Red Arrows Begin US Tour With Flypasts Over Washington and New York for 250th Anniversary

The RAF Red Arrows will perform across the United States over the coming weeks as part of America's 250th independence anniversary celebrations, GB News reported. The tour, named Operation Eagle Hawk, includes a flypast above New York City on July 4 and events from Maryland to Michigan and from Maine to Wisconsin. The squadron launches its American program this weekend at the Baltimore airshow.

It flew over Washington DC on Thursday evening, passing above a Washington Nationals baseball match. The Lincolnshire-based team, which operates Hawk jets from RAF Waddington, previously toured America in 2019. Audiences will see close passes at combined speeds reaching 800 mph along with red, white and blue smoke trails.

The display ends with "the cascade," a maneuver in which aircraft climb in a loop to about 6,000 ft before splitting apart and descending; the routine has not been performed for almost three decades. The deployment coincides with President Trump launching the anniversary festivities. He delivered a campaign-style address at the Great American State Fair after several performers withdrew.

The President referenced the multimillion-pound refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool, which has faced liner damage and algae problems, and attributed the issues to deliberate sabotage by vandals. Security at the site has since increased and several arrests have been made.