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karatecatman · Guest

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LONDON
Royal Navy

FLY NAVY 100 marks the Centenary Year of Naval Aviation. It was on 7th May 1909 that the Admiralty first set aside £35,000 for the development of an airship, beginning a process that was to lead to the formation of the Fleet Air Arm as we know it today.

Those hundred years have seen a breathtaking development from flimsy aircraft that struggled to leave the ground to supersonic stealth fighters. As technology has developed, so too has ideology; Naval Aviation began the 20th century as an interesting sideshow in the armament of the Royal Navy, and ended it as the centrepiece.

The aircraft carrier now marks out the premier league navies from the rest. It is the punch of the nation and a symbol of its power. Countless Prime Ministers have found that the carrier has been indispensable to the execution of their foreign policy: Thatcher sent hers to the Falklands; Major sent his to Bosnia; Blair sent his once to Sierra Leone and twice to Iraq.

Those are only the most recent crises and there were numerous others even between those. In many of these conflicts, success was not only helped by carrier-borne aircraft – it depended on them.

Fly Navy 100 is a programme of events and publications that aims to celebrate and commemorate this remarkable centenary. It aims
to showcase among both the public and the Service communities the endurance, flexibility, and above all potency, of Naval Aviation.

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8 May, 2009: Centenary Service at St Paul's Cathedral
On the morning of Friday 8th May 2009, St Paul's Cathedral will host a service of thanksgiving and remembrance to commemorate One Hundred Years of Naval Aviation.Open to current and former serving members of the Royal Naval Air Service or Fleet Air Arm and those who have had close connections with Naval Aviation.

May: HMS Illustrious visits London
In May 2009, one of the Royal Navy’s Invincible Class aircraft carriers will make its way up the Thames to lend its considerable presence to Fly Navy 100 celebrations in the capital.

With Greenwich and the Old Royal Naval College as a backdrop, the ship will be available for visits from organised groups, providing a truly special opportunity to explore one of the most powerful instruments in the UK’s armed forces.

With the current tempo of Royal Navy operations worldwide, ships are more usually to be found thousands of miles from home, so the visit of an aircraft carrier to the heart of the capital is all the more exceptional.

Royal Garden Party At Buckingham Palace Thursday 9 July 2009.
To celebrate and commemorate the Centenary of Naval Aviation in the Royal Navy, Her Majesty The Queen has given gracious permission to hold a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

11 July: Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton Air Day
Over 50 aircraft types both old and new are expected to attend this important annual event, which for 2009 will be themed 100 Years of Naval Aviation.

Commemorative Flypasts
A variety of aircraft are due to take part in flypasts throughout 2009 to mark the Centenary of Naval Aviation. Modern and Historic aircraft, from training squadrons and the front line as well as from the Royal Navy Historic Flight will combine in unique formations.

The commemorative flypasts will take place at London and Liverpool to coincide with visits by aircraft carriers, and the site of the first Naval Air Station, RNAS Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey.

The largest flypasts will take place at the two flagship air days of the Fleet Air Arm, hosted by its key air stations at RNAS Yeovilton and RNAS Culdrose.

Sky Sheppey 2009
The Isle of Sheppey was the birthplace of aviation in the UK and the home of the first Naval Air Station. Local councils are planning a series of events to celebrate the island's history.

29 July: Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose Air Day
The Culdrose Air Day is always a highlight of the aviation year, and 2009 promises to be no exception as Naval Aviation’s 100th year is celebrated in one of Europe’s largest Naval Air Stations.

October: Invincible Class Carrier visits Liverpool
A thoroughly modern city with a famous sea-faring history will play host to a thoroughly modern warship with a history of its own and its gangways open to the public.

Guess the Indian Navy will be associated with many of this!!!

And good excuse to visit the UK! Wink