The 2025 Typhoon Display Team
The Typhoon display circuit is a culmination of months of hard work, detailed preparation and concerted effort by the team behind the display. Whilst it is the pilot who displays the aircraft, Sqn Ldr Nathan Shawyer cannot even begin to do his job without the unfaltering commitment and backing from the dedicated group of professionals that make up the Typhoon Display Team.
This year’s team from 29 Squadron will comprise a specialist from every aircraft trade along with support and management teams to assist both the pilot and the trades, all of whom work closely together to bring you the dazzling spectacle that is the Typhoon Display.
The team look forward to the unique challenges that a display season brings and the opportunity to showcase the Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft to the general public.
With the future of the Royal Air Force firmly in our sight we look forward to showcasing the mind blowing display of speed, power and agility by Sqn Ldr Nathan Shawyer and his Typhoon aircraft.
The Pilot
Squadron Leader Nathan Shawyer.
Sqn Ldr Nathan Shawyer was born in Chichester, West Sussex. He soon moved to Devon where he attended Honiton Community College, followed by Exeter College, attaining a Sixth Form Scholarship in the process. During this time, he was also a keen member of 1064 Air Cadets and attended many airshows – confirming his desire to one day join the Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot.
Nathan joined the RAF in 2009 as a direct entrant, aged 18. He undertook both Officer and Elementary Flying Training at RAF Cranwell, where upon completion, he was streamed Fast Jet. Nathan finished Basic Fast-Jet Training on the Tucano T1 at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in 2014, where he was awarded his wings before moving onto the Hawk T2 at RAF Valley in 2015. Following Advanced Fast-Jet Training, Nathan was streamed as the last ever RAF pilot to fly the mighty Tornado GR4 and so moved to RAF Lossiemouth for Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) training. Arriving on the frontline, he was posted to 31 Squadron “The Goldstars” at RAF Marham in early 2017, where he enjoyed a myriad of exercises and operations in the final few years of the aircraft’s service. In 2018, Nathan was awarded a Joint Commanders Commendation for a particularly dynamic sortie over Mosul, Iraq, in which he led a pair of Tornado GR4s to support friendly forces on the ground at minimum fuel.
With the sad demise of the Tornado, Nathan looked forward to a new chapter in his life in the form of the awesome Typhoon. He completed the OCU on 29 Squadron in 2019 and was subsequently posted to 3(F) Squadron at RAF Coningsby. This, again, was a busy frontline tour which saw deployments to the Falklands, Estonia, Romania, and the Middle East. Having enjoyed his fill of frontline action, Nathan returned to the OCU as a Flying Instructor in 2022, where he relished the opportunity to teach the next generation of fighter pilots how to fly and fight in Typhoon. His role as an instructor also allowed him the great privilege of forming part of the “CR” flypast for His Majesty the King’s Birthday Flypast down The Mall, London in 2023. In 2024, Nathan had the incredible honour of being selected as the 2025 Typhoon Display pilot and shadowed his predecessor and friend, Turbo, through his season last year.
Away from the RAF, Nathan enjoys Astronomy, Gaming and supporting Arsenal FC. He is married to his wife Elkie, whom he met during Tucano training at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Together they have two young boys, Oscar and George, who are both looking forward to seeing Daddy “do some flips” this year.
Management Team
The Typhoon Display Team could not operate without the hard work behind the scenes from the management team. Led by the Display Team Manager, Flight Lieutenant Nina Wilkinson; along with Engineering Manager Sergeant Polly Grimmer and 29 Squadron's Unit Mobility Officer, Sergeant Nathan Cunningham.
The team are responsible for planning and coordinating the entire season. This includes producing diplomatic clearances, providing tools and test equipment, spare aircraft components, managing sponsorship agreements and all logistic support. This ensures that both Sqn Ldr Shawyer and the supporting teams have everything they need to produce the exhilarating displays.
