Earlier this month, the skies above Lancashire buzzed with excitement as the iconic Red Arrows made their journey from Lossiemouth, Scotland to Liverpool Airport.
Squadron Leader Chris McCann, a proud Lancashire native who went to school in Leyland, was part of the elite team that flew over the heart of Preston on their route to Liverpool.
Chris joined the RAF in 2005, where his talent quickly shone through. After training at RAF Woodvale, RAF Linton-on-Ouse, and RAF Valley, he was selected as a ‘Creamie’ flying instructor – a distinguished title given to pilots who perform exceptionally during advanced training.
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His impressive career includes numerous operational tours across the globe, concluding with the prestigious Air Force Cross award during his final tour.
More recently, Chris served at Display Wing Headquarters before becoming a part of the world-renowned Red Arrows team for his initial season in 2024.
Flying over Lancashire was significant for Chris as he attended Wellfield High School and Runshaw College in Leyland.
Chris said: “It was just really nice to be back over home territory and thinking about the sort of the friends and family that still live there.
“My parents had a few aunties and uncles and grandparents around to the garden and they managed to see the flight from from my parents’ garden. And I’ve had a few school friends on Facebook comment on the on the some of the posts on social media afterwards.
“We had a bit of smoke over Preston for the town show and then a bit of smoke over Leyland to say hello.”
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