Red Arrows miss three UK appearances after Canada weather delays return
The Red Arrows have pulled out of three summer events in Britain after bad weather left the RAF display team stranded in Canada and slowed
The Red Arrows have pulled out of three summer events in Britain after bad weather left the RAF display team stranded in Canada and slowed their return from a US tour. The missed appearances include high-profile fixtures in Eastbourne, Edinburgh and Lyme Regis.
The team will not fly at the Eastbourne International Airshow from August 13 to 16, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week from August 15 to 22. The RAF said the delay is tied to poor conditions in north-east Canada, where the Hawks have been waiting for a safe window to begin the Atlantic crossing.
Why the jets cannot simply fly home
The Red Arrows’ Hawk aircraft are single-engine jets with limited range. They cannot air-to-air refuel. That means the trip back to the UK has to happen in stages, with RAF support aircraft positioned at each stop. Search-and-rescue cover and technical equipment also have to be in place. Timing matters. A lot.
The air force said weather in north-east Canada has been “particularly challenging,” and the team is now expected to start the multi-leg journey back to Britain from next week. Another account of the delay said the crossing could begin late next week if conditions improve.
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Busy season, disrupted
The Red Arrows had only just come off a US tour, where they took part in Operation Eagle Hawk as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary. Their travel plans then ran into prolonged poor weather in Canada, leaving the aircraft grounded in Goose Bay for about a week or more, according to the reports.
Wg Cdr Sasha Nash, chief of the RAF Aerobatic Team, said the team was “very sorry” it could not take part in the events and thanked organisers and local communities for their understanding. She added that every effort was being made for the team to resume its busy display season as soon as possible, but that safety would decide when the aircraft can leave Canada.
Other RAF aircraft will still take part in the UK events, even with the Red Arrows absent. For organisers, it is a familiar summer frustration. For spectators, a rare gap in the schedule. The team’s return remains weather-dependent, with the next leg of the journey now pushed to next week.
