Where are flypasts happening across the North East this summer? Where to see the Red Arrows, memorial flights and more

Air show season is here, and this is what you can catch over the summer.
Jason Button
By Jason Button
Published 26th May 2022, 17:48 BST
Where are flypasts happening across the North East this summer? Where to see the Red Arrows, memorial flights and more. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)Where are flypasts happening across the North East this summer? Where to see the Red Arrows, memorial flights and more. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Where are flypasts happening across the North East this summer? Where to see the Red Arrows, memorial flights and more. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Sunderland Air Show may have been cancelled for a third consecutive year in 2022, but there are some opportunities for flight fanatics to see some iconic jets this summer.

The event, which last took place in 2019, is a major fixture in the city’s calendar where displays from the RAF and Royal Navy take place on Roker’s seafront alongside live music and other family entertainment.

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Teesside Airshow is another prominent show in the region and there is a busy schedule at this year’s event. The Red Arrows are scheduled to make their first North East appearance of the year at the Teesside International Airport event on June 11.

The RAF’s Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight will also be making an appearance on the same day. Operating out of Lincolnshire, the series of planes includes a Hawker Hurricane and Spitfire and is used to commemorate those who lost their lives at war.

Other displays on the day include the RAF Typhoon Display Team, the RAF Falcons and a series of other aerobatic teams.

The Red Arrows will also be returning to the North East at the start of September as part of their traditional flyover of the Great North Run. The huge North East event returns to its regular finishing spot in South Shields this year with the planes expected to fly over the Tyne Bridge on Sunday September 11.

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No flyovers have been confirmed by either the Durham County Show or Northumberland County Show for this year.

Likewise, no official flypasts are expected to hit the North East for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee this summer, with rehearsals for the main event only reaching as far as Hull on the East coast of the country before the official display which is set to remain around Norfolk, London and the eastern Home Counties.

Why are there so few flypasts in the North East?

The lack of flypasts in the North East is predominantly due to the lack of RAF bases. The only North East base is RAF Boulmer in Northumberland which is predominantly used for defensive and contingent training purposes.

Elsewhere, there is one base in Cumbria and four in North Yorkshire.

Related topics:Red ArrowsNorth EastRAFRoyal NavyLincolnshire