2018 with a large-scale flypast featuring the Red Arrows, the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
, and aircraft from several RAF squadrons. This flypast featured 103 aircraft of 24 different types, spread out over twenty different formations. The entire flypast took nine minutes to pass over London, and featured aircraft based from 17 different airfields all over the
United Kingdom
.
[7]
[8]
[9]
World War II
[
edit
]
Achievements in
World War II
were celebrated at the time and continue to be commemorated in flypasts. The
Royal Air Force
used the upper dams of
Ladybower Reservoir
to practise for the
Dambusters
raids and this is occasionally commemorated in flypasts by the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
.
The largest flypast in history occurred on the signing of the
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
which formally ended the war between Japan and the allied powers in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. 400 B-29 bombers and 3000 carrier aircraft participated.
[10]
On 15 September 1945, after the war ended, about 300 aircraft flew over London in the first
Battle of Britain
anniversary flypast. "The formation was led by 247 Squadron in their new
Vampire
fighters, the first time the public had seen the aircraft."
[11]
This flypast was apparently led by
Douglas Bader
(RAF hero commemorated and portrayed by
Kenneth More
in the film
Reach For the Sky.
)
An attender recalls a victory parade in London on 8 June 1946 featuring
two flypasts
, one during the day and one at night. Scores of aircraft, of many kinds, took part.
The 50th and 60th anniversaries of World War II were commemorated with large flypasts. On 15 September 1990, 168 aircraft in seven formations celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the
Battle of Britain
. Further flypasts occurred on 6 June 1994, celebrating the 50th anniversary of
D-Day
.
Over the weekend of 19?20 August 1995, the 50th anniversary of
VJ Day
was marked in London, including "a two-minute silence which...was ended by an Avro Lancaster bomber overflying The Mall and dropping about a million
poppies
over the site."
[12]
In the evening, there was a further flypast on the
Thames
.
[13]
6 June 2004 marked the 60th Anniversary of D-day, with the
Normandy landings
commemorated by veterans (many now aged 80+ years) and political leaders at locations throughout Normandy. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight scattered millions of poppies over the veterans as they crossed the
English Channel
by
ferry
.
[14]
Later, it flew over the veterans at
Arromanches
, concluding a memorial service with a 47-aircraft flypast of modern military jets led by the RAF Red Arrows.
[15]
At
Pegasus Bridge
, the
Army Air Corps
conducted a flypast of
Lynx
helicopters.
On 5 June 2019, a flypast of 24
British Armed Forces
aircraft was held over
Gosport
to mark the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. The flypast was part of a larger series of commemorative events to mark the anniversary, which were by
Donald Trump
and other world leaders.
[16]
On 10 July 2005, the 60th anniversary of
VE Day
was marked by a flypast of vintage aircraft which again dropped one million poppies on crowds in
The Mall
.
[17]
The 60th anniversary in 2003 of the
Dambusters
raid was marked by a flypast of the last operational
Lancaster
over the cliffs at
Reculver
, site of secret tests of inventor
Barnes Wallis
's
bouncing bomb
. (This flight was part of a larger series of flypasts over key locations by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
[18]
)
On 16 May 2008, Les Munro, the last surviving Squadron Leader, and
Richard Todd
, star of the celebrated
film
The Dambusters
, attended the 65th Anniversary service and flypast over
Ladybower Reservoir
. At 100 feet, as compared to 60 feet of the Dambusters' practice runs, a single
Lancaster
aircraft
passed three times
over Derwent Water. A Spitfire, two Tornadoes, and a Dakota transport plane also participated.
[19]
In 2003, the Royal Australian Air Force commemorated
Anzac Day
with a flypast of four aircraft -
Harvard
and
Winjeel
- over the Cenotaph in Ballarat, Victoria.
