The Red Arrows - Lincolnshire.org Five Dog Friendly Cottages in Lincolnshire The Red Arrows "Officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows is the aerobatic display team of the Royal Air Force" Officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows is the aerobatic display team of the Royal Air Force. Today, the Red Arrows are based at RAF Scampton. The Red Arrows, however, were not the first RAF aerobatics team. History of the RAF Red Arrows The glory days of RAF jet aerobatics display teams were in the 1950s and 1960s. There was a time during the mid 1960s that almost every Flying Training School had their own aerobatic display teams, until the Royal Air Force decided to disband all of them and form one single, permanent professional team, as so much time, effort and money were being spent on them. As a result, the Red Pelicans flying six Jet Provost T Mk 4s became the first team to represent the Royal Air Force as one in 1964.

That same year saw the formation of a team of five yellow Folland Gnat jet trainers, known as the Yellowjacks, at No 4 Flying Training School at Royal Air Force Valley in North Wales. This team was led by Flight Lieutenant Lee Jones who was posted to the Central Flying School (CFS) the following year to form the Red Arrows. The Red Arrows began at RAF Gloucestershire, which was then a satellite of CFS. There were, originally, seven display pilots and ten Gnat jet trainers. The name Red Arrows is a combination of the names of two earlier teams, the Black Arrows and the Red Pelicans. On May 6, 1965, the Red Arrows held their first display in the UK at Little Rissington for a press day, and in their first season, the team had flown 65 displays in Britain, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany. The Red Arrows team was awarded the Britannia Trophy by the Royal Aero Club in recognition of their outstanding contribution to aviation. Eventually, two spare pilots were established even though the team continued to fly only seven aircraft in most of their displays.

The first time the Red Arrows flew with nine pilots was for the benefit of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in July 1966. It wasn’t until 1968 that the Red Arrows officially increased in size to nine. There was nothing new in flying nine aircraft in a diamond-shaped formation, but the team’s perfectly symmetrical Diamond Nine rapidly became the representation of the peak of precision flying. It was soon registered as an official trademark. The British Aerospace Hawk trainer arrived in the autumn of 1979 and the pilots converted from the Gnat. They worked up a display using the new aircraft for the 1980 display season. The Hawk has since taken the Red Arrows on tours all over the world. In 2006, the 4000th display flown using the Hawk was at Royal Air Force Leuchars’ Battle of Britain Airshow. RAF Scampton became the CFS headquarters in 1983, and the Red Arrows moved there as well. Due to economic reasons, Scampton was closed in 1995; thus, the Red Arrows moved to RAF Cranwell, just twenty miles away from Scampton.

However, since they still used the air space above Scampton, the emergency facilities and runway still had to be maintained, and they moved back there in December 21, 2000. Group Composition There are nine volunteer display pilots each year, each of them staying for a three-year tour of duty. Three pilots are changed every year. This means that there are always three pilots in their first year, three pilots in their second year and three pilots in their final year with the team. Aside from the nine pilots, the Road Manager, also known as ‘Red 10’, is a fully qualified Hawk pilot who flies the tenth aircraft whenever the team is away from the base. He is in-charge of various duties that include coordination of the display and acting as the team’s Ground Safety Officer. In addition, Red 10 flies TV cameramen and photographers for air-to-air photos of the Red Arrows. The group is also supported by an 85-member engineering team, known as “The Blues”. To date, the Red Arrows has flown over 4000 displays throughout the world. They have become renowned and have acted as ambassadors for Great Britain, demonstrating capabilities of British equipment and expertise.

Author Information Lincolnshire's best Christmas lights switch-on celebrations... Places to stay nearby Red Arrows | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 100px 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 . 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 Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark diamond nine formation, with the motto Éclat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence". Initially, they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks display team. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters . In their first season, they flew at 65 shows across Europe. In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 displays worldwide in 52 countries.

[1] Contents Edit The Red Arrows were not the first RAF aerobatics team. An RAF pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with teams from front-line biplane squadrons. In 1938, three Gloster Gladiators flew with their wing-tips tied together.[ citation needed ] Formation aerobatics largely stopped during the Second World War . In 1947, the first jet team of three de Havilland Vampires came from RAF Odiham Fighter Wing. Various teams flew the Vampire, and in 1950, No. 72 Squadron was flying a team of seven. No. 54 Squadron became the first RAF jet formation team to use smoke trails. Vampires were replaced by Gloster Meteors , No. 66 Squadron developing a formation team of six aircraft. Hawker Hunter aircraft were first used for aerobatics teams in 1955, when No. 54 Squadron flew a formation of four. The official RAF team was provided by No. 111 Squadron in 1956, and for the first time the aircraft had a special colour scheme, which was an all-black finish.

