Is the Royal Air Tattoo cancelled? Why BBMF flypast at Fairford airshow isn’t on and latest weather forecast

The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) has been forced to pull out of planned displays at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) due to bad weather.

Announcing the news on Twitter on Thursday, BBMF said: “We are very disappointed to confirm that our displays at @airtattoo on Friday and Saturday will not be going ahead due to the weather. We hope everyone attending still enjoys what promises to be a great show, and our PR team will still be there in the RAF experience zone!”

The display team considered taking the planes to the tattoo for a static display, but this was not feasible due to them having to remain outdoors overnight.

What is the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight?

BBMF operates from RAF Coningsby, a Typhoon base, in Lincolnshire. It includes six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Lancaster, a C47 Dakota, and two Chipmunk aircraft, flown by regular RAF aircrew.

The crew put on displays across the UK from May to September each year. They are flown to celebrate and commemorate public and military events from state occasions such as Trooping the Colour to major air shows and flypasts for public events.

The RAF says: “The mission of the RAF BBMF is to maintain the priceless artefacts of our national heritage in airworthy condition in order to commemorate those who have fallen in the service of this country. The RAF BBMF also serves to promote the modern day Air Force and to inspire the future generations.”

When is the Royal International Air Tattoo?

The RIAT takes place from Friday 14 July until Sunday 16 July this year.

Around 150,000 people will flock to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for the RIAT this weekend. The tattoo’s central theme this year is “the vital role of air-to-air refuelling in modern military aviation”. 

As always hundreds of aircraft from all over the world will be on display, including a performance from the Red Arrows.

The RIAT website states: “RAF Fairford will be buzzing with excited visitors and the Cotswolds will echo once again with the thrilling sights and sounds of several hundred aircraft of all shapes and sizes, from all eras and countries of the world, gathering for this unique adrenalin-fuelled occasion.”

Find out more about the show, including how to get tickets, here.

What is the weather forecast?

The Met Office is predicting a rainy start to the RIAT on Friday. It is expected to be wet until the early evening, when conditions should start to dry out a little.

There will be patchy thunderstorms on Saturday morning with showers continuing through the afternoon, though there may be occasional patches of sunshine.

On Sunday the weather will take a turn for the better, with a mixture of sunshine and cloud, and some showers possible in the morning.

Temperatures will be in the high teens throughout the weekend.