A much cooler and cloudier London than of previous days saw the official celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the formation of the RAF (on 1 April 1918). This took the form of a service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abby attended by almost the entire Royal Family, a parade by the RAF Regiment and others and of course a flypast of 100 aircraft. It seemed an opportunity not to be missed so I took myself down to The Mall to add my support.
I joined many, many thousands of people of the widest possible demographic who had all come together to show their respect and to thank the amazing role the RAF has played for this country over the last century. It was a very moving experience to be part of such a large crowd.
Whilst not strictly a Water Conservator event, I did reflect on two things as I waited for the fly past. One, that despite the vast array of technology now employed to navigate multi-million pound aircraft in all possible weather conditions, the River Thames is still the landmark that pilots use to get them home safe – and will continue to do so in the future, whatever the size of aircraft or the pilots experience.
And secondly, it is vital that the Livery and the City continue to support the Armed Services who do such an important role for the country and across the world in keeping us at peace, despite continued spending cuts. The Water Conservators are proud of their association with all three services and particularly on this occasion, with the RAF.
Pictures cannot do justice to the amazing sight of 100 aircraft – from WWII to the present day, including one of only two airworthy Lancaster bombers in the world – screaming down The Mall at low altitude to the applause of the crowd. But it was a privilege to be there.
Picture shows the closing display by the Red Arrows. What a sight!
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