Historic women in wartime flypast sees every aircraft flown by all-female crews

An all-female A400M Atlas crew from RAF Brize Norton have taken part in a historic flypast over the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), alongside a Prefect T1 and Eurofighter Typhoon.

The flypast was to mark the unveiling of the new Women in War exhibition at the Memorial Spire.

Every aircraft in the flypast was flown by an all-female crew, making this the largest flypast performed solely by female aircrew.

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The Women in War exhibition features 10 steel silhouettes of women during wartime, created by the team from Standing with Giants who were responsible for the D-Day display in Normandy in 2024.

The 10 women were chosen by the IBCC to represent the contribution, courage, and leadership shown by women at all levels during the Second World War.

The Atlas, flown by 206 Test & Evaluation Squadron from RAF Brize Norton, was flown by Squadron Leader Stewart and Major Williams, with Air Loadmaster Sergeant Thornton and Flight Test Engineer Squadron Leader Dampier completing the crew.

Squadron Leader Stewart, who previously flew an all-female crew over Wembley Arena for the Lionesses' Euro Final, said: "Today was really important to me because it gave us a chance to honour the work that women have done before us.

"One of the statues that was unveiled today was Joan Curran who invented what today we know as aircraft countermeasures.

The flypast was enjoyed by those attending the unveiling of the silhouettes at the IBCC, with the crews of the Atlas and Prefect landing at nearby RAF Waddington to meet the guests on the ground.