May 6, 2023 8.45 pm This story is over 15 months old

Red Arrows Coronation flypast dazzles despite weather woes

Stormy weather leads to scaled-down coronation flypast featuring helicopters and Red Arrows

The coronation flypast over Buckingham Palace, marking the King and Queen’s coronation, was scaled down due to stormy weather. The Ministry of Defence announced just minutes before the event that only helicopters and the Red Arrows would form the display. The flypast was reduced to two minutes and 30 seconds.

London experienced heavy rain and storms on Saturday, prompting changes to the previously scheduled flypast. Over 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force had been due to participate, but unsuitable weather conditions led to a revised plan.

The Red Arrows display team flew their Hawk jets over the crowds on The Mall and outside the palace, trailing red, white, and blue smoke. The final flypast involved 16 helicopters, including Juno, Wildcat, Merlin, Apache, Chinook, and Puma, and nine Red Arrow Hawks.

See more Coronation celebrations coverage from Lincolnshire on the new MyLocal website