After a demonstration in France, they were hailed as "Les Fleches Noires" and from then on known as the Black Arrows . This team became the first team to fly a five-Hunter formation. 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. The Black Arrows were the premier team until 1961, when the Blue Diamonds ( No. 92 Squadron ) continued their role, flying sixteen blue Hunters. In 1960, the Tigers ( No. 74 Squadron ) were re-equipped with the supersonic English Electric Lightning and performed wing-overs and rolls with nine aircraft in tight formation. They sometimes gave co-ordinated displays with the Blue Diamonds. Yet another aerobatics team was formed by No. 56 Squadron , the Firebirds, with nine red and silver Lightnings. In 1964, the Red Pelicans , flying six BAC Jet Provost T Mk 4s, assumed the role of the RAF's leading display team.

In that same year, a team of five yellow Gnat trainers from No 4 Flying Training School displayed at the Farnborough Airshow . This team became known as the Yellowjacks after Flight Lieutenant Lee Jones's call sign, "Yellowjack". 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. The new team name took the word red from the fact that the Yellowjacks' 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; the official version, however, is that the red was a tribute to the Red Pelicans. [1] Another reason for the change to red was that responsibility for the team moved from Fighter Command to the Central Flying School , whose main colour was red.

Establishment Edit Folland Gnat T1 in Red Arrows markings on display at Kemble in 2009 The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT), the formal name of the Red Arrows, began life at RAF Fairford in Glouces­tershire, then a satellite of the Central Flying School (CFS). When RAF Scampton became the CFS Headquarters in 1983, the Red Arrows moved there. As an economy measure, Scampton closed in 1995, so the Red Arrows moved just twenty miles to RAF Cranwell ; however, as they still used the air space above Scampton, the emergency facilities and runways had to be maintained. Since 21 December 2000, the Red Arrows have been based again at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln. The Red Arrows escort a Concorde owned by British Airways at the Queen's Golden Jubilee flyover of London The first team, led by Squadron Leader Lee Jones, had seven display pilots and flew the Folland Gnat T1 jet trainer. The first display in the UK was on 6 May 1965 at Little Rissington for a press day.

At the subsequent National Air Day display, three days later, at Clermont Ferrand in France, one French journalist described the team as "Les Fleches Rouges", confirming the name "The Red Arrows". By the end of their first season, the Red Arrows had displayed 65 times in Britain, France, Italy, Holland, Germany and Belgium and were awarded the Britannia Trophy by the Royal Aero Club for their contribution to aviation. In 1968, the then Team Leader (Sqn Ldr Ray Hanna ) expanded the team from seven to nine jets, as he wanted to expand the team's capabilities and the permutations of formation patterns. It was during this season that the 'Diamond Nine' pattern was formed and it has remained the team's trademark pattern ever since. 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 to this day. [2] For his considerable achievements of airmanship with the team, Ray Hanna was awarded a bar to his existing Air Force Cross (AFC) .

After displaying 1,292 times in the Folland Gnat , the Red Arrows took delivery of the BAe Hawk in the winter of 1979. Since being introduced into service with the Red Arrows, the Hawk has performed with the Red Arrows in fifty countries. Later years Edit A Red Arrows pilot exits his Hawk aircraft after a display 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. [3] 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. According to the BBC, it is highly unlikely that the Red Arrows will be disbanded, as they are a considerable attraction throughout the world. This was reiterated by Prime Minister, David Cameron, on 20 February 2013. [4] when he guaranteed the estimated £9m per annum costs while visiting India to discuss a possible sale of Hawk aircraft to be used by India's military aerobatics team, the Surya Kiran .

With the planned closure of RAF Scampton, the future home of the Red Arrows became uncertain. On 20 May 2008 months of speculation was ended when it was revealed that the Ministry of Defence were moving the Red Arrows to nearby RAF Waddington . [5] However, in December 2011, those plans were put under review. [6] 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. Scampton's runway will be resurfaced as a result. [7] Pilots Edit Since 1966, there have been nine display pilots each year, all volunteers. Pilots must have completed one or more operational tours on a fast jet such as the Tornado , Harrier or Jaguar , have accumulated at least 1,500 flying hours and have been assessed as above average in their operational role to be eligible. Even then, there are more than ten applicants for each place on the team. [8] Pilots stay with the Red Arrows for a three-year tour of duty .

Three pilots are changed every year, such that there are always three first year pilots, three second year pilots, and three in their final year. The pilots line up for an official photo after their display in 2004 The Reds have no reserve pilots, as a spare pilot would not perform often enough to fly to the standard required. If one of the pilots is not able to fly, the team flies an eight-plane formation. However, if the Team Leader, 'Red 1', is unable to fly then the team does not display at all. Each pilot always flies the same position in a formation. The pilots spend six months from October to April practising for the display season. Pilots wear green flying suits during training, and are only allowed to wear their red flying suits when fully qualified. [9] During an aerobatics display, Red Arrows pilots experience forces up to five times that of gravity (1g), and when performing the aerobatic manoeuvre 'Vixen Break', forces up to 7g can be reached, close to the 8g structural limit of the aircraft.