[20]
The
Royal Canadian Air Force
at the
Canada Aviation Museum
in
Ottawa
honoured Canada's participation and commemorated the 60th anniversary of the
Battle of Britain
on 17 September 2006. Modern aircraft performed a flypast along with four World War II planes provided by Vintage Wings of Canada who made a "once-in-a-lifetime formation".
[21]
To mark the 70th Anniversary of
VE Day
, a flypast of 56 historical aircraft was performed over the
National Mall
in
Washington, D.C.
, on 8 May 2015. This flypast was a rare sight for residents, as it was the first time in several years that the restricted airspace over Washington was opened for the occasion.
[22]
On 24 September 2020, a similar flypast is set to take place over the
National Mall
in Washington, D.C., to mark the 75th Anniversary of the end of the war. This flypast is expected to include nearly 100 vintage aircraft spread across 24 formations. Aircraft expected to take part include the
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
,
Bell P-39 Airacobra
,
Vought F4U Corsair
,
North American B-25 Mitchell
,
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
,
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
,
Avro Lancaster
,
Supermarine Spitfire
, and
Hawker Hurricane
.
[23]
In London, a flypast consisting of the Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was to be held on 8 May, but was subsequently cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
.
[24]
Spaceflight
[
edit
]
US Air Force Thunderbird F16 jets fly over the
Vehicle Assembly Building
at the
Kennedy Space Center
in July 2007.
On 7 May 2007, hundreds of workers at
Kennedy Space Center
watched as
US Air Force Thunderbirds
performed a series of passes over the main industrial area, where the
Space Shuttle
is maintained and prepared for launches. The purpose of this demonstration was to photograph the planes at KSC for promotional purposes. Almost six months later, in November 2007, the Kennedy Space Center hosted the inaugural World Space Expo. The opening featured an aerial salute to
NASA
with the Thunderbirds as the main attraction.
[25]
Sports
[
edit
]
A flyover with six
F-16 Fighting Falcons
(US Air Force Thunderbird) in "Delta" formation prior to the
Daytona 500
, 2016
A
B-2 Spirit
(from
Whiteman Air Force Base
) flies over
Arrowhead Stadium
prior to a
Kansas City Chiefs
-
Oakland Raiders
National Football League
game, 2006
Flypasts also demonstrate national pride at landmark entertainment and sporting events.
- Canada
: The
Snowbirds
perform a flypast after the national anthem
O Canada
at each annual
Grey Cup
event, which is the largest sporting event in Canada. Flypasts have also been fairly commonplace at playoff games involving the aptly named
Winnipeg Jets
of the
NHL
, flying above the Winnipeg Jets Street Party fan viewing area outside of
Canada Life Centre
following the performance of O Canada.
[26]
[27]
- Italy
: Among the celebrations in of the
Football World Cup
victory in 2006 was a flypast by the
Frecce Tricolori
at
Pratica di Mare
, streaming the red, green, and white of the Italian flag.
- United States
: Flyovers are common at professional sports and racing events as part of the performance of
The Star-Spangled Banner
.
[28]
The flyover had been a strong
NASCAR
tradition, as every major race features one, usually performed by an Air Force or Air National Guard wing based in the area, and in some cases naval and marine air units. Army helicopters have also occasionally performed them. It is also a staple of the national anthem at the NFL
Super Bowl
, MLB
World Series
games and the
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
. A flyover occurs at the beginning of the Men's Final of the US Open Tennis Championships. This is usually performed by the
Blue Angels
, the official U.S. Navy aerobatics demonstration squadron. A flyby takes places prior to the start of the
Indianapolis 500
mile race, the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Held annually on
Memorial Day
weekend, U.S. military aircraft perform a flyby while "
Taps
" is played in remembrance of Memorial Day. In some years, multiple aircraft participate, executing the
missing man formation
. In most racing events in
NASCAR
, flyovers are held, especially at the Daytona 500.
