23 aircraft took part in a flypast over Buckingham Palace on May 5, concluding a procession of over 1,300 personnel commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe.
After plans for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) in 2020 were scuppered by the COVID-19 pandemic, VE Day 80 has been marked by a huge military parade spanning from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.
While the true anniversary of VE Day is on May 8, the commemorations in London were timed for May 5 to coincide with the early May bank holiday – when schools and many workplaces are closed. Further events to mark the anniversary will then take place across the following three days.
Senior dignitaries, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, were joined by surviving Second World War veterans as thousands of troops from the British armed forces as well as Ukraine, the U.S., France, Sweden, Lithuania, and Poland marched past the Queen Victoria memorial. Many of these foreign personnel marched under the NATO flag as a nod to the UK’s commitment to the alliance, while Ukrainian forces were drawn from units currently deployed to the UK under the Operation Interflex training program.
King Charles takes the salute from the procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day 🫡🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/J1mX2MTa3P
— BBC London (@BBCLondonNews) May 5, 2025
As the parade drew to a close, members of the Royal Family returned to Buckingham Palace and stepped out onto the balcony to spectate the scheduled flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft. Months of planning goes into every flypast of this type over London, with huge areas of airspace demarcated across the southeast of England to allow all parts of the display to gather into their respective formations.
There are roundels-a-plenty off the coast of Norfolk this afternoon as the @RoyalAirForce‘s finest prepare to commence the #VEDay80 flypast over London. pic.twitter.com/SkiBJpceAL
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) May 5, 2025
Leading the flypast, one of only two airworthy Avro Lancasters in the world, operated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) at RAF Coningsby. The aircraft, serial PA474, was produced in 1945 and never saw active service before the end of the war. It has been flown by the BBMF since 1973.
Following the Lancaster, a mixed formation of transport aircraft from RAF Brize Norton comprising Airbus Voyager KC2 ZZ330 and Airbus A400M Atlas C1 ZM420.
Next, also from RAF Brize Norton, was C-17 Globemaster III ZZ173. Over the top of the aerial procession, two Juno HT1 (Airbus H135) helicopters provided weather reports as well as a platform for photographers to capture the event.
The aircraft that flew the farthest to take part in the day’s events was P-8 Poseidon MRA1 ZP808 from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. ZP808, which carries the name William Barker VC after a decorated Canadian First World War pilot, was joined on each wingtip by Typhoons from RAF Coningsby.
Including air spares, eight Typhoons took off from RAF Coningsby. Six would go on to take part in the flypast.
And they’re off – @RAFConingsby Typhoons take to the air for the #VEDay80 flypast in London pic.twitter.com/hbTOsQCC8e
— David Sivills-McCann (@David_A_McCann) May 5, 2025
From RAF Marham, the next combat aircraft to feature was the F-35B Lightning II. Two F-35Bs, among only a few active airframes not currently deployed on HMS Prince of Wales, flanked an RC-135W Rivet Joint, ZZ666, from RAF Waddington.
At the tail of the flypast, nine Hawk T1s of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – The Red Arrows – joined by four Typhoons in a diamond formation. Using diesel injected into the exhaust of each aircraft, along with colored dyes, the Red Arrows are famous for ending almost every flypast over London with their signature red, white, and blue smoke trails covering the skies.
As twin seater aircraft, the Red Arrows Hawk T1s frequently carry photographers in the rear seats to document significant flypasts. On this occasion, team photographer AS1 Iwan Lewis was seated in the rear of Red 8’s aircraft, providing an excellent view of the accompanying Typhoon formation.
After completing their sortie, the Red Arrows flew to Bournemouth International Airport in Dorset to refuel before departing to Greece to continue pre-season training in more predictable weather conditions.
Ride with the Red Arrows over London, with RAF Typhoons alongside, for a flypast over the capital marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
📸 AS1 Iwan Lewis#RedArrows #London #RAF #VEDay #VE80 #VEDay80 pic.twitter.com/qOCzzfwLCg
— Red Arrows (@rafredarrows) May 5, 2025
Planning a Flypast
Speaking to members of the media, Royal Air Force personnel stated that the VE Day 80 flypast was the culmination of seven months of planning. The plans were most likely derived from those used yearly in June for the Trooping the Colour flypast, which celebrates the British Monarch’s official birthday. In 2025, this will be held on Jun. 14.
Although many may question the value of performing such displays at a time when military resources are stretched thin by global responsibilities, every step of the process is designed to provide as much training value as possible to every member of personnel involved. This ranges from those on the ground planning the logistics of the flypast and ensuring all relevant airspace reservations are filed, to air traffic controllers who coordinate all of the different sections of the display, through to the pilots themselves, who may in the future call upon the skill to be over a certain target at an exact time in a life or death situation.
Later today 78 Sqn will support the VE Day flypast. The controllers will be directing aircraft from bases across the UK towards the North Sea. From there the formation will be turned toward London for the flypast. pic.twitter.com/achLeChYGu
— 78 Squadron (Swanwick) (@78SqnSwanwick) May 5, 2025
A full-scale rehearsal – minus the Red Arrows and the Lancaster – was performed on Apr. 28, with RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire standing in for Central London. The flypast was reviewed on the ground by Air Vice-Marshal Mark Jackson, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, who gave his approval as the senior responsible officer that the display was up to the Royal Air Force’s standards.
✈️ RAF aircraft took to the skies over RAF College Cranwell, rehearsing for the #VEDay80 flypast.
📅 Join us at 13:45 on Monday 5 May 2025 to commemorate 80 years since the end of the Second World War, subject to weather, serviceability, & operational requirements. pic.twitter.com/On8nzUbgsJ
— Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) April 29, 2025
