View from Red1's jet. Weather looks pretty marginal to me.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHYrIZ-UkAEvSBH.jpg

IMHO a tough decision, but in the circumstances the correct one. The Leader may not have accolades from the man on the Clapham omnibus but he should have them from his/her boss. Good call.

QB Flypast
 

Well said BV!

To those whining about the poor perception of the RAF by the Great British Public, you should be ready to step in to say what a great job the Reds did to get there at all! The weather was right on the ragged edge but the C-in-C and her family (and all the rest of us) still got a fine show of red. white & blue.

Putting together a multi-type formation needs much better weather than today offered. Instead of bitching about it, do your bit to inform the GBP that the RAF can operate in poor weather, but over Central London is not the safest place to do it!

Come on guys - try to be positive! :ugh:

MaB

Fair play Bob Viking, and once again thanks for the explanation.


When you took part in the QBF, may I ask what you were flying if that's ok?


TO

Queen's Birthday Flypast
 

I was flying a Jaguar on the wing of a tanker. I can't remember if it was a Tristar or VC10. It was a special birthday, I believe it was her 80th. It was a pretty big formation. Of course some of the older guys on here will say it was piffling in comparison to the flypasts from the 50s etc. Anyone who's knows her age better than me can confirm if 2006 would have been her 80th.
BV

Sad, of course, but reality often intrudes into the best laid plans. Bloody shame, move swiftly on.

Mind you, when we had a real Air Force ... :rolleyes:

BV, correct, my MiL is a year older and we just celebrated her 90th.

Some pathetic comments on this thread.
The only officially IMC capable mass formation flypast I ever took part in was RAF 90, all others (QBF's etc) are "VMC". The decision to scrub will have been a bitter pill but, :ok: as I have seen some almighty cock-ups where pressonitis has occured.
Anyway, well done to all who flew or were scrubbed!:D

OAP

Timelord asked: Skill! :ok:

Lol...


Just glad she is still with us to see it, post Betty isn't something I relish, she is one of the last of what made us special, if that makes sense...

She seems to rise above all the worlds woes and outwardly appears to hold a neutral stance, neither commenting for nor against. Sadly something I see dying out with her generation.

Thanks BV-must have been a proud day.


Just seen this from the RAF Facebook page:


Well folks, that didn’t quite turn out as planned!


Sadly most of our aircraft due to take part in today’s Queen’s Birthday ‪#‎Flypast‬ were stood down due to ve...ry poor weather conditions in the holding and egress patterns outside London – the areas where our aircraft join up and then exit the flypast – and on the main route into London itself.


We know many of you were as disappointed as us that the full line-up wasn't able to fly through. It was a tough call; we have an all-weather capability on operations but quite rightly there are stricter rules governing displays over built up areas.


Fortunately the RAF Red Arrows had forward deployed from RAF Scampton to Biggin Hill Airport and were able to complete their part of the flypast; here they are roaring over The British Monarchy's Buckingham Palace to mark HM The Queen’s Official Birthday.

Well done the Reds! A classic example of why they are seen by the GBP as the face of the Royal Air Force, and of which I for one am very proud. :ok:

I was involved in the QBF in 98. It should have been cancelled before take off, but the leader didn't want to throw away the 3 months of planning and coordination that had gone into it. It resulted in a near miss between 4 jags and a Tristar (all IMC) directly over Buck House. There were two formal debriefs and an IFS investigation. The rules for multi aircraft flypasts are quite clear and the cloud base in particular gets more stringent the more ac involved.

Moving on ...

Anyone got a clue as to why HRH Prince Charles and HRH Prince William were wearing differing Pilot Brevets ? Clearly both are in Guards Dress uniform and both were trained/graduated from RAF Flying Training ... so why the difference :confused:

http://media.skynews.com/media/image...-1-960x720.jpg

Image Credit : Sky News

Just interested ...

Queen's Birthday Flypast
 

That press release almost looks like it was written after reading this thread! Big Brother may be watching.
BV

Coff

The Prince of Wales is the Colonel-in-Chief of the AAC, thus the reason for the army wings.

Playing devil's advocate here, and trying to see it as Joe Public sees it when all goes to plan. At the end of the parade when the royal party are up on the balcony what happens? A few very small formations of sundry aircraft come stooging down The Mall at a safe but not very exciting height. First you get a big one with a couple of little ones. Then maybe two big ones and two little ones. Then a few helicopters. Then maybe four little ones all the same shape and size. Oh and the BBMF (but for how much longer?).

Then you get the Red Arrows streaming red, white and blue smoke.

I'm guessing that this is the only bit of the flypast that really impresses anyone, unless they have a particular interest in military aviation. Frankly I doubt if many in the crowd today missed the cancelled aircraft, as at least they got to see the Reds. Is it all worth the three months of planning and coordination that handleturning describes?

Just sayin'!

Incidentally social media (twitter etc) is alive with chat about the Duchess of Cambridge's hat - obviously of much greater interest than the lack of a flypast!

POW Brevet
 

Looks like AAC, whilst DOC has an RAF brevet?

Thanks MJ ... Got the reason for AAC Brevet with HRH Prince Charles ... But as 111 mentions ... Why is the DOC seemingly at odds. HRH Prince Philip was also wearing AAC Brevet :confused:

I seem to have read a lot of misguided comment on here.
Perhaps the dissenters will take a comment from someone who was there when the BBMF was trying to depart for the QBF.

I had also been waiting to depart west for over 2 hours but the conditions were p.poor and I binned.
Btw, I'm also an ex-military pilot.

First of all, could it be that the BBMF are allowed to fly VFR only, unlike the Reds ?

The weather at White Waltham was pretty bad this morning with limited visibility and a generally low cloud base.

At the time the BBMF were trying to depart with a five ship, I estimate the cloud base was 400 to 700 feet variable with patchy light rain. The conditions were such that the leader cancelled because it was a job seeing the other guy whilst joining up.
The last aircraft was even aborted during his take-off.
It would have been dangerous and unprofessional to continue.

In my opinion it was a tough call in the circumstances but the correct one.