Queen's Birthday Flypast
Do you know what I think is pathetic? The whining on here.
The decision to cancel will not have been taken lightly. I flew in a QBF in 2006 and I remember the briefing well and the pressure to perform. The formation leader will have wanted to put on a show as much as the next man. However he/she will also have been aware of how bad it would have looked in the event of a weather abort into airspace or to put a jet into downtown London. Instead of being lambasted I think he/she is probably to be congratulated for having the balls to make the call. As someone has already said the weather over London is not the only consideration. Getting there from their marshall area may well have been the problem.
This is in no way reflects the military's capability to wage war on our enemies. Peace time flypasts over densely populated areas, beneath some of the worlds busiest airspace are not quite the same thing and don't carry quite the same importance.
If the Queen had wanted some bombs to be dropped on the Palace that could have been done regardless of the weather.
If our enemies ever ask for a mass flypast of their capital city in iffy weather and we are unable to comply then I will happily admit that our military has gone down the toilet.
Grow up please gentlemen.
BV