Celebrating 100 years of the RAF

1st April 2018 marks the centenary of the establishment of the world’s first independent air force, the Royal Air Force, from the merger of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and Royal Flying Corps (RFC).
As Coachmakers will be aware, the Livery is marking this important anniversary at the Guildhall on 20th April with the Centenary Tribute to the RAF. Then on 14th June, Coachmakers will have an opportunity to visit the newly-refurbished RAF Museum at Hendon before the museum is officially re-opened to the public.
In the lead-up to the centenary, Master Tony Edwards gave us a second opportunity to see his highly informative lecture on Spitfire designer R.J. Mitchell at the RAF Club on 20th March, adding further to our knowledge with a supplementary lecture on Spitfire test pilot Alex Henshaw. A full account will appear in the next issue of Coachlines.
The RAF Centenary is being marked in a number of ways by the Service, with a string of events throughout the summer months, planned as part of the RAF100 Campaign. The centrepiece of RAF100 public activity will take place on 10th July with a centenary service in Westminster Abbey, followed by a parade in the Mall and a mass flypast, expected to be an unparalleled spectacle in modern times.
This summer, the calendar will be packed with commemorative air shows across the country, as well as themed regional events and a nationwide tour of famous aircraft to the centres of some of the largest cities in the UK. The major RAF100 public events are listed below:

OPENING CONCERT
Royal Albert Hall, London – 31st March

RAF100 BATON RELAY COMMENCES
1st April

NATIONAL AIRCRAFT TOUR
Cardiff City Hall Gardens – 16th-20th May

RAF COSFORD AIR SHOW
10th June

RAF MUSEUM RE-OPENING CEREMONY
London – 21st June

NATIONAL AIRCRAFT TOUR
Horse Guards Parade, London – 6th-9th July

RAF100 PARADE & FLYPAST
The Mall, London – 10th July

ROYAL INTERNATIONAL AIR TATTOO
RAF Fairford – 13th-15th July

NORTHERN IRELAND AIRSHOW
Portrush – 4th-5th August

NATIONAL AIRCRAFT TOUR
Newcastle, Northern Ireland – 4th-5th August

NATIONAL AIRCRAFT TOUR
Victoria Square, Birmingham – 25th-27th August

NATIONAL AIRCRAFT TOUR
Glasgow Science Centre – 1st-2nd September

NATIONAL AIRCRAFT TOUR
Cathedral Gardens, Manchester – 15th-16th September

BATTLE OF BRITAIN SERVICE
London – 16th September

A full list of events can be found at https://www.raf.mod.uk/raf100/whats-on/.

Inspiring future generations is a key objective of the RAF100 Campaign and the RAF will be placing particular emphasis on promoting Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (the STEM subjects) throughout the campaign. As a result, the RAF hopes to attract the brightest and the best for the future and benefit the wider UK economy by promoting STEM subjects, highlighting the importance of science and engineering skills against the background of a serious skills shortage at national level.