---
title: "The RAF Celebrated The Queen’s 90th Today With This Aerial Parade Over Buckingham Palace"
description: "Sure beats blowing out some half-melted candles."
date: "2016-06-11"
modified: "2016-06-11"
authors:
  - name: "Tyler Rogoway"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway"
url: "https://www.twz.com/3933/the-raf-celebrated-the-queens-90th-today-with-this-aerial-parade-over-buckingham-palace"
categories:
  - "Air"
  - "Air Forces"
  - "Around The Globe"
  - "Europe"
  - "History"
  - "News & Features"
  - "People"
  - "Royal Air Force"
  - "United Kingdom"
tags:
  - "Buckingham Palace"
  - "Flyovers"
  - "parades"
  - "Queen of England"
  - "RAF"
  - "Red Arrows"
---

# The RAF Celebrated The Queen’s 90th Today With This Aerial Parade Over Buckingham Palace

![](<https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-twz/content/archive-images/wafaf.png>)
*www.twz.com*

The Queen of England has turned 90 years old, and the streets of London are packed for the celebration. The Royal Air Force took part in this super-sized birthday bash of sorts with a parade flyover of Buckingham Palace.

Nearly every type of aircraft in RAF service was featured in today’s spectacle, as well as a couple of heritage aircraft. Here is the official lineup:

https://twitter.com/_/status/741266154296115200

Although it was not as large as some flyovers from the past—no surprise, as these things continue to shrink as the years go by—it was really cool seeing the RAF’s new [RC-135 Rivet Joint/Airseeker](<https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/profile-rc-135w-rivet-joint/>) as the centerpiece of one of the flyover’s main elements.

![gettyimages-539393616a.jpg](<https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/gettyimages-539393616a.jpg>)
**JUSTIN TALLIS / Stringer**

Check out the whole aerial display, below, and note that the Red Arrows even made the Queen smile, a rare enough occurrence that [when it happens, it makes news](<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/9262575/Childs-innocent-hug-brings-smile-to-the-face-of-the-Queen.html>). Who can blame her? Seeing the Red Arrows pushing it up with their signature red, white, and blue smoke smearing across the sky is always a sight to behold. When it's all for you, well, that's a whole other realm of reality to experience.

Author's note: *Sky News*'s footage is no longer available but the BBC footage (shown below) is. Sadly it does not have the cool air-to-air shots that the other video did, but still it is quality video of the vent.

https://youtube.com/embed/OM1mZexQCqs

*Contact the author Tyler@thedrive.com*

## Author
Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel>)