As well as the nine pilots, 'Red 10', also known as the Road Manager, is a fully qualified Hawk pilot who flies the tenth aircraft when the Red Arrows are away from base. This means the team have a reserve aircraft at the display site. Red 10's duties include co-ordination of the display and acting as the team's Ground Safety Officer. Red 10 also flies TV cameramen and photographers for air-to-air pictures of the Red Arrows. [10] The engineering team that supports the Red Arrows is known as "The Blues" and consists of 85 members. [10] Red Arrows at Southport Airshow in 2009 On 13 May 2009, it was announced that the Red Arrows would include their first female display pilot. Flt Lt Kirsty Moore joined for the 2010 season alongside fellow newcomer Flt Lt Ben Plank. Wing Commander Jas Hawker concluded his three-year tour of duty as 'The Boss' and was replaced by 2009 Red Six, Squadron Leader Ben Murphy.

[11] Flt Lt Moore is not the first female to apply to become a Red Arrow, but is the first to be taken forward to the intense selection. She joined the RAF in 1998 and has been an instructor on the Hawk aircraft at RAF Valley. She flies the Tornado aircraft at RAF Marham. [12] Flt Lt Plank is based at RAF Cottesmore . The team for the 2011 season was announced on 13 September 2010 and subsequently undertook winter training in preparation for the 2011 display season. [13] The team departed the UK on Friday 18 March 2011 and travelled to Cyprus to undertake Exercise SPRINGHAWK at RAF Akrotiri . The first 9-ship practice was flown on the first day of training in Cyprus on Monday 21 March 2011. [14] The team remained in Cyprus until the end of May whilst they took advantage of the good weather on offer to work up to display standard.

[9] The team gained their Public Display Authority (PDA) on 20 May 2011, just two days before their first planned public display in Crete. On 13 September 2011, the team for 2012 was announced. [15] The team received its PDA on 22 May 2012, having taken part in the Armed Forces Muster for Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee at Windsor Castle three days earlier. [16] Aircraft Edit A Hawk T1A of the Red Arrows taxis The team use the same two-seat training aircraft used for advanced pilot training, at first the Hawker Siddeley Gnat which was replaced in 1979 by the BAE Hawk T1 . [17] 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.

[17] Displays Edit The Red Arrows in formation with two Supermarine Spitfires at RIAT 2005 The first display by the Red Arrows was at RAF Little Rissington on 6 May 1965. The display was to introduce the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team to the media. However, the first public display was on 9 May 1965 in France, at the French National Air Day in Clermont-Ferrand . The first public display in the UK was on 15 May 1965 at the Biggin Hill International Air Fair . The first display with nine aircraft was on 8 July 1966 at RAF Little Rissington . The first display in Germany was at RAF Laarbruch on 6 August 1965. The Red Arrows performed in Germany a further 170 times before formation aerobatics were banned in Germany following the Ramstein airshow disaster in 1988.

During displays, the aircraft do not fly directly over the crowd apart from entering the display area by flying over the crowd from behind; any manoeuvres in front of and parallel to the audience can be as low as 300 feet, the 'synchro pair' can go as low as 100 feet straight and level, or 150 feet when in inverted flight. To carry out a full looping display the cloud base must be above 4,500 feet to avoid the team entering the cloud while looping If the cloud base is less than 4,500 ft but more than 2,500 ft the Team will perform the Rolling Display, substituting wing-overs and rolls for the loops. If the cloud base is less than 2,500 ft the Team will fly the Flat Display, which consists of a series of fly-pasts and steep turns.

The Red Arrows in Apollo formation, 2010 One of the biggest crowds to see the Red Arrows was in Lisbon on 13 June 1973, when there was a crowd of 650,000 people, a statistic exceeded in 1996 in Sydney.[ citation needed ] The greatest number of displays flown in any year was in 1995, when the Red Arrows performed 136 times. The smallest number of displays in one year was in 1975, after the 1973 oil crisis limited their appearances. At a charity auction in 2008, a British woman paid £1.5 million to fly with them. [18] By the end of the 2009 season, the Red Arrows had performed a total of 4,269 displays in 53 countries. [19] The 4,000th display was at RAF Leuchars during the Battle of Britain Airshow in September 2006.

