These are the VE Day Red Arrows and Spitfire flypast routes - and who is being honoured

This is everything you need to know about the Red Arrows schedule for VE Day (Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)This is everything you need to know about the Red Arrows schedule for VE Day (Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
This is everything you need to know about the Red Arrows schedule for VE Day (Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

Friday 8 May is the 75th anniversary of VE Day, which stands for Victory in Europe Day, and while many public celebrations have had to be put on hold due to lockdown restrictions, the iconic Red Arrow show is still going ahead.

This is everything you need to know about the official Red Arrow and spitfire VE Day schedule and their confirmed routes.

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The Red Arrow flight path and times

The Red Arrows left their base at RAF Scampton at 9:37am this morning, before transiting down the east coast of England to reach Westminster at 10:10am for a flypast across the capital.

According to the official UK Aviation website, the Red Arrows were then due to return to RAF Scampton just after 10:30am.

The spitfires are set to pass over Worthing’s Care Home for Veterans in Worthing at 1:20pm, according to The Care for Veterans website, “give or take five minutes either side”.

The next step for the spitfires is to head out north from Waterlooville to the home of Captain Tom Moore, the army veteran who raised millions for the NHS, in Marston Moretaine, before heading southeast to Maistone and down to East Sussex.

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At 3pm, the Royal Air Force will light up Buckingham Palace with a colour air show in celebration and remembrance of VE Day.

Those in the local area should be able to see the fly-over from the comfort of their homes - the general public have been advised not to head out to local parks to see the show as this would be a violation of the current social distancing and lockdown measures set out by the government.

The people and locations honoured with a fly-past

These are the eleven people and locations across the UK to be noted with a special fly past from the spitfires, organised by The Daily Mail:

  • Wellington Vale Care Home, Waterloovillle: Veteran Thomas Hymon is among the 60 residentsSquadron Leader Stanley Booker, Bracknell: RAF veteran who was shot down over France in 1944
  • Rayners Care Home, Hyde Heath: all of the residents are from the Second World War generation
  • Colonel Tom Moore, Marston Moretaine: the veteran who has become a national fundraising hero, raising millions for the NHS amid the coronavirus outbreak
  • Leading Aircraftman Dennis Hanigan, Horton Kirkby: RAF veteran who told the Mail that he is “obsessed” with Spitfires
  • Sapper George Batts, Maidstone: D-Day verteran who spend five days clearing landmines at D-Day
  • Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead: served as the centre for reconstructive surgery for wounded pilots during WWII
  • Vera Lynn, East Sussex: “The Forces’ Sweetheart”, who is playing a huge role in the VE Day celebrations with a nationwide singalong of ‘We’ll Meet Again’
  • Blind Veterans UK, Ovingdean: The centre houses several members over the age of 100
  • Care for Veterans, Worthing: the nursing and rehabilitation charity has three residents who are WWII veterans
  • Lieutenant Michael De Burgh: a tank commander who was wounded just before VE Day in 1945
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