Originally Posted by
233SQN
Hello all.
As child I grew up in Hounslow under the approach to LHR 28R. I have vague recollections of RAF flypasts, I think, to mark the Queen's birthday and I'm guessing it was late 60s.
I think they happened most years and were typically made up of about 9 Hunters/Javelins/Lightnings travelling East to West over London and finishing over Hounslow before departing. I'm sure it caused some fun for LHR controllers and traffic!
Are there any details anywhere? When did they stop? (aside from the one off specials) ... I would love to know what aircraft were really involved, instead if what I think i remember of 50 years ago!
Yes, correct, Trooping the Colour flypast over Buck House, and they have never stopped (apart from last year due to Covid obviously)
What did happen was the routing changed by the early 80's, which took it further away from LHR.
By the late 80's they were making a sharper turn to the left soon after overflying Buck House and which took them in a north-west direction over Shepherds Bush and Wembley area, pretty much following the A1/M1 route out of the London area.
By the mid 90's they changed the routing again, and took a less tight turn to the left (except BBMF) and followed a route that closely followed the A40 west from London, and involved overflying RAF Northolt. This is still pretty much the route still used now.