A Red Arrows show came to an abrupt end after a bird strike smashed a Hawk T1 canopy during a flight display at the Rhyl Airshow in North Wales on August 28, 2022.
The British aerobatics team was performing at the airshow, when the Red 6 aircraft suffered a bird strike forcing the pilot to declare an in-flight emergency and land at Hawarden Airport.
Red 6 pilot Gregor Ogston landed safely but was “a bit shaken”, David Montenegro, the officer commanding the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, wrote on Twitter.
Steve, the pilot @rafred_6 is a bit shaken but well, thank you. His immediate actions delivered calmly and correctly with the support of his colleagues ensured a safe outcome. #RedArrows #teamwork #RhylAirShow2022 https://t.co/fMteBki3Mh
— David Montenegro (@RAFRedArrowsOC) August 28, 2022
Shortly after the incident, photographs appeared on social media, revealing the damaged canopy.
The team released a statement on Twitter, highlighting that bird strikes are not uncommon in aviation and “are extremely well trained for”.
Thank you to everyone at this weekend’s Rhyl Airshow. We had to finish today’s #RedArrows display a few minutes early after one of our jets suffered a bird strike, damaging the cockpit canopy. This type of incident is not uncommon in aviation and is extremely well-trained for.
— Red Arrows (@rafredarrows) August 28, 2022