Watch: Slimmed-down Red Arrows still deliver spectacular display over the Midlands
Watch as the scaled-down Red Arrows display soared above the Midlands
Even with a reduced seven-jet formation, the Red Arrows still put on a brilliant display at the Midlands Air Festival.
The RAF has temporarily scaled back from its traditional nine-aircraft "Diamond Nine" formation to help preserve its ageing Hawk T1 fleet.
Today (Saturday) marked one of the busiest days of their 2026 calendar today, performing spectacular stunts over three counties.
The aircraft and engines are no longer in production, so engineers are carefully rotating and managing the remaining jets to keep them flying safely until their planned retirement in 2030.
It’s a reminder that behind every display is a huge effort from pilots, engineers, and support crews working to keep this iconic team in the air.
A little smaller this year, but no less impressive.
Dave Throup, retired Environment Agency area manager, shared a video of the famous jets as they soared above the Midlands.
What do you think of the seven-jet display?
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