Entertainment
[
edit
]
New Zealand
showed its pride at being the
location
for
The Lord of the Rings
, at the
premiere
in
Wellington
of the third film in the
trilogy
,
The Return of the King
. An Air New Zealand
Boeing 747-400
flew in
Lord of the Rings
livery
in a historic flight over Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Gisborne and Napier, "enabling more than two million people, one in two New Zealanders, to share in the excitement of The Lord of the Rings". This was the first time that a 747-400 had undertaken such a flypast in New Zealand.
[29]
Memorials
[
edit
]
The funeral of Italian tenor
Luciano Pavarotti
was sealed by a flypast from
Frecce Tricolori
over
Modena Cathedral
, his native town, on 8 September 2007. Tens of thousands of people who had filed past his coffin as it lay in state, witnessed the show of respect and mourning.
[30]
[31]
The memorial service for former Australian Prime Minister
Gough Whitlam
on 5 November 2014 concluded with a flypast by four
RAAF
F/A-18 Hornets
in
missing man formation
.
The 2022
national funeral
for
Montreal Canadiens
hockey legend
Guy Lafleur
, the franchise's leading scorer, concluded with a flyover from an
RCAF
CF-18
fighter jet as the funeral procession left Montreal's
Mary Queen of the World Cathedral
.
[32]
Accidents and incidents
[
edit
]
- 31 May 1957: A
Royal Canadian Navy
(RCN)
McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee
spirals out of control after its right wing breaks in half during a high-speed flypast of naval air station
HMCS
Shearwater
, Nova Scotia, Canada. The pilot fails to eject and is killed when the plane slams into
McNabs Island
. The crash is attributed to improperly manufactured fittings in the
folding wing
mechanism, and most RCN and
US Navy
Banshees are grounded until improved fittings can be installed.
[33]
- 7 June 1957: A
Chance Vought Aircraft
pilot is killed when his
Vought F8U-1 Crusader
disintegrates as he initiates a
zoom climb
during a high-speed flypast for a graduating class from the
Naval Postgraduate School
at
Hensley Field
,
Dallas
, Texas.
[34]
[35]
- 1 October 2002: Two
Ilyushin Il-38
maritime patrol aircraft of the
Indian Navy
collide in mid-air during a flypast near
Panjim
, Goa, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of
315 Squadron
of the
Indian Naval Air Arm
. The collision and subsequent crashes kill all six crew members in each aircraft and three bystanders on the ground.
[36]
- 11 October 2003: Hundreds of
Canberra
residents panic and call police after a flypast of
Parliament House, Canberra
, by two
F-111
jets, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the
High Court of Australia
. Witnesses see "two thunderously loud balls of flame screaming overhead at a height of about 300 metres [980 ft] and heading toward the city's landmarks", and some mistake the fighters for incoming missiles, believing that a terrorist attack is in progress. Press releases had been issued but police had not been informed.
[37]
- 21 January 2021: An
F/A-18 Super Hornet
of the US Navy
Blue Angels
aerobatic team veers off course while practicing a high-speed "sneak pass" at
Naval Air Facility El Centro
in California in preparation for a planned air show there, passing within 30 m (100 ft) of a building. The intense shockwave from the fighter jet traveling at an estimated 1,100 km/h (700 mph) causes
US$
180,000 in damage to the building and injures a dozen naval personnel inside.
[38]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
History of Trooping the Colour
Archived
3 October 2006 at the
Wayback Machine
accessed 2 October 2006
- ^
Royal Air Force history, 1953
Archived
2 October 2006 at the
Wayback Machine
. Retrieved 30 September 2006
- ^
Shields, Bevan (31 March 2021).
"Queen Elizabeth makes surprise appearance at RAAF centenary"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
.
- ^
For the full configuration, see
National Day Parade, 2005
- ^
MSN News
, "IAF marks 75th year with impressive flypast" October 8, 2006
Archived
29 September 2007 at the
Wayback Machine
Accessed 15 October 2006
- ^
flypast
- ^
"London's week of RAF100 events - RAF100"
. Archived from
the original
on 7 May 2018.
