Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
A typical formation: bottom - Hawker Hurricane, middle - Avro Lancaster and top - Supermarine Spitfire
Active	1957 – Present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Role	Memorial
Part of	No. 1 Group RAF
Garrison/HQ	RAF Coningsby
Nickname(s)	BBMF
Insignia
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight badge
Aircraft flown
Bomber	Avro Lancaster
Interceptor	Spitfire, Hurricane
Transport	Dakota

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane. The aircraft are regularly seen at events commemorating the Second World War and upon British State occasions, notably Trooping the Colour, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday in 2006, as well as the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and at air displays throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

The flight is administratively part of No. 1 Group RAF, flying out of RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

Although usually seen flying in a formation of three, the Lancaster flanked by a fighter on each wing, the BBMF comprises a total of 12 aircraft:

Individual aircraft have historic heritages; the oldest of the Spitfires, P7350, is a Mk.IIa, which originally flew in the Battle of Britain in 1940, with 266 and 603 Squadrons. In 2011 she was repainted in the 41 Squadron code 'EB-G', which represents the aircraft flown by Pilot Officer Eric Lock on 5 September 1940, when he destroyed three aircraft in a single sortie.