Wing Commander DICK STORER Red Arrows Team Manager 1965 - 1966 Squadron Leader ROY BOOTH Red Arrows 1966 - 1968 Wing Commander JACK RUST Red Arrows 1969 - 1970 Squadron Leader IAN SMITH Red Arrows 1997 - 1999 Squadron Leader DOM RILEY Red Arrows 1988 - 1989 Squadron Leader JEFF GLOVER Red Arrows 1988 - 1989 Group Captain BRIAN HOSKINS Leader of The Red Arrows … After displaying 1,292 times in the Folland Gnat, the Red Arrows took delivery of the BAE Hawk in 1979. [25], The first display by the Red Arrows was at RAF Little Rissington on 6 May 1965. Enid continue to perform close-formation aerobatics, while Gypo perform more dynamic manoeuvres. [14] The Ministry of Defence confirmed in June 2012 that the Red Arrows would remain at RAF Scampton until at least the end of the decade. 54 Squadron flew a formation of four. Each member of the Circus works with the same pilot for the duration of the season and is responsible for servicing their aircraft and preparing their flying kit prior to each display. Be assessed as being above average in their flying role. Because of their protective qualities, the suits get extremely warm! After performing at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the team departed across the Atlantic at the end of July. The display was to introduce the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team to the media. Each pilot always flies the same position in the formation during a season. The team work on the aircraft’s ejection seats, explosive canopies and fire suppression and emergency systems. The Red Arrows are lucky to have both a wonderful history and the support and interest of millions of well-wishers. RAF Scampton – the station famous for its role in the 1943 Dambusters raid – became the team’s new home in 1983, moving from RAF Kemble – its base since 1966. In July 2004 there was speculation in the British media that the Red Arrows would be disbanded, after a defence spending review, due to running costs of between £5 million and £6 million. The diesel is stored in the pod on the underside of the plane; it houses three tanks: one 50-imperial-gallon (230 L) tank of pure diesel and two 10-imperial-gallon (45 L) tanks of blue and red dyed diesel. Scampton's runway was resurfaced as a result.[15]. We can reunite you with your friends who served at Red Arrows and we have a wealth of information on different units, bases and ships in the site. A media event at RAF Little Rissington on May 6 was the team’s first official display, with the first public performance in the UK on May 15 at Biggin Hill Air Fair. Mechanical technicians make up two thirds of the Red Arrows’ engineering team and are responsible for the maintenance and rectification of the Team’s BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft. [25] The Hawks are modified with an uprated engine and a modification to enable smoke to be generated; diesel is mixed with a coloured dye and ejected into the jet exhaust to produce either red, white or blue smoke. They sometimes gave co-ordinated displays with the Blue Diamonds. Similar to the display they had done the previous year, when the aircraft were painted black, it consisted of a night-time air display over the Wembley Exhibition flying RAF Sopwith Snipes which were painted red for the display and fitted with white lights on the wings, tail, and fuselage. The 4,500th Red Arrows display took place at the RAF Waddington International Air Show in July 2013 – in the team’s 49th season and the year concluded with a highly-successful tour of the Middle East. If the cloud base is less than 2,500-foot (760 m) the Team will fly the Flat Display, which consists of a series of fly-pasts and steep turns. The vapour trails allow Red 1 to judge wind speed and direction, and allow the aircraft to locate each other in the second half of the show when different sections of the formation are frequently several miles apart. Since Oliver Queen's resurrection and his resumption of the mantle of Green Arrow, a "family" has managed to grow around him, with elements from both his past and his present. Indeed, members of the Squadron have served on operational units, whether they be fast jet or helicopters, strategic transport or intelligence-gathering aircraft. Their role is crucial for safety and training purposes and one of the three-strong section videos every manoeuvre of the display from the ground – both during winter training and the summer season. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands. The following year Jones formed the official RAF display team with a seven ship of red Gnats and called them The Red Arrows. 66 Squadron developing a formation team of six aircraft. The position of "Circus 1" (the engineer who accompanies the "Boss", Red 1) is normally occupied by the Junior Engineering Officer. Flight Lieutenant Thomas Bould was born and raised in Bradford, West Yorkshire. [9] For his considerable achievements of airmanship with the team, Ray Hanna was awarded a bar to his existing Air Force Cross.