- ^
"RAF 100: Iconic Aircraft Line-Up for Rare London Flypast"
. 26 June 2018.
- ^
"RAF100 Flypast 2018 including Rehearsals, Practice, Aircraft List, Serials, Callsigns - Military Airshows News & Press Releases"
.
- ^
Nemesis: The Battle for Japan - Max Hastings
- ^
Royal Air Force history timeline
. Retrieved 30 September 2006
- ^
"Lancaster bomber overflying The Mall"
. Archived from
the original
on 17 October 2006
. Retrieved
4 October
2006
.
- ^
World War Two commemorations
Archived
12 October 2009 at the
Wayback Machine
description from the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 30 September 2006
- ^
commemorations of 60th anniversary of D-day on RAF website
- ^
The Scotsman
, Monday 7 June 2004
. Retrieved 3 October 2006
- ^
"Donald Trump to visit Portsmouth for D-Day anniversary"
.
www.itv.com
. 23 April 2019
. Retrieved
27 April
2019
.
- ^
Times Online
, July 11, 2005
. Retrieved 3 October 2006
- ^
See
BBC News, 17 May 2003
. Retrieved 3 October 2006, for full description
- ^
BBC News, 16 May 2008 "Dambusters remembered 65 years on"
. Retrieved 16 May 2008
- ^
ABC News, Central Victoria, 19 April 2003
. Retrieved 8 October 2006
- ^
Canadian National Defence website report, 14 September 2006
Archived
29 November 2006 at the
Wayback Machine
accessed 15 October 2006
- ^
"Warplanes over Washington"
.
- ^
https://gama.aero/wp-content/uploads/AOD-2020-Press-Release-Jan.pdf
[
bare URL PDF
]
- ^
"PM unveils plans to mark 75 years since VE Day"
.
- ^
Space Task Force article, 8 May 2007. Accessed 2 April 2008
- ^
"Literal jets to fly over Winnipeg Jets street party Tuesday"
.
Winnipeg
. 30 April 2018
. Retrieved
18 June
2022
.
- ^
"It's party time! Winnipeggers gear up for Whiteouts as Jets begin the playoffs"
.
CBC News
. 10 April 2019
. Retrieved
18 June
2022
.
- ^
"How flyovers hit their exact marks at games - Fandom - ESPN Playbook- ESPN"
. 23 July 2012.
- ^
Scoop! Independent News
, Tuesday, 2 December 2003
Accessed 14 October 2006
- ^
flypast (image no. 11 in this BBC photographic gallery)
- ^
Funerali Pavarotti: l'ultimo saluto dalle Frecce Tricolori
- ^
"Fighter jet flyby to mark end of Guy Lafleur's funeral service"
.
montrealgazette.com
. Retrieved
18 June
2022
.
- ^
Mills, Carl.
Banshees of the Royal Canadian Navy
. Willowdale, Ontario, Canada: Banshee Publication, 1991,
ISBN
978-0-9695200-0-9
, pages 280?281.
- ^
Pace, Steve, "
Crusader with a Cause
", Wings, Granada Hills, California, August 1987, Volume 17, Number 4, page 34.
- ^
Scott, John (8 June 1957). "Test Pilot Killed in Explosion".
The Dallas Morning News
. Dallas, Texas.
- ^
"15 dead in Indian navy plane crash"
.
CNN
. 1 October 2002
. Retrieved
2 January
2023
.
- ^
"Panic as flypast sparks attack fears"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Sydney, Australia. 13 October 2003
. Retrieved
2 January
2023
.
- ^
Bernton, Hal (20 June 2022).
"Will Blue Angels perform 'sneak pass' in new, bigger jets at this year's Seafair? The stunt caused problems in California"
.
The Seattle Times
. Seattle, Washington
. Retrieved
2 January
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Flypasts
.