[20] Following the accidents during the 2011 season, the Red Arrows retained Red 8 and moved the original Red 10 to the Red 5 position to enable them to continue displaying with nine aircraft. In March 2012, the MOD announced that the Red Arrows will fly aerobatic displays with seven aircraft during the 2012 display season as Flt Lt Kirsty Stewart has moved into a ground based role with the team. It is believed this is due to the emotional stress she had been suffering over the loss of her two Red Arrows colleagues the previous year. As a consequence of this, Red 8 will also drop out of the display team to enable an odd number of aircraft to perform and thus maintain formation symmetry. However, the team will carry out official flypasts with nine aircraft by utilising Red 8 as well as ex-Red Arrow display pilot and current Red 10 Mike Ling. It is believed that the Red Arrows will return to a full aerobatic formation of nine aircraft in 2013.

[21] Display charges In 1977, a charge of £200 was introduced by the MOD for a Red Arrows display. By 2000, the charge had risen to £2,000 (including VAT and insurance). In 2011 the team manager quoted the charge as £9,000. [22] Transits Edit 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). This avoids the complication of moving though the cloud base in formation, and also avoids much controlled air space. Jets are more efficient at higher altitude, so longer flights are made at 35,000 to 42,000 feet (11,000 to 13,000 m). On transit flights, the formation can include spare planes. Sometimes a C-130 Hercules accompanies them, carrying spare parts. As the fuel tank capacity of the Hawk sets a limit to flight distance, very long transits between display sites may need landings on the way to refuel.

For example, a visit to Canada needed 6 refuelling stops (in Scotland and Iceland and Greenland and Newfoundland). Smoke Edit Red Arrows with red and blue smoke The smoke trails left by the team are made by releasing diesel into the exhaust ; this oxidises straight away, leaving a white smoke trail. Dyes can be added to produce the red and blue colour. 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. The smoke system uses 10-imperial-gallon (45 L) per minute; therefore each plane can trail smoke for a total of seven minutes – 5 minutes of white smoke, 1-minute of blue and 1-minute of red.

Incidents and accidents Red Arrows Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team Active 1980 - present Hawk T1A Red Arrows Hawk at speed during a display 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, Lincolnshire, England . They were formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by various RAF commands. The Red Arrows badge shows the aircraft in their trademark diamond nine formation, with the motto Eclat, meaning "brilliance" or "excellence". The Red Arrows were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers which were inherited from the RAF Yellowjacks, display team. This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. In their first season, they flew at 65 shows across Europe . In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer.

The Red Arrows have now performed nearly 4,000 displays world-wide in over fifty countries. Team history Red Arrows Gnat, the aircraft type used by the team from their formation in 1964 until 1979 Predecessors The Red Arrows were not the first RAF aerobatics team. An RAF biplane pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with biplane teams made up of Gauntlets and Gladiators from front-line squadrons. In 1938 , three Gladiators flew with their wing-tips tied together. The Second World War largely stopped formation aerobatics, as planes were needed elsewhere. In 1947, the first jet team of three Vampires came from Odiham Fighter Wing. Various teams flew the Vampire, and in 1950, No. 72 Squadron was flying a team of seven. No. 54 Squadron RAF became the first RAF jet formation team to use smoke trails. Vampires were replaced by Meteors , No 66 Squadron developing a formation team of six aircraft.

Hunter aircraft were first used for aerobatics teams in 1955 , when No 54 Squadron flew a formation of four. All ten Red Arrows Hawks line up ready for the display. The official RAF team was provided by No. 111 Squadron RAF ('Treblers' or 'Treble-One') in 1956, and for the first time the aircraft had a special colour scheme, which was an all-black finish. After a demonstration in France , they were hailed as 'Les Fleches Noires' and from then on known as The Black Arrows. This team became the first team to fly a five-Hunter formation. The Black Arrows' greatest moment was the loop and barrel roll of 22 Hunters during the 1958 Farnborough Air Show. This was a world record for the greatest number of aircraft looped in formation, and remains unbroken to this day. The Black Arrows were the premier team until 1961, when The Blue Diamonds ( No. 92 Squadron RAF) continued their role, flying sixteen blue Hunters. In 1960, The Tigers ( No.

74 Squadron RAF) were re-equipped with Lightnings and performed wing-overs and rolls with nine aircraft in tight formation. They sometimes gave co-ordinated displays with the Blue Diamonds. Yet another aerobatics team was formed by No. 56 Squadron RAF, The Firebirds, with nine red and silver Lightnings. In 1964, The Red Pelicans, flying six Jet Provost T Mk 4s, assumed the role of the RAF's leading display team. In that same year, a team of five yellow Gnat trainers from No 4 Flying Training School displayed at the Farnborough Air show. This team became known as the Yellowjacks after Flight Lieutenant Lee Jones's call sign, "Yellowjack"; the name was briefly 'Daffodil Patrol', but was quickly changed back. In 1964, it was decided to amalgamate all the RAF display teams, as it was feared pilots were spending too much time practising formation aerobatics rather than operational training.

