Fifty days to go until Lincolnshire’s Red Arrows embark on biggest North American tour

Lincolnshire’s Red Arrows aerobatic display team have launched a 50-day count-down to a momentous tour of North America.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Jun 2019, 06:00 BST
Updated 23rd Jun 2019, 07:00 BST
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows perform a rolling display over Tanagra Air Base in Greece. Photo: Cpl Ashley Keates EMN-190622-013851001The Royal Air Force Red Arrows perform a rolling display over Tanagra Air Base in Greece. Photo: Cpl Ashley Keates EMN-190622-013851001
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows perform a rolling display over Tanagra Air Base in Greece. Photo: Cpl Ashley Keates EMN-190622-013851001

From August to October this year, the Red Arrows will be embarking on ‘Western Hawk 19’, a programme of shows and events across 18 major cities in the US and Canada.

The 10-week tour marks the largest and most ambitious deployment overseas by the Red Arrows in 25 years.

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Led by Antony Phillipson, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for North America, they will be joined by Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox and Defence secretary Penny Mordaunt during separate legs of the trip.

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The RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team in action. EMN-190622-014024001The RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team in action. EMN-190622-014024001
The RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team in action. EMN-190622-014024001

Tours by the RAF Scampton-based team are usually treated as a promotional tool for British industry - particularly defence - as well as delighting their international aviation fans around the globe, taking in such iconic landmarks as Niagara Falls and Mount Rushmore.

Making the announcement Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox said: “The Red Arrows are an iconic symbol of what makes Britain great. By sharing the experience, skill and spirit brought by their air and ground crews, we will once again demonstrate why the special relationship between our nations continues to endure.”

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt added: “The United Kingdom shares a longstanding and special defence relationship with both Canada and the US. Sending our world-famous RAF Red Arrows to demonstrate the best of British offers a clear indication of the UK’s global ambitions and will provide a unique opportunity to deepen our partnerships with two of our closest allies.”

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The Red Arrows have performed almost 5,000 times in 57 countries since 1965, and the tour this summer will be the largest deployment to North America in a generation.

The Red Arrows with one of their Hawk jets on the ground with their American aerobatic colleagus the Blue Angels (US Navy F18s), the US Thunderbirds (F16) and Canadian Snowbirds (CT-144 Tutors) in Quebec in 2008 during their Western Arrow tour. Photo: SAC Ben Stevenson EMN-190622-013908001The Red Arrows with one of their Hawk jets on the ground with their American aerobatic colleagus the Blue Angels (US Navy F18s), the US Thunderbirds (F16) and Canadian Snowbirds (CT-144 Tutors) in Quebec in 2008 during their Western Arrow tour. Photo: SAC Ben Stevenson EMN-190622-013908001
The Red Arrows with one of their Hawk jets on the ground with their American aerobatic colleagus the Blue Angels (US Navy F18s), the US Thunderbirds (F16) and Canadian Snowbirds (CT-144 Tutors) in Quebec in 2008 during their Western Arrow tour. Photo: SAC Ben Stevenson EMN-190622-013908001

Throughout the tour there will be an integrated programme of trade missions and business engagement, involving the display team and ground crew.

The UK and US have a $240bn-a-year trade relationship. One million people are employed in each other’s countries and the US is the UK’s single largest export market.

Key North America tour dates (subject to change):

August 5: Red Arrows depart RAF Scampton

A small east coast flyby in New York the Red Arrows did during their 2008 Western Arrow tour. EMN-190622-013935001A small east coast flyby in New York the Red Arrows did during their 2008 Western Arrow tour. EMN-190622-013935001
A small east coast flyby in New York the Red Arrows did during their 2008 Western Arrow tour. EMN-190622-013935001

August 7: arrive in Canada - Halifax

August 13: Gatineau Airshow, Greater Ottawa, Canada

August 22-25: New York

August 25-27: Washington, DC

Taken during the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford, the Red Arrows and USAF Thunderbirds F16s performed a flypast over the crowd line. Pictured here they are formed up just before putting smoke in 2017 visiting the UK for the 70 anniversary of the US Airforce. Photo: SAC Hannah Smoker EMN-190622-014011001Taken during the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford, the Red Arrows and USAF Thunderbirds F16s performed a flypast over the crowd line. Pictured here they are formed up just before putting smoke in 2017 visiting the UK for the 70 anniversary of the US Airforce. Photo: SAC Hannah Smoker EMN-190622-014011001
Taken during the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford, the Red Arrows and USAF Thunderbirds F16s performed a flypast over the crowd line. Pictured here they are formed up just before putting smoke in 2017 visiting the UK for the 70 anniversary of the US Airforce. Photo: SAC Hannah Smoker EMN-190622-014011001

August 28: Niagara Falls

August 31 – 2 September 2: Toronto Airshow

September 16-17: Denver, Rocky Mountains

September 24-26: Vancouver

October 1-2: San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge

October 9: Mount Rushmore

October 15: return to RAF Scampton

Related topics:Red ArrowsPenny MordauntCanadaLincolnshire