2023 Trooping the Colour – Wattisham Airfield

The traditional annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in London was an especially historic event in 2023 as it was the first one under the reign of the new King, Charles III. Officially called The King’s Birthday Parade, this event marks the Sovereign’s official birthday and comprises numerous march-pasts by various military regiments.

A fly-past over Buckingham Palace is usually the climax to the event which draws many thousands of spectators and tourists to The Mall to watch it.

A large flypast was planned for 2023, with the rotary wing element of it assembling at AAC Wattisham before heading towards London.

Merlins, Wildcat and Junos ready to form up

Wattisham hosted the rotary wing elements of the flypast with various types of helicopters from numerous bases across the UK congregating here before forming up into the individual elements and departing in turn.

Timing is essential as the slower helicopter elements will be being caught up by the faster transport and even faster fast-jet elements behind, with the aim of arriving over Buckingham Palace in a steady stream, despite the differing airspeeds of the different types.

Rotary Wing Element 1

This comprised three Airbus Juno HT1s from 1 Flying Training School based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire.

Rotary Wing Element 2

This Fleet Air Arm element comprised two Fleet Air Arm Westland Merlin HM2s from 825 NAS at RNAS Culdrose led by a Westland Wildcat HMA2 from 825 NAS at RNAS Yeovilton.

Rotary Wing Element 3

This Army Air Corps element was led by a Westland Wildcat AH1 from 661 Sqn at RNAS Yeovilton. Four of the latest Apache AH-64Es from 673 Sqn at Middle Wallop in Hampshire and 662 Sqn at Wattisham in Suffolk comprised the bulk of the element.

Rotary Wing Element 4

This was the Fleet Air Arm Commando element and comprised a pair of Westland Merlin HC4s from 846 NAS, led by a 847 NAS Westland Wildcat AH1, all from RNAS Yeovilton.

Rotary Wing Element 5

This was the main Royal Air Force element and comprised three 18 Sqn Chinooks from Odiham in Hampshire leading a 33 Sqn Westland Puma HC2 from Benson in Oxfordshire.

The helicopters which had travelled some distances were refuelled at Wattisham prior to departing on the flypast, and at the allotted times they took off and formed up and departed.

The whole flypast went smoothly and the crowds in London were treated to a great spectacle. After the flypast the individual flypast elements dispersed back to their home bases, a successful mission complete.