An Evening with the Falcons at RAF Brize Norton

Tonight, Mark and I had the enormous pleasure of being guests of RAF Brize Norton – and what an evening it was.

The highlight? A breathtaking display of precision parachuting from the RAF Falcons, Britain’s only military parachute display team. Watching them descend from the skies in perfect formation, trailing smoke and landing bang on target, was utterly mesmerising. These are men and women who fall at speeds of up to 120mph before calmly deploying their canopies and somehow choreographing what can only be described as a ballet in the air. The discipline, the nerve, the sheer skill – astonishing.

Their signature “Snake” formation, mid-air turns, split manoeuvres and the neatest of landings all happened with a calm professionalism that belied the complexity of what we were watching. You could have heard a pin drop as they came in to land – followed by a burst of applause and plenty of grinning faces.

We were welcomed with warmth and good humour by the station’s officers, and it was a real pleasure to meet Group Captain Louise Henton, who has led RAF Brize Norton since last summer. Her pride in the base, its people and its purpose is palpable – and rightly so.

It was also a joy to reconnect with friends from across the Witney and Carterton communities, whose connection with the station runs deep. RAF Brize Norton is a cornerstone of both our national defence and our local identity, and that came through loud and clear this evening.

The Falcons may have stolen the show tonight, but it was the sense of shared pride – in service, in place, and in one another – that will stay with us.

Our thanks to everyone who made the evening so special.