The Red Arrows are set to fly over Greater Manchester this weekend, it has been confirmed. The world-famous aerobatics display team of the RAF will be taking part in the Southport Airshow this weekend. In updated flight routes, it has now been revealed that the team will fly directly over Greater Manchester as they make their way home on Sunday.
Route and timing
The route will see the team fly over Lymm, onto Altrincham and then directly over the city centre, before heading out into Tameside and Oldham. From there, the team will fly back to their base at RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire. The team is expected over Manchester from around 5.15pm.
Hospital flypast
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust says the Red Arrows will be doing the flypast to 'support them and create a memorable moment' for the children receiving care at the Children's Hospital. In a post, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: "We're excited to share that this bank holiday weekend we're in for a real treat - and we want you to enjoy it with us..."
"The world-famous RAF Red Arrows will be carrying out a flypast over Royal Manchester Children's Hospital this Sunday at around 5.15pm - subject to weather and other operational factors on the day."
"The flypast will form part of the team’s existing, planned transit back to their Lincolnshire home base, having displayed earlier at the Southport Airshow. We're delighted that they've chosen to support us and help create a memorable moment for all the children receiving care with us in hospital, their families, and the dedicated staff who support them every day."
Weather concerns
The Red Arrows were due to appear at Sidmouth Regatta today but were forced to cancel their appearance due to storms. As of Friday, rain was forecast in Southport on Saturday afternoon. In an update on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Red Arrows said: "With poor weather into the bank holiday weekend, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team will be doing all it can to get to planned events and displays."
They added: "At this stage, displays in Clacton and Southport are unaffected but airshow crowds should continue to monitor official event and team social media pages."