Engineering
The Engineering Team
The Engineering Team consists of specialists in Mechanical Engineering, Avionics and Weapons Systems. These are the technicians you will see working directly on the aircraft at Air Shows.
The Engineering Team is split into three teams, each named after an aircraft type previously flown by 29 Squadron. The teams consist of five technicians, led by a highly experienced and qualified RAF Engineer and contain each of the three aircraft trades which means they are able to prepare the aircraft for each display.
The teams are made up of engineers from 29 Squadron at RAF Coningsby, who are all volunteers and join the team in addition to their normal Squadron duties. Volunteers go through a selection process which ensures that each team have the required engineering authorisations to be able to operate the aircraft from a different location during the season. They are very experienced with the right mix of trade skills to work in these small teams - with specialist skills such as Engine & Structural Health Monitoring to ensure any issues with the Typhoon are swiftly rectified. They will be working long and hard to ensure the Typhoon Display Team deliver #PhoonTime.
Engineering Officers
All Typhoon Display Team operations are carried out with the presence of an Engineering Officer, known as EngOs. Our EngOs are responsible for managing the risks of working and flying aircraft. Without EngOs we simply couldn't operate.
Squadron Leader John Mercer, Warrant Officer Andrew 'Mango' Singleton, Flight Lieutenant Jemima Burgess, Flight Lieutenant Chris Leary, Flight Sergeant Lynsey McCoy, Flight Sergeant Andrew Good, and Flight Sergeant Anthony 'Jack' Wheeler are our Engineering Officers for the 2025 Season.
Team 'BlackJack'
Team Blackjack is led by Sgt Luke Addicott, ably assisted by Cpl Robert Gardner, AS1(T) Rory Kemp, AS1(T) Eloise Barker, and AS1(T) Vincent Currums. Cpl Sam Cooper and AS1(T) Luke Mcillorum provide GSS support for Team Blackjack.
Team 'Moggy'
Team Moggy is led by Sgt Sean Taylor, ably assisted by Cpl Jack Woolgar, AS1(T) James Richmond, AS1(T) Oliver Davies, and AS1(T) Bradley Fletcher. Cpl Jacob Flavell and AS1(T) Joshua Tyler provide GSS support for Team Moggy.
Team 'Gina'
Team Gina is led by Sgt Martin 'Bing' Crosbie, ably assisted by Cpl Josh Flood, AS1(T) Dayne Puckey, AS1(T) Leon Anderson, and AS1(T) Skye Young. Sgt Jason Smith and AS1(T) Harvey Hailes provide GSS support for Team Gina.
Public Relations
The PR Team are volunteers from 29 Squadron and personnel across RAF Coningsby led by PR Manager Sergeant Gary Oldfield, and Deputy PR Manager Corporal Reine Grant. They are responsible for organising and managing the PR personnel at all Typhoon Display Events, a role which extends beyond just air show season. Sgt Oldfield and Cpl Grant are two of the five PR team leaders this year; Cpl Mark Pidgeon, Cpl Liam Reynolds, and AS1(T) Reece Taylor will also be leading the PR Teams at shows across the UK, Europe and Turkey.
The PR team is comprised of personnel from a wide range of ranks and trades. If you see the Typhoon Display Team tent or trailer at an airshow, head over to chat to our PR Teams, who are excited to share what they know about the Aircraft, the team, and their role within the Royal Air Force.
Ground Support System
Information Communication Technology (ICT) Technicians play a pivotal role in setting up, operating, and maintaining the vital Ground Support System (GSS) essential for continued maintenance of the Typhoon aircraft away from its main operating base. This is achieved by empowering Mechanical, Avionic and Weapons trades with the ICT capability to diagnose the critical engineering data produced by the aircraft's advanced computer systems.
The GSS Team may not always be seen at Air Shows but without their expertise, Sqn Ldr Shawyer, the Typhoon aircraft and the team would simply not be able to operate across the UK, Europe and Turkey in 2025.
