King's Birthday Flypast 2023

Even though a great deal of planning, paperwork, coordination and execution effort goes into them, Royal Birthday flypasts are generally exciting but modest affairs, rounding off the Trooping of the Colour at Horseguards Parade, as a satisfying and diverting punctuation to the formal celebration.

The 2023 Flypast was different; it was the first for King Charles III and it also provided an opportunity for everyone who was disappointed by the curtailment due to weather, of the full Kings Coronation Flypast back in May.

Essentially the full Coronation event was flown, in much, much fairer weather conditions. The Flypast was led by helicopter sections from the RAF, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Army. This was followed by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and fixed wing aircraft from the RAF.

Clearly, for helis com, the stars of the show were the helicopter sections leading the event, but highlights were three of the last 14 C-130 Hercules (Omen Flight, on the final public outing before the fleet is withdrawn from service) and 18x Typhoon fighters arranged to show C R when viewed from below.