Now, in 2025, the team celebrates a remarkable milestone: two decades of showcasing the UK’s premier multi-role fighter to audiences across the globe. Leading this anniversary season was Squadron Leader Nathan Shawyer, a pilot whose journey from Devon airshow spectator to Typhoon display pilot embodies the inspirational power these aerial demonstrations hold.
Shawyer's path to the cockpit began like many before him: at an airshow. Face turned to the skies, he was dazzled as the jets performed impossible-looking manoeuvres.
Growing up, he was a keen member of 1064 Air Cadets, attending countless airshows that only strengthened his resolve to join the RAF as a fighter pilot.
"You've probably heard this from other pilots," says Nathan.
but it really was about going to airshows, looking up, and seeing jets performing in the sky, thinking 'wow, that looks incredibly fun – I'd love to have a go at that myself.'
His CV is impressive. After joining the RAF in 2009, aged just 18, Shawyer progressed through the traditional training pipeline before achieving a unique distinction.
I was actually the last ever RAF pilot to be trained on the Tornado
His frontline service on 31 Squadron at RAF Marham included a particularly dynamic sortie over Mosul, Iraq, in 2018, leading a pair of Tornados to support friendly forces whilst operating at minimum fuel. This action earned him a Joint Commanders Commendation.
The end of the Tornado era in 2019 opened a new chapter as Shawyer transitioned to the Typhoon, completing his operational conversion on 29 Squadron before joining 3(F) Squadron. His frontline tour was characteristically busy, including deployments to the Falklands, Estonia, Romania, and the Middle East.
Returning to 29 Squadron as a flying instructor in 2022, Shawyer found himself teaching the next generation of Typhoon pilots how to "fly and fight" in Britain's most advanced fighter.
He says: "As an instructor on the operational conversion, my role is to teach the young guys and girls that are coming through the flying training system how to fly Typhoon, most importantly, how to fight with your Typhoon."
In 2023 he also had the privilege of taking part in the "CR" flypast for His Majesty the King's Birthday celebration down The Mall in 2023.
Engineering Excellence
Of course, behind every successful display lies a team of dedicated engineers, and 2025's anniversary season showcases this perfectly. The engineering teams – christened Moggy, Blackjack, and Gina in homage to previous display aircraft paint schemes – represent the cream of RAF technical expertise.
These highly skilled personnel face tough competition for selection, with successful candidates earning the privilege of travelling across the European and Asian continents supporting the display programme.
What makes this year particularly significant is the operational readiness of the display aircraft. Unlike previous seasons that featured specially painted show jets, 2025's Typhoons are front-line ready.
This is a reflection of today's uncertain security environment, where the RAF must be prepared to "fly and fight" at a moment's notice.
Operational Heritage
The choice of 29 Squadron to host the display team carries deep historical significance. Formed in 1915, the squadron has operated virtually every major RAF fighter type, from DH2s over the Western Front to Phantoms in the Falklands. It became the first operational squadron to receive the Tornado F3 in 1987 and played a crucial role in Operation Desert Storm.
Since taking delivery of its first Typhoon in June 2004, 29 Squadron has served as the RAF's Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit, training multi-role pilots and engineers whilst contributing to the Quick Reaction Alert mission that guards UK airspace 24/7.
Today, the UK’s Typhoon force operates from nine RAF squadrons split between Lossiemouth and Coningsby, with aircraft standing QRA duty in the UK and Falkland Islands. It has proven itself in operations over Libya, Iraq, and Syria, whilst reinforcing NATO air defence in the Baltics and Black Sea regions.
The international dimension extends to 12 Squadron – the UK's first joint squadron since World War II – which trains Qatari pilots following their nation's Typhoon purchase.
Looking Forward
Squadron Leader Shawyer was able to bring a carefully crafted display philosophy to the anniversary year.
With creative freedom to design his routine, he focused on two key areas: “You start very much from a blank canvas, and you get to decide what you best think shows off the Typhoon in the best possible light.
For me, it was first, the agility of the aircraft – those really aggressive 9G turns that you'll see plenty of in the display this year. But also the power. The Typhoon's got some incredible EJ200 engines that really accelerate you across the crowd line.
The anniversary celebration acknowledges an unusual quirk of timing – whilst 2025 marks 20 years since the first public appearance, it's actually the 21st anniversary year. The 2020 season's cancellation due to COVID-19 created this numerical anomaly, making 2025 genuinely the team's 20th display season.
From that first flight by Matthew Elliott to today's anniversary celebrations, the RAF Typhoon Display Team has consistently demonstrated not just the aircraft's capabilities, but the professionalism and dedication of the Royal Air Force itself.
As they take to the skies this season, 20 years of thunder continues to inspire the next generation of aviation enthusiasts – just as it once inspired a young Nathan Shawyer watching from a Devon airfield.