Red Arrows fly past route: Path, tracker and schedule for King Charles’ coronation
A FLYPAST is a magnificent display of aviation - often performed at state events such as the coronation.
However, the highly-anticipated coronation event had to be scaled back due to weather concerns.
How to watch the Red Arrows at King Charles' coronation
King Charles' coronation is the first-such event the nation has seen in 70 years - and the 40th since William the Conqueror in 1066.
As is tradition with royal events, aircrafts will fly over Buckingham Palace to celebrate the official crowning of the new King.
The flypast took place around 2.30pm on May 6, 2023, when all the pomp and ceremony was over, and the newly crowned King and Queen were standing on the Palace balcony to watch.
Royal fans along The Mall got the best view as the flypast travelled over the Palace.
Read more on the coronation
The display was meant to feature 60 aircrafts, but was scaled back to only include helicopters and the Red Arrows aerobatic display team.
The exact timings and route of the flypast were not made known prior to the flypast but it flew over Norfolk and Suffolk, into Essex and on to London.
People lined the banks of the Thames up to Westminster to get an excellent view.
The aircraft then flew up The Mall, over the waving crowds and royals at Buckingham Palace.
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It then headed to Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
However, for those unable to be see it in person, BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will provide live coverage of the coronation from 7.30am until 3pm.
What time did King Charles' coronation start?
The ceremony began at 10.20am when the King and Queen Consort started their procession from the Palace to the Abbey.
The service in Westminster Abbey started at 11am when Charles and Camilla arrived.
King Charles was crowned first, then Camilla in a shorter ceremony.
The second procession of the royals back to the Palace began at 1pm.
The flypast is scheduled occurred shortly after 2.30pm over Buckingham Palace and The Mall, but was scaled back due to the weather.
The areas flown by the aircraft:
Area A: North Sea and Norfolk Coast, 1.15pm-3pm
Area B: Norfolk (Thetford) and Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds), 1.45pm-3pm
Area C: Suffolk (Ipswich), 2pm-3pm
Area D: Essex (Colchester, Chelmsford), 2pm-2.45pm
Area E: London, 2.10pm-2.45pm
Area F: London (Croydon) and Surrey, 2.20pm-3pm
Area G: Berkshire (Reading), Wiltshire (Swindon) and Oxfordshire (Oxford), 2.20pm-3pm
Area H: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, 2.20pm-3pm
Area I: Wiltshire (Marlborough, Tidworth), 2.20pm-3pm.
However, because of security reasons, the exact timings and routes will not be publicly revealed.
You can track the aircraft on the day using Flightradar24.
How many displays do the Red Arrows perform?
Since the team first flew in 1965, they have performed more than 4,900 times in over 50 countries.
A full display can last up to 20 minutes and include a variety of formations and special effects.
They are most famous for the section of their displays where red, white and blue smoke billows out from the exhaust of the jet.
In 2023, the Red Arrows are scheduled to perform at over 20 events between June and September in the UK, not including state evenst.
They have been booked to appear at numerous air shows from the Isle of Man to Duxford, and Ayr to the Channel Islands.
They are even performing at the Great North Run on September 10, 2023.
The Red Arrows can perform three types of displays: full, flat or rolling.
For a full display, the base of the cloud must be above 5,500ft to make for a safe loop without cloud disruption.
If the cloud base is less than 2,500ft, the team opts for a flat display which includes flypasts and steep turns.
Any coverage in between these heights includes wing-overs and rolls, instead of full loops.
You can see their schedule on the RAF under display teams or on social media.
Why has the flypast been scaled back?
Following the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Ministry of Defence announced that the highly-anticipated flypast has been scaled back.
More than 60 planes from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, including the Red Arrows, were due to fly over the Mall and Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
However, due to warnings of wet conditions from the Met office which could hamper the ability of pilots to fly safely, the event has been scaled back and was instead formed of helicopters and The Red Arrows, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
Asked about the potential for the flypast to be disrupted by the weather, an Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “There are certain weather limits in terms of cloud base and visibility for a flypast involving a large number of aircraft which will need to be met.
“The latest weather information will be obtained from both the Met Office and from our helicopters performing weather checks in advance of the main flypast on Saturday.
“If suitable, the flypast will continue as planned. If not, then there are options available to reduce the numbers of aircraft, with cancellation being the last resort.
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“Clearly there are many things the MoD does control, but the weather is not one of them.
“Safety will always be our primary concern.”