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VE Day 80 RAF flypast: When and where to watch

VE Day 80 RAF flypast: When and where to watch

ITV News30-04-2025

Monday, May 5 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two and events are being planned to mark the occasion.
In London a VE Day military procession of more than 1,300 members of the armed forces, uniformed services and young people is planned.
The procession is due to travel from Parliament Square, along Whitehall and The Mall, before finishing at the Queen Victoria Memorial.
Subject to weather conditions, there will also be a flypast over Buckingham Palace and The Mall.
When and where can you watch the demonstrations?
Events will begin in Parliament Square at midday with a short ceremony, before the procession begins at 12.10pm.
The flypast is expected to take place at 1.45pm and will follow a path over Buckingham Palace and The Mall.
Viewing areas will be in place along the procession route on both sides of the Mall and entry to these is free.
Organisers have advised the public to arrive early if they want to ensure a space in these areas.
Those not in London will be able to watch the events on television and those on the south east coast might catch a glimpse of the formation as they make their way to London.
Flight restrictions on commercial planes being imposed by the government suggest a rough route and timings for when the planes might be flying overhead prior to the flypast.
Government flight restrictions suggest the following times and altitudes for the aircrafts participating.
Area A - between 11.45 & 14.45, up to 10,000ft
Area B - between 13.15 & 14.10 up to 5,000ft
Area C - between 13.20 & 14.10 up to 4,000ft
Area D - between 13.20 & 14.10 up to 3,000ft
Area E - between 13.25 & 14.10 up to 2,500ft
Area F - between 13.25 & 14.10 up to 2,500ft
Area G, H & I - between 13.25 & 14.10 up to 2,500ft
What will the flypast involve?
The RAF says the full flypast will see 23 aircrafts including the Red Arrows and the Lancaster Bomber from the Battle of Britain memorial flight.
The formation is also set to include Typhoon, A400M Atlas, C-17 Globemaster, Rivet Joint and Poseidon aircrafts.
Rehearsals for the event took place on Monday at RAF Cranwell, where the formation flew over RAF Cranwell's College Hall as a stand-in for Buckingham Palace.
Wing Commander Andrew Watson said: 'We are very proud to be able to show the nation and His Majesty The King, our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion, our capability and present that as a fitting and appropriate tribute for the millions of people who served in the Second World War.
"It should be a good spectacle for the nation and the Commonwealth."

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