Lancaster bomber to mark Dambusters’ 80th anniversary with flypast over 28 airbases - where and when

One of just two remaining airworthy Lancaster bombers will fly over airbases in Lincolnshire on Tuesday
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A Lancaster bomber will help mark the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters raid with a flypast over airbases in Lincolnshire. Just one of only two remaining airworthy planes will take part in The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on Tuesday (May 16) evening.

The display will fly over 28 former air bases in Lincolnshire to mark the anniversary of Operation Chastise, with plan PA474 taking a starring role. The mission, in 1943, saw 19 Lancasters, crewed by 133 airmen, make an attack on German dams in the middle of the night.

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The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire before travelling down to London to conduct a flypast over the RAF Museum in Hendon. The planes will then return to Lincolnshire to fly over the ex-bomber Command bases as tribute to those involved in the original mission.

Flight Lieutenant Giles Croft, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Operations Officer, said: “We are working hard to produce an achievable plan that allows us to showcase the Lancaster, commemorate the unsung heroes of Bomber Command and also incorporate the tasking we already had for the evening of 16 May.

“At this stage, the Lancaster sortie for that evening includes 34 flypast locations which is far more than we would normally plan in a single sortie.

“We will try to ‘make up the time’ by reducing most events to a single overflight so that we can meet our fixed time over the RAF Museum in Hendon but still manage a tour of the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Airfields prior to landing before sunset.

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“I personally can’t wait to see our Lancaster over her home turf, against the same backdrop she would have had in the 1940s; I just hope that backdrop is clear evening skies with less than 15 knots crosswind.”

The fly over will pay tribute to the eight Lancasters shot down, which killed 53 airmen. Squadron Leader Mark Sugden paid tribute to the anniversary and said: “The Dambusters Raid was one of the most audacious raids in the history of the Royal Air Force, and we at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight are proud to commemorate the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of all those involved.”

A Lancaster bomber is set to fly over Licolnshire tonight to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters missionA Lancaster bomber is set to fly over Licolnshire tonight to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters mission
A Lancaster bomber is set to fly over Licolnshire tonight to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters mission

When and where to watch the Lancaster flypast

  • RAF Museum, Colindale, North London, NW9 5LL - 6.01pm
  • Spitalgate, Lincolnshire, NG31 9EW - 6.58pm
  • Fulbeck, NG32 3JE - 7.02pm
  • Swinderby, LN6 9US - 7.04pm
  • RAF Waddington, LN5 9NB - 7.07pm
  • Lincoln - IBCC, LN4 2HQ - 7.08pm
  • Skellingthorpe, LN6 0HX - 7.12pm
  • Scampton, LN1 2TH - 7.15pm
  • Dunholme, LN2 3QF - 7.16pm
  • Wickenby, LN3 5AX - 7.18pm
  • Faldingworth, LN8 3NW - 7.19pm
  • Ingham, DN21 5BU - 7.21pm
  • Hemswell Cliff, DN21 5TY - 7.22pm
  • Blyton, DN21 3PE - 7.24pm
  • Elsham Wolds, DN20 0NT - 7.30pm
  • Kirmington, DN39 6YH - 7.31pm
  • N Killingholme, DN40 3JL - 7.32pm
  • Grimsby, DN36 4RX - 7.37pm
  • Binbrook, LN8 6EG - 7.39pm
  • Ludford, LN8 6AD - 7.41pm
  • Kelstern, LN11 0RQ - 7.42pm
  • Strubby, LN13 0LN - 7.47pm
  • Spilsby, PE24 5BD - 7.51pm
  • East Kirkby, PE23 4DE - 7.53pm
  • Bardney, LN3 5TZ - 7.58pm
  • Fiskerton, LN3 4EZ - 8pm
  • Metheringham, LN4 3RD - 8.04pm
  • Woodhall Spa, LN10 6QC - 8.05pm
  • RAF Coningsby, LN4 4SY - 8.07pm