The new team name took the word red from the fact that the Yellowjacks' planes had been painted red (as it was a far clearer and visible colour in the sky for safety reasons) and arrows after the Black Arrows; however some think red was a tribute to the Red Pelicans. The Red Arrows A Red Arrows pilot exits his Hawk aircraft at the end of the display The Red Arrows escort Concorde at the Queen's Golden Jubilee flyover of London The Red Arrows in formation with two Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX's at RIAT 2005 The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, was based at RAF Kemble, then a satellite unit of the Central Flying School, itself based at RAF Little Rissington, which was considered the "official" home base of the Arrows. Arrows' aircraft would frequently fly into Rissington for maintenance. When RAF Scampton became the CFS Headquarters in 1983, the Red Arrows moved there.

As an economy measure, Scampton closed in 1995, so the Red Arrows moved just twenty miles to RAF Cranwell; however, as they still used the air space above Scampton, the emergency facilities and runways had to be maintained. Since December 21, 2000 , the Red Arrows have been based again at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln. The first team, led by Squadron Leader Lee Jones, had seven display pilots and flew the Folland Gnat T1 jet trainer. The first display in the UK was on 6 May 1965 at Little Rissington for a press day. At the subsequent National Air Day display, three days later, at Clermont Ferrand in France, one French journalist described the team as "Les Fleches Rouge", confirming the name "The Red Arrows". By the end of their first season, the Red Arrows had displayed 65 times in Britain, France, Italy, Holland, Germany and Belgium and were awarded the Britannia Trophy by the Royal Aero Club for their contribution to aviation. In 1968, the then Team Leader (Sqn. Ldr.

Ray Hanna AFC) expanded the team from seven to nine jets, as he wanted to expand the team's capabilities and the permutations of formation patterns. It was during this season that the 'Diamond Nine' pattern was formed and it has remained the team's trademark pattern ever since. Ray Hanna stayed as Red Leader for four consecutive years until 1969, a record as Leader which still stands to this day. For his considerable achievements of airmanship with the team, Ray Hanna was awarded a bar to his existing Air Force Cross (AFC). After displaying 1,292 times in the Folland Gnat, the Red Arrows took delivery of the Hawk trainer in the winter of 1979. Since being introduced into service with the Red Arrows, the Hawk has performed with the Red Arrows in fifty countries. On the 9 September 2003 , a Red Arrow jet veered off the runway at Jersey airport. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jez Griggs, ran the jet into a gravel pile and little damage was caused. No one was injured. Displays were not affected because the Red Arrows take a spare aircraft with them.

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 Arrows were not disbanded and the expense has been justified through the public relations value of the arrows, because the Red Arrows help develop business in the defence industry and also because they act as a recruitment mechanism for the RAF. According to the BBC , it is highly unlikely that the Red Arrows will be disbanded, as they are a considerable attraction throughout the world. This was reiterated by then Prime Minister , Tony Blair , in 2007. With the planned disposal of RAF Scampton the future home of the Red Arrows is uncertain. A move to either RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire, or RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, before the end of the decade is possible. Pilots The pilots of the Red Arrows line up for an official photo after their display Since 1966, there have been nine display pilots each year, all volunteers.

Pilots must have completed one or more operational tours on a fast jet such as the Tornado, Harrier or Jaguar, have accumulated at least 1,500 flying hours and have been assessed as above average in their operational role to be eligible. Even then, there are more than ten applicants for each place on the team. Pilots stay with the Red Arrows for a three-year tour of duty. Three pilots are changed every year, such that there are always three first year pilots, three second year pilots, and three in their final year. The Red Arrows have no reserve pilots, as a spare pilot would not perform often enough to fly to the standard required. If one of the pilots is not able to fly, the team flies an eight-plane formation. However, if the Team Leader, 'Red 1', is unable to fly then the team does not display at all. Each pilot always flies the same position in a formation. The pilots spend six months from October to April practising for the coming display season.

During an aerobatics display, Red Arrows pilots experience forces up to five times that of gravity, and when performing the aerobatic manoeuvre 'Vixen Break', forces up to 7g can be reached, close to the 8g structural limit of the aircraft. As well as the nine pilots, 'Red 10', also known as the Road Manager, is a fully qualified Hawk pilot who flies the tenth aircraft when the Red Arrows are away from base. This means the team have a reserve aircraft at the display site. Red 10's duties include co-ordination of the display and acting as the team's Ground Safety Officer. Red 10 also flies TV cameramen and photographers for air-to-air pictures of the Red Arrows. The engineering team that supports the Red Arrows are known as "The Blues" and consists of 85 members. Aircraft British Aerospace Hawk of the Red Arrows The Red Arrows do not use front-line aircraft because of operating costs. While the Hawk is very basic compared to the much more modern Eurofighter Typhoon, it is still fast enough and very manoeuvrable, ideal for low-altitude aerobatics.

