Sheffield flypast: Date and time Lancaster bomber will fly over city in RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

There will be a rare chance to see a piece of aviation history when a Lancaster bomber flies over the city this Saturday, May 20, at around 12.40pm. It is one of just two airworthy Lancasters surviving out of nearly 7,400 to have been built.

What role did Lancaster bombers play during the Second World War?

The Avro Lancaster helped secure Allied superiority in the skies during the Second World War. The aircraft were perhaps most famously used in the Dambusters raids, officially known as Operation Chastise, which took place 80 years ago on the night of May 16/17, 1943, and were carried out by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command.

In an extraordinary feat of skill and bravery, famously immortalised on film, the Lancasters were used to drop the bouncing bombs which destroyed two dams in Germany’s industrial heartland, the Ruhr Valley, and damaged a third, delivering a crushing blow to the Nazis.

RAF Bawtry in Yorkshire was used as a bomber command centre, while RAF Finningley and RAF Lindholme were also used for military attacks in Europe. The crucial role air crews from across Yorkshire and beyond played in the Second World War is still commemorated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flights (BBMF) which take place at festivals, fairs and other events around the country each year.

When will the Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast take place over Sheffield and what plane will be involved?

One such flypast will take place over Sheffield this Saturday, May 20, between around 12.25pm and 12.55pm. An RAF spokesperson said the flight was scheduled to take place at 12.40pm and it was due to involve the Lancaster bomber.

But they pointed out that plans do change on a daily basis and the Sheffield flypast was ‘subject to the usual weather and serviceability caveats’.