Red Arrows In The United States

For the first time since the 2019 Airshow season, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, commonly known as the Red Arrows, flew their BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft over to the United States of America to help celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the country. Dubbed “Operation Eagle Hawk”, the Red Arrows brought a total of 10 Hawk T1 trainer aircraft to various locations across the United States, including EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. 

The journey from RAF Waddington to their first stop in the United States, Martin State Airport. Includes the various types of aircraft they used to support the flight across the Atlantic. 

The Red Arrows used many different types of aircraft to help them cross the Atlantic safely, a task made much more difficult by the Hawk T1's inability to take fuel from air-to-air refueling platforms like the Voyager KC2 and KC3 used by the RAF. With a total of 8 stops covering 4,000 Nautical Miles, the RAF Red Arrows needed more support; in typical fashion, they brought Atlas A400M transports to bring personnel and equipment necessary for their operations. Alongside the Atlas was a Poseidon MRA1 for possible Search and Rescue operations in the unfortunate circumstance that one of the ten Hawk aircraft suffered a crash, and an Envoy IV CC1 for Command and Control. The Red Arrows completed the Atlantic crossing without fault in four days, arriving at Martin State Airport on June 20th for Sail 250 and Airshow Baltimore. 

The Red Arrows completed their first show in Baltimore, Maryland, and headed on to the International Aerial Review to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America. Nearly 180 aircraft from almost 10 nations flew over one of the biggest cities in the world to celebrate the day the United States came to be. The Red Arrows flew over Lady Liberty on the Hudson River as the finale of the International Aerial Review. Executing one of their biggest stops of the whole tour with perfection, stunning crowds all around the Hudson River with their red, white, and blue smoke, colored to resemble the flag of the United States.

After the International Aerial Review, the Red Arrows made their way to the Fourleaf Air Show in New York to perform alongside another foreign team, Fursan Al Emarat, the United Arab Emirates Aerobatic Team. After yet another successful performance at the Fourleaf Air Show, the Red Arrows proceeded to stop at the Great State of Maine Air Show in Brunswick, Maine, and then on to Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show. They flawlessly executed their performance through smoky skies from Canadian wildfires and a beautiful sun behind them. During the airshow, they flew alongside Captain Taylor “FEMA” Hiester and the US Air Force Viper Demo Team. Showcasing a beautiful formation of both the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Hawk T1. After completing Thunder Over Michigan, it was time for the Red Arrows first ever appearance at the big stage, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the world's largest Air Show.

While en route to EAA AirVenture, the team had trouble: a few of their Hawk T1 aircraft had to return to Gary, Indiana, prompting the entire team to divert back to Indiana to ensure the rest of the aircraft arrived safely and they could all arrive at once. Later that day, after the show concluded, the RAF Red Arrows flew overhead behind the crowd, marking their first-ever appearance at the world's biggest aviation celebration. Over the course of three days, the Red Arrows performed, aweing the crowd at the biggest stage possible, through trouble on show one with one of the jets bugging out early due to a problem that forced him out of the formation; the team prevailed through and provided a fantastic display of precision that rivals those of the US Navy Blue Angels and USAF Thunderbirds. The Oshkosh crowd absolutely loved the Red Arrows, with record attendance that reached over 734,000 people; the Red Arrows performed in the largest AirVenture to date. EAA AirVenture concluded the Red Arrows' tour of the United States, but unfortunately, trouble struck again. Bad weather up north kept the Reds in the United States for an extended time. It took them until August 17th to arrive home, almost a month after EAA AirVenture began. Over the tour, the Red Arrows flew over 11,500 nautical miles, showing the United States the precision flying that all pilots in the Royal Air Force can demonstrate. The United States Tour was a huge success, and the people cannot wait for their return. The Red Arrows will continue their summer airshow season back home in the United Kingdom starting at Cromer Carnival on August 19th.