Red Arrows pull out of UK air shows after getting stranded in Canada

A number of top UK shows and festivals will have to go without a display from the much-loved Red Arrows after the pilots got stuck in Canada.

The RAF aerobatics team was touring the US with Operation Eagle Hawk, a series of shows to mark 250 years of the Declaration of Independence.

But a ‘prolonged period of forecasted poor weather’ meant their multi-national hop back to the UK – required because their single-engined Hawk aircraft cannot refuel midair – was hampered.

The pilots had been due to fly from the US to eastern Canada then on to Greenland and Iceland before returning home, but the conditions have left them stranded after the first stage.

As a result, the team has had to call off performances at Airbourne: Eastbourne International Airshow, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week.

The events will all otherwise go ahead as planned.

Wing Commander Sasha Nash, officer commanding the Red Arrows, said: ‘We are very sorry the Red Arrows cannot participate at these events and we are grateful to organisers and communities for their understanding.

‘Every effort is being made to ensure the Red Arrows can recommence the busy display season as soon as possible.

‘However, safety is the only factor that will determine the timing of the team’s return from Canada.’

In a statement, the team said scheduled engineering on the Hawks had been rearranged to make best use of time, so it took place in Canada instead of the UK.

The move would mean the return to the planned 2026 programme would be ‘as expedient and efficient as possible’.

Spectators should next be able to see the Red Arrows at Cromer Carnival and Air Display on August 19, before the pilots head to Sweden to mark the 100th anniversary of the Swedish Air Force in Linköping.

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