Royal Navy ready for Yeovilton Air Day

Everything is ready for the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton International Air Day 2016 to take to the skies on Saturday, July 2.

In its seventieth anniversary (the first event was staged in 1947), Air Day is one of the Royal Navy’s premier annual events and among the South West’s key single-day shows, attracting up to 40,000 spectators.

Air Day 2016’s theme is Naval Aviation – Past, Present & Future. Royal Navy will remember a landmark engagement of 75 years ago when Swordfish biplanes helped sink a key German Navy battleship.

The service will also say farewell to the maritime Lynx, paying tribute to the Fleet Air Arm’s outgoing small ships helicopter, which will be retired in March 2017.

The event will host three world-class international display teams, with Air Day newcomer the Polish Air Force’s Orlik Aerobatic Team joining the RAF Red Arrows and the Royal Jordanian Falcons.

Additionally, the B-17G Flying Fortress ‘Sally B’ – Europe’s only flying example of the famed US WW2 bomber, will make its first Air Day appearance in over 15 years.

Other highlights will include arena & music displays, international fast jet flight demonstrations and a static park with a line-up of huge overseas military aircraft including an E-3A Sentry, C-17 Globemaster and C-160D Transall. Most of them will be opened up to the general public.