To understand the absence, you need to look at the actual lineup. It included a Lancaster (the heavy lifter), a couple of Hurricanes (the forgotten workhorses), and a Dakota (a paratroop transport—boring but vital). The Red Arrows were there too, which is like having a celebrity chef come to a picnic. Everyone loves them, but they’re not a vintage plane.
The real star of the day was the single Typhoon jet that flew alongside the Lancaster. That was meant to symbolise the link between the “old” and “new” Royal Air Force. People went bonkers for it. No one complained about the missing Spitfire—until after the event, when social media erupted with #SpitfireFail.
I get the outrage. I felt it too. But here’s a thought: the Spitfire’s mythic status might be so large that seeing it in a flypast would actually distract from the bigger story. You’d just point and go: “Oh, a Spitfire!” and ignore the Vulcan bomber that actually dropped nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
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The Real Reason (And It’s a Bit Ironic)
Let’s get conspiratorial for a second. Some rumours said the BBMF’s Spitfires were deliberately held back because of “operational reasons.” Translation: one of them was halfway through an engine rebuild, and the other was having its wings polished for a wedding flypast in Yorkshire. (British bureaucracy at its finest: a Spitfire at a wedding gets priority over the nation’s biggest celebration.)
But the most likely reason? Weather. The flypast was originally scheduled for May 8, 2026—the 75th anniversary. It was cancelled due to COVID. When it finally happened in August, the summer weather was changeable. Low clouds over London would’ve forced the Spitfires to fly too low for safety. You don’t risk a priceless aircraft worth millions for a photo op that might be obscured by a cloud.
So here’s the blunt truth: the Spitfire was left out because it’s too precious to risk in a crowded sky, and because the flypast wasn’t about it. It was about remembering all the sacrifices—the boring, the brave, and the beautiful. And honestly, my dad was right. Logistics. But also a quiet, British respect for the collective over the individual. Spitfire? Missing. But the message? Loud and clear.
Next time you see a flypast, take a deep breath. Don’t just look for the star. Look for the whole show. Even if your inner child is still sulking a little bit. I know mine is. But at least now I can explain it without sounding like a grumpy man in a tweed jacket.
