Four RAF jets in formation over Reading this afternoon

[RichB]

Playing golf at Caversham today when around lunchtime 4 RAF jets flew overhead in a "V" formation with one wing man missing. I'm not sure what they were, fighters possibly Tornados, could this have been a tribute to their colleague?

[baldy1926]

did not think we had 4 left

[Eric Mc]

RichB said:

Playing golf at Caversham today when around lunchtime 4 RAF jets flew overhead in a "V" formation with one wing man missing. I'm not sure what they were, fighters possibly Tornados, could this have been a tribute to their colleague?

Could very well have been a "missing man" formation.

[RichB]

Eric Mc said:

RichB said:

Playing golf at Caversham today when around lunchtime 4 RAF jets flew overhead in a "V" formation with one wing man missing. I'm not sure what they were, fighters possibly Tornados, could this have been a tribute to their colleague?

Could very well have been a "missing man" formation.

Thanks Eric, I wonder what aircraft they would have been, medium sized fighters.

[LukeSi]

Did the formation look a bit like this?




If so then it is the missing man formation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_man_formation

Basically it is an aerial salute in the memory of a fallen pilot.

[Simpo Two]

That can only be done over a fixed point though; you can only see the peel-off once. Missing man to me is a formation with a hole in it. One missing.

[Richjam]

There were four hunters over Rutland that day. They did a fly past over Cottesmore most probably in remembrance of Flt Lt John Egging as he was once based at cottesmore and lived in rutland.

It was probably Team Viper dont know if they were at Bournmouth that weekend?

[RichB]

Yes, probably Team Viper.