Tom Nation Opens Typhoon Season — Red Arrows Today
red arrows today: Flight Lieutenant Tom Nation, callsign Dragon01, has started the RAF Typhoon display season. The latest pilot says flying the aircraft was a childhood dream. The Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 is back on the display circuit after more than two decades as a regular feature.
Tom Nation at RAF Coningsby
Nation said, "Being the guy on the other side, actually in the cockpit, is pretty special." He also said, "I grew up going to air shows [and] I worked fast jet displays from the age of six," giving a direct view of why the role matters to him.
29 Squadron brings together specialists from across all aircraft trades, along with essential support and management staff, to deliver the display. That team is the one preparing the Typhoon for public flying across the summer, with Nation now the pilot carrying the sequence.
Typhoon Training Sequence
Pilots begin display training at 5,000ft near RAF Coningsby. The training flights typically follow coastlines, roads or runways, and pilots are then cleared to practise at a lower altitude over the base once they are confident with the sequence.
The base heights are progressively stepped down from 1,500ft to 500ft before the display is reviewed and the pilot is granted permission to perform it in front of a crowd. That process is the practical hurdle between rehearsal and the public show.
Summer Display Dates
The season includes 27 June at Cleethorpes Armed Forces Weekend, 28 June at Cleethorpes Armed Forces Weekend, and 28 June at Shuttleworth Festival of Flight. It also includes 24 July at Farnborough International Air Air Show, Pioneers of Tomorrow, flypast only.
Later dates include 14-16 August at Eastbourne International Air Show and 22-23 August at the Swedish Centenary Show at Malmen Air Base in Sweden. The team said it is looking forward to showcasing the aircraft to the general public, and the schedule now moves from training near RAF Coningsby to public appearances in the UK and Sweden.
