Red Arrows Won't Perform a Full Display at Farnborough Airshow

The RAF's Red Arrows are one of the world's most notable aerobatic display teams. They utilise BAE Systems Hawk and fly as a nine-aircraft unit, making appearances at airshows in the UK and around the world. Still, the upcoming Farnborough Airshow will be an exception to their stunning flying displays.  

While the Red Arrows have undoubtedly been involved in a few fatal accidents over the course of their 59-year history, their limited display scheduled at the Farnborough Airshow has more to do with a crash that did not directly concern the team and one that did not occur at Farnborough. 

The accident involved a Hawker Hunter T7 RAF fighter jet that failed to pull out of a loop manoeuvre while performing a display at the 2015 Shoreham Airshow.  

Following the disaster, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulated vintage jet airshow displays over land, restricting most of these aircraft to performing high-level flypasts instead of the full-scale aerobatic displays that crowds find spectacular.  

This ultimately placed restrictions on the team's participation at Farnborough, limiting it to only a series of flypasts. The Shoreham crash showed how innocent bystanders could easily be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time in airshow accidents. At the time, the RAF stated: 

"The high speed and dynamic nature of the traditional Red Arrows display is no longer appropriate for Farnborough due to the large amounts of local housing, business areas and major transport links underneath the display area. The Red Arrows will continue to complete flypasts in different formations, together with more exciting opportunities for the public to engage with the Red Arrows team on the ground." 

Despite limited displays from the Red Arrows, the Farnborough Airshow will showcase commercial, military and private planes manufactured by veterans and newcomers in the industry and refocus on its trade-based operations. 

At the last event, notable carriers placed large aircraft orders, and with demand still on the rise, we can expect many more contracts this year, too.  

Join Brookfield Aviation International at the Farnborough Airshow this July 22nd-26th. Be a part of the excitement and witness the ever-evolving world of aviation firsthand.