Cover your ears, Louis! Typhoons, Apache helicopters and a Lancaster bomber take to the skies as RAF squadron rehearse flypast ahead of King Charles’ Coronation
- Aircrafts including a Lancaster bomber rehearsed flypast at RAF Cranwell
- Full flypast will include more than 60 aircraft, including the Red Arrows
- Last June, Prince Louis stole the show by covering his ears during a flypast
Typhoons, Apache helicopter and a Lancaster bomber took to the skies today as the armed forces rehearsed a flypast ahead of King Charles’ Coronation.
As preparations continue to ramp up ahead of the big day, more than 30 aircraft took advantage of sublime spring weather as RAF Cranwell – where King Charles spent time as a student – stood in for Buckingham Palace for rehearsals.
It was only last June that Buckingham Palace saw its last flypast during the Trooping the Colour for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
It was a day in which young Prince Louis captured the nation’s hearts by dramatically covering his ears to block out the noise from the skies as he stood next to Her Majesty on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The full flypast for his grandfather’s Coronation on May 6 will feature more than 60 aircraft, including the Red Arrows and the full Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Typhoon FGR4’s taking part in a rehearsal for the official Coronation flypast, at RAF College Cranwell, this afternoon
It was only last June when Prince Louis captured the nation’s hearts by covering his ears during the Trooping the Colour flyover for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
F-35B Lightning II jets were among more than 30 aircraft that took to the skies during a rehearsal for the Coronation flypast on May 6
A Lancaster bomber was also seen practicing at RAF Cranwell for the final rehearsals ahead of the flyover
Watching the rehearsals today in Lincolnshire was 93-year-old retired Squadron Leader Terrance Devey Smith, who flew in the flypast at the last Coronation, in 1953, when he was a 23-year-old RAF Flying Officer.
READ MORE: Ultimate guide to the Coronation: How and where to watch King Charles’ big day and what is happening over Britain’s three-day royal bank holiday weekend
Mr Devey Smith faced around 50 media representatives insisting: ‘I’m not a hero,’ as he posed for pictures ahead of the flypast.
Asked for his advice for the pilots taking part on May 6, he said: ‘Enjoy it.’
Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin, Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group, said: ‘It is a great honour to be part of His Majesty the King’s Coronation, where the flypast is an opportunity to showcase Tri-Service aviation excellence to our Commander-in-Chief, on this very special occasion.
‘While the full spectacle will not be unveiled until the Coronation, the practice with more limited aircraft numbers is an ideal opportunity to review the flypast from a safety and execution perspective, while making sure that the timing, spacing, and the broad structure of the flypast is visually appropriate for His Majesty the King’s Coronation on the May 6.’
Air Vice-Marshal Flewin said the rehearsal went to plan but refused to reveal details of some surprises, which the RAF is saving for Coronation day.
‘We have some elements we won’t unveil until on the day,’ he said.
Watching the rehearsals today was 93-year-old retired Squadron Leader Terrance Devey (left) Smith, who flew in the flypast at the last Coronation, in 1953, when he was a 23-year-old RAF Flying Officer.
Mr Devey Smith told pilots to ‘enjoy’ the experience of flying over Buckingham Palace for the Coronation
Poseidon MRA1 and RC-135W Rivet Joint take part in a rehearsal for the official coronation flypast
Apache helicopters (left) plus C-130J Hercules and A400M Atlas (right) took advantage of blue skies today
The senior officer said: ‘I was very happy with the 36 aircraft flypast you’ve seen today and we will build on that success to deliver the 68 aircraft spectacular flypast for His Majesty.’
He said the flypast had already been months in the planning but Monday’s display was the first time many of the elements had come together. And he said there were a range of contingency plans for bad weather on the May 6.
The King spent time as a student at RAF Cranwell and Air Vice-Marshal Flewin said it was ‘humbling to us that we can deliver a flypast of this size on the day of his Coronation’.
Among the aircraft taking part in Monday’s rehearsal were Typhoons, Apache helicopters, a C-130J Hercules, a Voyager and the giant C-17 Globemaster.
The Coronation flypast will follow the King’s Coronation Parade at 2.30pm.
An RAF Voyager and A400 take part in the rehearsal at RAF College Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire
Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin said the rehearsal went to plan but refused to reveal details of some surprises, which the RAF is saving for Coronation day
Members of the Royal Air Force look on as military aircraft perform their final rehearsal
The first aircraft to fly over Buckingham Palace with be a Juno HT1 helicopter from RAF Shawbury, which will be piloted by Flight Lieutenant Tom Knapp.
He said: ‘The flypast rehearsal today went really well. ‘We made our time on target over the top of College Hall which was standing in as Buckingham Palace.
‘It’s great to see months of planning and detailed coordination between all the different aircraft which fly at different speeds starting to come together.
‘I feel hugely privileged and excited to get to fly over the Palace for The King on this momentous occasion.’
Source: Read Full Article