The Red Arrows normally cruise at 360 knots (about one mile every 10 seconds). Statistics Maximum speed sea level — 645 mph (1,037 km/h) Maximum altitude — 48,000 ft (15,900 m) Empty weight — 8,000 lb (3,630 kg ) Maximum weight — 18,390 lb (8,330 kg) Powerplant — one Rolls-Royce Adour Mk 151 Thrust — 5,200 lbf (23 kN) Displays Red Arrows Hawks in Concorde formation Part of the "Big Vixen" formation. The first display by the Red Arrows was at RAF Little Rissington on 6 May 1965 . The display was to introduce the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team to the media. However, the first public display was on 9 May 1965 in France , at the French National Air Day in Clermont-Ferrand. The first public display in the UK was on 15 May 1965 at the International Air Fair at Biggin Hill.

The first display with nine aircraft was on 8 July 1966 at RAF Little Rissington. The first display in Germany was at RAF Laarbruch on 6 August 1965 , and since then the Red Arrows have performed in Germany 170 times. However, the Red Arrows' last display in Germany was on 22 August 1988 after formation aerobatics were banned in Germany following the Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori accident on 28 August 1988 in Ramstein. During displays, the aircraft do not fly directly over the crowd; any manoeuvres in front of and parallel to the audience can be as low as 300 feet, the 'synchro pair' can go as low as 100 feet straight and level, or 150 feet when in inverted flight. To carry out a full display, the cloud base must be above 4,500 feet; if it is below 2,500 feet then they will perform a 'flat' display, which consists of fly-pasts and steep turns.

One of the biggest crowds to see the Red Arrows was in Lisbon on 13 June 1973 , when there was a crowd of 650,000 people, a statistic exceeded in 1996 in Sydney . The greatest number of displays flown in any year was in 1995, when the Red Arrows performed 136 times. The smallest number of displays in one year was in 1975, after the 1973 oil crisis limited their appearances. In 1977, a charge of £200 was introduced by the MOD for a Red Arrows display. By 2000, the charge had risen to £2,000 (including VAT and insurance). To date, the Red Arrows have performed over 4,000 displays (the 4,000th being performed at RAF Leuchars in Scotland in September 2006). UK residents may occasionally see the Red Arrows on a "transit flight" (getting to the display location). On these transit flights, the team flies at the relatively low altitude of 1,000 feet.

This avoids the complication of moving though the cloud base in formation, and also avoids much controlled air space. Jets are more efficient at higher altitude, so longer flights are made at 35,000 to 42,000 feet. The smoke trails left by the team are made by releasing diesel into the exhaust; this oxidises straight away, leaving a white smoke trail. Dyes can be added to produce the different colours. The diesel is stored in the pod on the underside of the plane; designed to carry a 30mm ADEN cannon, it now houses three tanks: one 50-gallon tank of pure diesel and two 10-gallon tanks of blue- and red-dyed diesel. The smoke system uses ten gallons per minute; therefore each plane can trail smoke for a total of seven minutes; (5 minutes of white smoke, 1 minute of blue and 1 minute of red is carried).

Accidents and incidents Red Arrows: Temporary move to RAF Cranwell whilst runway repaired - BBC News BBC News Red Arrows: Temporary move to RAF Cranwell whilst runway repaired 25 January 2013 Close share panel Image caption The Red Arrows train in Cyprus for several weeks every year The Lincolnshire-based Red Arrows will move to a new base in the county for the remainder of their winter training. The aerobatics display team is moving to RAF Cranwell from RAF Scampton whilst maintenance work is carried out. The move on 29 January will allow repair work to take place on the runway at RAF Scampton. A majority of their training flights will continue to be in airspace over the Scampton area. The team will remain at RAF Cranwell until they move to Europe in March for training sessions there. The Red Arrows have been training in Anglesey in Wales for a week due to heavy snow in Lincolnshire. Three new pilots will arrive later in the year allowing the them to return to a nine-strong formation after flying with seven for much of 2012. This followed the deaths of Flt Lt Jon Egging and Flt Lt Sean Cunningham, who were killed in separate incidents in 2011.

Visit Historic RAF Airfields | Boston Lodge Guest House Boston Lodge Guest House by admin Boston Lodge bed and breakfast accommodation is an ideal guest house to stay at when visiting the RAF airfields, air shows and air museums of Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire is literally covered with airfields of all sizes… far too many to cover here. There are many websites specializing in these so we have left the detailed stuff to them and provided a few links below to useful sites on RAF Airfields, Air Shows and Air Museums in Lincolnshire. Our Bed and Breakfast accommodation , Boston Lodge, is ideally located for visiting the RAF airfields and air museums in the Lincolnshire area as it is within easy driving distance of Sleaford, Boston and Lincoln with good access roads between them all. RAF Cranwell , RAF Waddington and RAF Coningsby (home of the Battle of Britain WW2 Memorial Flight) are only a few miles away from Boston Lodge. Red Arrows Based at RAF Scampton Lincolnshire is the home of the world famous Red Arrows.

