RAF flypast over central London

The RAF will perform an enhanced Changing of the Guard and a flypast in front of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Cambridge and other members of the Royal Family on Friday, 10 July to mark the Battle of Britain 75th anniversary.

The Changing of the Guard takes place at 11:30am, and I would expect that the flypast takes place at the end -- at noon.

The flypast will comprise of four Spitfires and two Hurricanes from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and four Typhoon jets, showcasing the aircraft protecting UK skies then and now.

This will be followed by a Feu de Joie (‘Fire of Joy’ – a celebratory cascade of rifle fire) and Three Cheers for The Queen at Buckingham Palace.

The date is significant as 10 July 1940 is widely acknowledged as the start of the Battle of Britain, with a series of Luftwaffe attacks on shipping convoys off England’s south-east coast.

On that day, the RAF shot down 14 enemy aircraft and severely damaged 23 more, according to the then Air Ministry. Some 200 patrols were flown by RAF aircraft on 10 Jul 1940, involving 641 aircraft.