[10]. They also take still images for the team, capturing pictures of the jets in action around the world, in the air and on the ground. Pilots who start on the left of the formation stay on that side for the duration of their three-year tour; the pilots on the right side stay on the right. It is the hard work of the team’s support personnel that keep the Red Arrows flying. Up to three new pilots are chosen each year to replace the three that have finished their tour. For the entirety of the 2014 display season, the aircraft carried special 50th Anniversary markings on their tails instead of just the red, white and blue stripes. "10 amazing Red Arrows facts to impress your friends with", "Death announced of ex-Red Arrows leader Ray Hanna", "Red Arrows 'future safe under David Cameron, "Red Arrows RAF Scampton move plan to be reviewed", "Red Arrows to stay in Lincolnshire when base shuts", "RAF Aerobatic Display Team the Red Arrows Return to Biggin Hill", "Planespotter pays $3.2m for Red Arrows ride", https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5j5lURBGbDPtBGuU8Ty_BTYv9zHKA?docId=N0892591330839602757A, "Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - North American Tour 2019 :Written statement - HCWS1264", "Red Arrows Return From Huge North American Tour", "Red Arrows to North American Tour in 2019", https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/55492, "Red Arrows Collide During Greek Training", "Red Arrows pilot dies in Bournemouth Air Festival crash", "Service inquiry: accident involving Red Arrows Hawk T Mk1 XX179 near Bournemouth", "Red Arrows pilot dies after incident at RAF Scampton", "Daredevil Red Arrows pilot dies after 'ejector crash, "Red Arrows pilot death: Ejector seat firm to be prosecuted", "Red Arrows ejector seat firm guilty over RAF Scampton death", "Red Arrow aircraft crashes at RAF Valley", "Red Arrows crash: Cpl Jonathan Bayliss named as victim", "Ex-Red 'Lingy' returns for Red Arrows' 2018 dates", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_Arrows&oldid=1014246560, Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force, 1965 establishments in the United Kingdom, Military units and formations established in 1965, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 March 2021, at 00:21. The first display in the UK was on 6 May 1965, at Little Rissington for a press day. The Red Arrows have 14 avionics technicians who are responsible for all the electrical and avionics systems on the aircraft. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,800 displays in 57 countries worldwide.[2]. Next time you watch the team replenishing diesel and dye on a hot summer’s day, spare a thought for the hardworking Dye team. The name was taken from the Black Arrows team and the colour scheme as a tribute to the Red Pelicans, while the aircraft chosen to be flown, the Gnat, had been used by the Yellowjacks. This team became the first team to fly a five-Hunter formation. 32 Squadron RAF flew an air display six nights a week entitled "London Defended" at the British Empire Exhibition. The engineering team that supports the Red Arrows is known as "The Blues" and consists of 85 members drawn from various technical (and support) trades in the RAF. The team use the same two-seat training aircraft used for advanced pilot training, at first the Folland Gnat which was replaced in 1979 by the BAE Hawk T1. Ray Hanna served as Red Leader for three consecutive years until 1968 and was recalled to supersede Squadron Leader Timothy Nelson for the 1969 display season, a record four seasons as Leader, which still stands. The Red Arrows were the main feature and theme of the year’s airshows. The Team Leader must have completed a three-year tour as a team pilot earlier in his career, and is appointed in a separate selection process. Sqn Ldr Miller was Leader 1988-1990. [27], The greatest number of displays flown in any year was in 1995, when the Red Arrows performed 136 times. The pilots spend six months from October to April practising for the display season. 5) Recruitment and selection. Reds 1 to 5 are known as 'Enid' (named after Enid Blyton, author of the Famous Five books and Reds 6 to 9 are known as 'Gypo' (the nickname of one of the team's pilots back in the 1960s). The most crucial piece of equipment for the team’s work is the dye rig, which contains the dye/diesel mixture. Re-joining the Red Arrows, the 2021 season will be his first year as Red 1 and Team Leader. David Montenegro is the leader of the RAF’s Red Arrows, the world-famous aerial display team. The mechanics look after the complete range of mechanical components and structure of the aircraft including the engines, gearboxes, flying controls, landing gear, hydraulics, air conditioning, anti-icing and fuel systems – everything from the smallest nut and bolt to the wings. Red 6 and Synchro Leader: Flight Lieutenant Si Taylor. The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton. However, the team carried out official flypasts with nine aircraft by utilising Red 8 as well as ex-Red Arrow display pilot and current Red 10 Mike Ling. The summer 2019 display season took the team on a tour of North America, known as Western Hawk 19. The whole process is then repeated for the blue