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, Lincolnshire, UK (soon to be RAF Waddington). They were formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands. Boston Lodge, Browns Drove, Swineshead Bridge, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE20 3PX Tel: 01205 820983 Red Arrows aces paint the Dubai sky red, white and blue in awesome aerial display during Middle East tour | Daily Mail Online Red Arrows aces paint the Dubai sky red, white and blue in awesome aerial display during Middle East tour comments The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows paint the skies above Dubai a patriotic red, white and blue in a breathtaking display during their major tour of the Middle East. The aerobatic team is in the region to strengthen trade links and to provide a little taste of back home to the thousands of British ex-pats living in the region.

Squadron Leader Jim Turner, Team Leader of the Red Arrows, said: 'It is a huge honour and privilege to have been invited to the Middle East and have the opportunity to perform our display in so many wonderful locations. Scroll down for video Fly past: The Red Arrows streak above the landmark Burj Al Arab hotel during a display in Dubai The RAF display team is in the region to strengthen trade links and to provide a little taste of back home to the thousands of British ex-pats living in the region 'We take great pride and pleasure in being able to demonstrate our flying in all of these places – some of which we have never visited before, while others we are very pleased to be afforded the opportunity to return to. RELATED ARTICLES Trump cheered as he leaves Washington DC hotel The Red Arrow jets fly above Dubai's iconic Palm Islands. The visit came about after the team accepted an invitation to the Dubai Air Show The RAF aces are acknowledged as one of the world's premier aerobatic teams and often taken part in high-profile occasions, both nationally and internationally As ambassadors for the UK, the Red Arrows showcase the excellence of the Royal Air Force.

The team, who currently fly BAE Systems Hawk aircraft, consists of nine display pilots, all of whom are from frontline squadrons. Each has previously operated other Royal Air Force fast jets, such as the Tornado or the Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft. There are also more than 100 support staff in the Red Arrows, including Operations staff and Flight Planners, Engineering technicians, Photographers, Safety Equipment experts, Drivers, a Public Relations department, Suppliers and Administrators. Next year is the 50th display season for the Team which is based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and, since formation, they have performed more than 4,500 displays in 54 different countries.

The tour aims to raise awareness of the UK and highlight the Royal Air Force's agility, adaptability and capability Next year is the 50th display season for the Team which is based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and, since formation, they have performed more than 4,500 displays in 54 different countries All the Red Arrows' pilots have Each has previously flown other Royal Air Force fast jets, such as the Tornado or the Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft Squadron Leader Jim Turner, Team Leader of the Red Arrows, said: 'It is a huge honour and privilege to have been invited to the Middle East' Acknowledged as one of the world¿s premier aerobatic teams, the Red Arrows is an iconic British brand and has often taken part in high-profile occasions, both nationally and internationally The tour is being used by the Team as an opportunity to visit other nations in an important region with which the United Kingdom has strong links to Acknowledged as one of the world’s premier aerobatic teams, the Red Arrows is an iconic British brand and has often taken part in high-profile occasions, both nationally and internationally.

Squadron Leader Turner said: 'The Red Arrows showcase the speed, agility and precision of the Royal Air Force. Our flying display includes a combination of a synchronised formation aerobatics during the first half of the performance, followed by a more dynamic second half. 'To those who live in the regions, we hope you will see us perform during our time in the Middle East, we thank you for hosting the Team and also for your support.' the RAF Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows, history History Since the first aerial pageant at Hendon in 1920, formation aerobatics have been held in high regard by the Royal Air Force. In the barnstorming days before the Second World War no air display would be complete without the sight of two or more biplanes flying in close proximity, often tied together. With the dawn of the jet age, piston engine aircraft were replaced by the faster and more dramatic of the new front-line jet fighters. The first RAF jet team was formed in 1947 and consisted of three Vampires from the Odiham Wing in Hampshire.

By 1950 72 Squadron was flying a team of seven Vampires and 54 Squadron, with their five aircraft, were the first to use smoke. This was achieved by injecting diesel into the jet pipe where the high temperature turned it to white smoke. Rivalry between the RAF fighter squadrons was high and it became the trend for each to form its own team. When 54 Squadron re-equipped with the Hawker Hunter in 1955 they put together a four ship team know as the Black Knights. In 1956, 111 Squadron (Tremblers or Treble One) became the official RAF display team with their five gloss black Hunters. After displaying in France they were applauded as Les Fleches Noires and they soon became know throughout the Continent as the Black Arrows. Two of those original aircraft remained in service until 1995, being used for groundcrew training at RAF Scampton. The RAF sold one to The Royal Jordanian Historic Aircraft Flight and the other to a private buyer in South Africa. In 1957 The Black Arrows were increased to nine aircraft.

