RAF Red Arrows and Gripen Jets to Fly over Prague on Thursday
After 13 years, the British aerobatic team , the Red Arrows are back in the Czech Republic
Photo: Royal Air Force (RAF)
On Thursday, Prague will witness a spectacular aerial display: Two Gripen jets of the Czech Air Force will fly alongside ten aircraft of the British aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, over the city.
Tomorrow, Thursday, 18 September, the Czech capital will witness this special aviation event at 3 pm: According to online magazine Natoaktual.cz, a formation of two JAS-39 Gripen jets of the Czech Air Force and ten aircraft of the legendary Red Arrows will fly over Prague. The highlight of the flypast will be a low-level pass at around 300 metres above Charles Bridge – complete with coloured smoke trails.
Photo: Royal Air Force (RAF)
The Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force (RAF) aerobatic team, are preparing for the upcoming NATO Days in Ostrava as well as the Czech Air Force Days (Dny Vzdušných sil Armády ČR), where they will also perform. With their red-painted BAE Hawk T1 aircraft, the pilots aim not only to honour the Czech Air Force but also to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The last time Prague residents saw a flypast of Czech and allied jets was in March last year, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s NATO accession.
The formation will approach Prague from the north, assemble in an arrowhead formation over Václav Havel Airport, test its smoke trails and then fly south over the western outskirts of the city. From there, the jets will follow the Vltava from south to north, allowing them to perform their aerobatic manoeuvres with coloured smoke trails over Charles Bridge at 3 pm. The formation will then turn towards Kbely before continuing to Leoš Janáček Airport in Ostrava.
Photo: Royal Air Force (RAF)
The British aerobatic team Red Arrows was founded in 1964 and traditionally performs with nine red-painted aircraft. It is one of the most renowned aerobatic teams in the world and is famous for its precise, tightly flown formations. All pilots have extensive combat experience on supersonic jets such as the Eurofighter Typhoon.
