Six Waves Included Historic Lancaster, Red Arrows, F-35s, And More

The Royal Air Force executed a memorable reminder and celebration on May 5, 2025, of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe or VE day, signifying the end of World War II in Europe which was officially May 8. Six waves of RAF aircraft conducted a large formation flight over numerous sites in England concluding with a flyover of Buckingham Palace in London.

The formation flew a route that took the aircraft over Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, and then over the capital. The commemorative flight provided a rare opportunity to see a broad spectrum of both historic and modern aircraft.

The event included 23 aircraft from a range of the RAF’s current and ceremonial fleets, from the Avro Lancaster bomber to the most advanced combat aircraft of today. The aircraft participating were the A330 Voyager air-to-air refueling tanker, A400M Atlas transport, and a C-17 Globemaster III transport.

The Lancaster was from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and represents one of only two remaining airworthy examples of its type.

Surveillance and air defense aircraft included a Poseidon MRA1 and two Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 multirole fighters. A pair of F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters and an RC-135 Rivet Joint represented the eyes and fangs of the RAF.

For precision and power, the RAF flew four Typhoon FGR4 out of the Waddington and Coningsby groups, and the nine-ship formation of BAE Hawk T1 jets of the Red Arrows aerobatic team.

Commemorative events will continue into this week with a national service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday May 8 in memory of the exact date of VE day in 1945.

FMI: https://www.raf.mod.uk/