Iconic Royal Air Force aerobatic team the Red Arrows will take to the skies over Kent this summer.

The nine-strong display team will open the Battle of Britain Airshow at Headcorn on Friday, June 25, with a full display in what is their 57th season.

They last performed in July 2019, at the Royal International Air Tattoo, but the pandemic forced event organisers to cancel displays.

Now, under the command of Squadron Leader Tom Bould, the team has been granted its public display authority (PDA) allowing the pilots to show off their breathtaking talents to aviation enthusiasts.

"This is the culmination of several months of hard work and everyone’s dedication to the task has brought us to this point, whether they be fellow pilots in the team or our highly-trained support staff," said Squadron Leader Bould.

"Being my first PDA as Red 1, I feel incredibly honoured to have led the team to this point and to now have the opportunity to present a new show - featuring all the energy, excitement and excellence that airshow audiences expect and enjoy."

In July the team will be appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex and at the Duxford Summer Airshow in Cambridgeshire.

During the pandemic the Red Arrows carried out several major flypasts, including marking the 75th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day, and ran an online outreach programme.

They also trained their home base, RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, before moving overseas for more settled weather on Exercise Springhawk.

During that overseas training RAF Air Officer Commanding, 1 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Al Marshall deemed them to be safe and visually appealing ahead of the new season.

This summer's four-month campaign will display some of the team's most impressive formations, including Swan and the Big Vixen Roll.

There will also be several new moves, such as the Boomerang, and even an all-blue-smoke trail as a symbol of thanks to the NHS and key workers.

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