These striking pictures show the UK’s Red Arrows flying in formation with the British Airways Boeing 747 in BOAC livery at The Royal International Air Tattoo on Saturday.
Flight BA100 led the air tattoo’s display and was flanked by nine Hawk jets belonging to the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team.
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The special Boeing 747 has been painted in the airline’s predecessor BOAC livery to mark the airline’s centenary this year.
Senior First Officer Tom Perrins was at the controls, while Captain Richard Allen-Williams was in command of the aircraft. They were joined on the flight deck by Captain Simon Scholey and Captain Jonny Lutton.
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Also on board was cabin crew member Julia Lowes whose brother Flight Lieutenant Dan Lowes is Red 9.
“I only joined British Airways four months ago and this is Dan’s last year flying in the Reds so the timing couldn’t be more perfect,” Lowes said.
“Dan and I have both pursued our dream careers, but to fly together is something I’d never have imagined. It was fantastic watching Dan in action from the BOAC aircraft.
“Aviation is a very much a family affair as our Dad was a 747 Captain and our younger brother is a First Officer.”
Captain Allen-Williams said he hoped the BOAC liveried Boeing747 provided “a wonderfully nostalgic moment” for the Air Tattoo audience.
The airline has a long history of displaying in the Air Tattoo and first joined the flying program in 1985 when Concorde and the Red Arrows flew together in a dramatic display.
In the early 2000s, several British Airways 747s and 777s performed a fly-past, and in 2013, the airline performed with the Red Arrows once again, to the delight of the large air tattoo crowd.
Three of the photso above are taken by Peter Steehouwer one of the world’s best aircarft photographers. Peter takes up his story:
“Since 1975 (44 years ago) I visited airshows, military exercises, and other aviation events in the: United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Replublic, Poland, Hungary, Malta, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Bahrain, Morocco, Japan, Russia (Moscow, Zhukovsky) and United States (California, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Arizona, Florida and New Mexico).
“Also some US Navy carriers: USS Nimitz CVN-68 in the Persian Gulf (a visit in June 2003 and May 2007), and USS Constellation CV-64 in San Francisco CA, USA
“When I am at airshows I photograph the airplanes for 99% in action (some times ground/static pictures), but most pictures are taken from “ground to air”
“I started in 1997 with my website : ‘Airshow Action Photo Gallery’
