Why there were seven Red Arrows flying instead of nine…

Why there were seven Red Arrows flying instead of nine at Swansea Airshow

The second day of Wales Airshow 2022 is going well so far and Swansea Beach is full of people of all ages enjoying the action. After pandemic restrictions caused the event to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021, people are delighted to see the free event return this year - and Sunday's spectators are particularly looking forward to the RAF Red Arrows' display this evening.

The RAF Red Arrows first took to the skies above Swansea Beach on Saturday afternoon to impressed gasps and hushed silence from the crowd - but this quickly changed to applause and cheers. Locals and visitors alike marvelled at the planes' spins, turns, loops and shapes, performed with the Arrows' trademark patriotic red, white, and blue trails of smoke spilling behind them. See the best photos from Saturday here.

But some eagle-eyed spectators were left saying the same thing: there were only seven Red Arrows flying instead of nine. WalesOnline contacted the MoD to ask why this is. You can get more Swansea stories straight to your inbox by subscribing to our daily newsletter here.

Following intense training and an annual assessment, known as the Public Display Authority, the Red Arrows began their summer season a few weeks ago, their team explained. And with 2022 marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year, the RAF decided to have two different teams perform at events this year: a team of seven performing at various aerobatics events around the UK, and the full team of nine performing at the official Jubilee events in London.

In a statement on the RAF website, the Force explains: "In 2022, the Red Arrows are performing aerobatics with a seven-aircraft formation, while the team’s major national flypasts, such as those marking official Jubilee events in London, are carried out using nine jets.

"The first half of a display consists of synchronised, large shape aerobatics followed by a more dynamic second part, when the team splits up into smaller sections. Reds 6 and 7, the Synchro Pair, perform the highly-popular opposition manoeuvres during the latter part of the show."

What can we expect from the Red Arrows display on Sunday?

There's seven Red Arrows flying at Wales Airshow this weekend, instead of the typical squad of nine (Richard Swingler)

The Red Arrows set to perform a new 20-minute display of aerobatics which has been created and choreographed by Squadron Leader - and Red 1 - Tom Bould. He said: "It is with great pride and privilege the Red Arrows have opportunity to join with countless individuals and communities, across the United Kingdom and further afield, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, by performing a display full of creativity and excitement.

"The new show features lots of loops, rolls and shapes with our trademark patriotic red, white and blue trails, marking this important year and the very best of British.

"As a team, the Red Arrows are thrilled to be displaying at a range of events in the UK and overseas – in what has the potential to be the busiest season of shows by the team since before the pandemic.

“Every member of the team draws huge motivation from seeing these big crowds – we all share the same pleasure and enjoyment of watching the inspiration offered by aviation and teamwork.”

The Red Arrows are set to take to the skies above Swansea Beach this evening (Sunday) at 6pm - you can follow our live updates from the Wales Airshow here.