mixture. As the fuel capacity of the Hawk sets a limit to nonstop flight distance, and the Hawk is incapable of air-to-air refuelling, very long flights between display sites may need landings on the way to refuel. [20] At the end of each season, one of that year's new pilots will be chosen to be Red 7 for the following season, with that year's Red 7 taking over as Red 6. [13] However, in December 2011, those plans were put under review. Each had its own three colour smoke generation system and a distinctive red, white and blue colours scheme. Using Internet Explorer 8? [1] The badge of the Red Arrows shows the aircraft in their trademark diamond nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence". This gives the pilot five minutes of white smoke, and one minute each of red and blue smoke. On this page you will find information and a link on how to request a display or flypast for a public event. As their experience and proficiency improve, they move to positions further back in the formation in their second and third seasons. In 1947, the first jet team of three de Havilland Vampires came from RAF Odiham Fighter Wing. The Red Arrows moved to RAF Kemble, now Cotswold Airport, in 1966 after RAF Fairford became the place of choice for BAC to run test flights for Concorde. The deployment contributed to the Government’s GREAT campaign, supporting UK interests across business, trade and education and promoting the best of British innovation, technology and creativity. During the team’s world tour of October 1995 to February 1996, the Red Arrows performed to nearly a million people in Sydney on Australia Day. “Confirming this initial group of display locations where we will perform in North America is not just exciting for those people hoping to attend these events–but also for the whole Red Arrows team as well,” said Martin Pert, squadron leader and team leader of the RAF aerobatic team. The new team name took the word "red" from the fact that the Red Pelicans' planes had been painted red (for safety reasons, as it was a far clearer and more visible colour in the sky) and "arrows" after the Black Arrows. With the planned closure of RAF Scampton, the future home of the Red Arrows became uncertain. Red 1 and Team Leader – Squadron Leader Tom Bould; Red 2 – Flight Lieutenant Will Cambridge; Red 3 – Flight Lieutenant Nick Critchell; Red 4 – Flight Lieutenant James Turner; Red 5 – Flight Lieutenant David Simmonds; Red 6 – Flight Lieutenant Jon Bond; Red 7 – Squadron Leader Gregor Ogston; Red 8 – Flight Lieutenant Damo Green; Red 9 – Squadron Leader Steve Morris A decade later, the Red Arrows performed another series of flypasts over the capital, for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony – seen by a global television audience in excess of one billion people – and the Athlete’s Parade. Red 7 and Synchro Two: Flight Lieutenant Toby Keeley. She joined the RAF in 1998 and was a qualified flying instructor on the Hawk aircraft at RAF Valley. Excellence – The Red Arrows aim is not just to be better than the competition but so much better that they are irrelevant. Red 8 and Executive Officer: Flight Lieutenant Matt Masters. Ray Deacon. The first public display in the UK was on 15 May 1965 at the Biggin Hill International Air Fair. Red 9: Flight Lieutenant … Below are just some of our members who have served at Red Arrows. The smallest number of displays in one year was in 1975, after the 1973 oil crisis limited their appearances. Responsibility for ensuring spare parts get to the Red Arrows wherever they are operating throughout the world falls upon the five-strong supply team. 74 Squadron) were re-equipped with the supersonic English Electric Lightning and performed wing-overs and rolls with nine aircraft in tight formation. The smallest of the Red Arrows’ three engineering trades, the weapons technicians are responsible for the maintenance and control of the explosive components and survival equipment fitted to the Hawk aircraft. He replaces Squadron Leader Martin Pert in the role. Various teams flew the Vampire, and in 1950, No. The support team’s success results from their Royal Air Force training, the pride they take in their work, and their determination, motivation, and, very often, sheer hard work. It is believed this was due to the emotional stress she had been suffering over the loss of her two Red Arrows colleagues the previous year. The smoke trails left by the team are made by releasing diesel into the exhaust; this vaporizes in the hot exhaust flow, then re-condenses into very fine droplets that give the appearance of a white smoke trail. Author, The Business of Excellence. 1966. An RAF pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with teams from front-line biplane squadrons. UK Crown Copyright. 1979 The display involved firing blank ammunition into the stadium crowds and dropping pyrotechnics from the aeroplanes to simulate shrapnel from guns on the ground. For example, a flight from RAF Scampton to Quebec for an international air display team competition had to be done in seven hops: RAF Scampton, RAF Kinloss (Scotland), Keflavík (Iceland), Kangerlussuaq (west Greenland), Narsarsuaq (south tip of Greenland), Goose Bay (Newfoundland), Bagotville, Quebec.