Those waiting for the Red Arrows to fly over Bolton may have felt a little disappointed when looking up at 11.56am today.
Although there were no clouds in the sky in Bolton, there were also no Red Arrows as their display at Southport Airshow was called off at the last minute.
Despite disappointment from fans, the Officer Commanding, Adam Collins, explained via Twitter why heavy showers and tight airspace timings meant the show could not go on.
He said: “We’re disappointed that we couldn’t display at the Southport airshow, but unexpected heavy showers, localised to Blackpool meant the runway would not be safe for us to land on after the display.
A really useful thread by the Officer Commanding explaining how safety will always be our priority and how the weather and the timing of restricted airspace dictates what’s possible. ⬇️ https://t.co/QIflgIums2
— Red Arrows (@rafredarrows) September 9, 2023
“None of the other airfields close to Southport were available for use this weekend.
“Unfortunately the runway wouldn’t have dried in time for our display.
“Delaying until later in the day isn’t an option - we have a large column of restricted airspace specifically for our safety that is only active for a few minutes either side of our planned display time window.
Photos capture the Red Arrows flyover Bolton with famous formation
“That restricted airspace time window is booked weeks in advance with the Civil Aviation Authority and cannot be changed on the day.
“It’s limited in duration to allow other aircraft into the area when we’re not planning to fly.”
Unfortunately, our display at @SouthportAir has been cancelled due to a very wet runway at the operating base of Blackpool Airport and low cloud, unsuitable for close formation display flying.
— Red Arrows (@rafredarrows) September 9, 2023
The RAF's Red Arrows team is known for its distinctive diamond nine formation, and has been displaying since 1965.
Although they could not fly today, people around Bolton were snapping shots of the incredible sight yesterday when they flew over at around 4.16pm.
The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows team is one of the world most outstanding aerobatic display teams and is the public face of the RAF - showcasing its speed, agility and precision.
For the latest flypast information visit https://www.military-airshows.co.uk/press23/redarrowsschedule2023.htm.
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