Related Articles
The first aircraft have started to fly in for this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, which is just over the Oxfordshire border in the Cotswolds and attracts thousands of people every year.
RAF Fairford will welcome aircraft all over the world as they arrive ahead of this weekend.
When and where will the Red Arrows be visible over Oxfordshire this week?
With the popular event returning on Friday (July 18), the Red Arrows will fly over Oxfordshire today (Wednesday, July 16), Thursday, July 17 and Sunday, July 20, according to military-airshows.co.uk.
In between these fly-overs, from Friday to Sunday, they will be at RAF Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo Display.
Wednesday
On Wednesday they will leave RAF Waddington 4.41pm and will fly directly over the Banbury area between 4.56pm and 4.59pm. They will arrive at RAF Fairford at 5.01pm.
A map of the route can be found below.
Thursday
On Thursday the Red Arrows will depart from RAF Fairford at 10.05am.
On their way back to Fairford they put on a display in Shrivenham at 10.15am. They will then fly over Wantage at 10.40am and Buckland at 10.41am.
A map of the route can be found below.
Sunday
And finally on Sunday, the Red Arrows will depart from RAF Fairford at 2.31pm before flying over Adderbury, near Banbury at 2.37pm.
They will arrive in Aberdeen at 3.42pm.
What are the Red Arrows?
Formed in late 1964, the Red Arrows are a hugely popular attraction around the country.
They regularly attend festivals and major events, with householders all over the country trying to spot them as they fly overhead.
Each pilot flies three sorties a day, five days a week, and the formations grow in aircraft number as training progresses.
These flights involve a thorough brief, debrief and discussion to ensure safety is paramount and the formations are precise.
What is the Royal International Air Tattoo Display?
The event – also known as RIAT – is a three-day event that promises to ‘overwhelm your senses’.
Its website says: “From the roar of jet engines ripping through the air to the cheer of the crowd line – it’s an experience like no other.”
With 18 hours of flying displays, it will welcome almost 22,000 hospitality guests over the three days.