[36]. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. Even then, more than ten pilots apply for each place on the team. [7], The first team, led by Squadron Leader Lee Jones, had seven display pilots and flew the Folland Gnat T1 jet trainer. Jas Hawker is a former leader of the RAF Red Arrows display team and now consults with a wide range of corporate, public sector and professional sports clients. He met and reconciled with his son, Connor Hawke, with whom he began to work; he adopted the former prostitute Mia Dearden, who became the new Speedy; he watched his former ward Roy Harper become "Red Arrow" and join the JLA; he finally proposed t… [19] Pilots stay with the Red Arrows for a three-year tour of duty;.Three pilots are changed every year, such that normally three first-year pilots, three second-year pilots, and three in their final year are on the team. The tour took the Red Arrows to 17 countries – including visiting China for the first time in the Squadron’s history. Tuition House 27-37 St George's Road Wimbledon SW19 4EU London United Kingdom Enquiries Line: +44 (0)207 806 9817 Switchboard Number: +44 (0)207 042 8666 Leaders US. Their standards are not set by the competition but themselves. On a transit flight (getting to or from a display location) the team may fly at the relatively low altitude of 1,000 feet (300 m). The Red Arrows debrief after every performance, even though they might be doing 15 performances each week. In that same year, a team of five yellow Gnat trainers from No 4 Flying Training School displayed at the Farnborough Airshow. This specialist equipment includes helmets, anti-G trousers, life rafts, oxygen masks and parachutes. First, the pressure which has built up in the centreline pod is released. Circus members fly in the back seats of the jets during transit flights. Flight Lieutenant Michael Bowden, 33, who raised in Newport, south Wales, and is a graduate of Cardiff University, joined the Royal Air Force in 2002. [11] The Arrows were not disbanded and their expense has been justified through their public relations benefit of helping to develop business in the defence industry and promoting recruitment for the RAF. In 1958, the Black Arrows performed a loop and barrel roll of 22 Hunters, a world record for the greatest number of aircraft looped in formation. In 1960, the Tigers (No. No. In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. As a team leader it is important that you are very clear about the standards and behaviours that you expect from all team members. In the past he has held high-level appointments with the Ministry of Defence and has been deployed to Afghanistan as a Senior Air Adviser. For the 2015 season, instead of returning to the traditional three-stripe tailfin livery used since the 1960s, a fresh new paint scheme was revealed on the jets during a live television broadcast from RAF Scampton. In the simulator, stunts have to be performed while flying in formation. The team was equipped with a total of ten Gnats although they continued to display seven until 1968. 1956–1958: Roger Topp; 1958–1960: Peter Latham; Notes and references These engineers travel all over the country, working within tight timescales to ensure that when Red 1 makes the call it is "Smoke on, Go!". “However, the air display is only half the story–much of our activity in support of U.K. interests overseas is centred on … They often provide flypasts and brief displays to smaller events if they are already passing over or it is a small detour. Apart from a period at RAF College Cranwell between 1995 and 2000, the Lincolnshire station has been the Red Arrows’ permanent home ever since. The Red Arrows 100 engineering technicians and engineering support staff are headed by a Senior Engineering Officer, who along with his management team of two Flight Lieutenants, a Warrant Officer and a Flight Sergeant, are responsible for ensuring that the correct number of aircraft are available for the pilots during both the display and training seasons, and that the aircraft undergo the appropriate servicing and maintenance. The blue and red colours are made by mixing dye with the diesel. A list of locations where people can see the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team display during a major tour of North America has been released. The Red Arrows returned to a full aerobatic formation of nine aircraft in 2013.[31]. 111 Squadron in 1956, and for the first time, the aircraft had a special colour scheme, which was an all-black finish. [33] This was the Red Arrows' biggest-ever tour, flying to more than 25 cities, 21 displays and 30 flypasts. All of the thousands of pieces of equipment that help the Red Arrows work smoothly – everything from nuts and bolts to aircraft engines – are purchased, stored, managed and distributed by the suppliers. In 1964, all the RAF display teams were amalgamated, as it was feared pilots were spending too much time practising formation aerobatics rather than operational training. David Holmes.