These were supplemented in 1958 by an additional 13 aircraft from other squadrons in order to perform a 22 aircraft loop and barrel roll at the Farnborough Air Show. This is the greatest number of aircraft ever looped in formation and remains a world record to this day. The Tigers, of 74 Squadron, became the official RAF display team in 1962 with nine Mach 2 Lightnings. At that time 92 Squadron, with the Blue Diamonds, and 56 Squadron, with The Firebirds, could also be seen on the display circuit. In 1964 six Jet Provosts of The Central Flying School (CFS) became the official RAF team, known as The Red Pelicans. The RAF were soon to realize that training aircraft were a much cheaper option to operate than the Lightning. The Squadrons, afterall, seemed to be spending more time at airshows and less time flying operational sorties. The Red Pelicans were not without their rivals and in that same year a five ship of yellow Gnats, known as The Yellow jacks, were formed at RAF Valley in North Wales by Flight Lieutenant Lee Jones.

The Folland Gnat was the RAFs advanced jet trainer and its speed and agility made it the perfect machine for formation aerobatics. The following year Jones formed the official RAF display team with a seven ship of red Gnats and called them The Red Arrows. Initially The Red Arrows were based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire which was operated by CFS. The team was equipped with a total of ten Gnats although they continued to display seven until 1968. Each had its own three colour smoke generation system and a distinctive red, white and blue colours scheme. In that first year The Red Arrows performed 65 displays in the UK, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. At the end of that year they were awarded the Britannia Trophy by the Royal Aero Club in recognition of their outstanding contribution to British prestige in the field or aviation. Initially The Red Arrows employed a spare pilot, but soon found this practice to be unsatisfactory. The display routine is a complex one and any reserve pilot would be required to learn all the skills of his colleagues. Since he would rarely be called upon to fly in a display it would be difficult to keep him current and in time he would become frustrated.

In the nineteen sixties much of the Central Flying School were located at airfields around the Cotswolds in the heart of England. It was there that the Team remained, moving from Fairford to Kemble, near Cirencester. RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, became the Headquarters of CFS, and in 1983 The Red Arrows were relocated there. With the end of the Cold war, Scampton fell victim to defence cuts and the airfield closed at the end of 1995. In February 1996, after returning from tours of Africa, Australia and the Far East the Team settled into their new home at RAF Cranwell, where they share the airfield with the Bulldogs, Dominies and Jetstreams of CFS. Although the public have always known them as the The Red Arrows their official name is The Royal Air force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT). This is the title that appears on the Squadrons crest together with the diamond nine and the motto Eclat, with means brilliance. When the team was first formed the original badge depicted seven red Gnats in Vulcan formation superimposed over the RAF roundel.

Since 1968 The Red Arrows have performed as a nine ship display team and from that time the Diamond Nine shape has been their trademark. Number six and seven are known as the Synchronised or Synchro Pair and are well known for their breathtaking crosses in front of the crowd. The display routine has always been designed to keep the attention of the crowd and is split into two distinctive segments. Each year the team pilots create a display routine around this basic format. The complete routine lasts about twenty minutes, which some spectators think is not long enough. The team, however, believe in the philosophy that is always better to leave the crowd wanting more. The first half of their display consists of aerobatic manoeuvres performed by all nine aircraft flying a variety of different shapes. Six and seven spend most of the first half in line astern on the leader, forming what is called the stem. In the second half the Synchro Pair split off from the other seven aircraft to perform their crosses, these are interlaced with the splits and rejoins of the main section. In previous years all nine aircraft would rejoin for the Parasol Break as the finale to the show.

The Red Arrows fly as two loose formations of five aircraft when transitting between displays. The Team Manager flies the spare. For many years now the front five have been nicknamed "Enid" after the famous five books by Enid Blighton. Six to ten are known as Gypo which comes from the word Gypsy. Perhaps this was due to the appearance of some of the pilots. 1979 was the last year that the Team flew the Gnat. The British Aerospace Hawk became the RAF's new jet trainer and the Red Arrows converted to it during the winter of 79/80. The Team began the 1980 display season with the new aircraft and a brand new colour scheme. Seventy-five support personnel are required to keep the Team airborn. Six of these are involved in administration and planning, commanded by a Warrant Officer. The remainder are engineers, of which 25 are designated as First Line and 41 are Second Line. First Line are responsible for servicing the aircraft away from the home base. They are commanded by a Flight Lieutenant Engineering Officer (Eng 1), who flies, together with nine of his engineers, to the displays, and collectively they are known as Circus.

The remainder, if required, will travel by road. Second Line are responsible for the in-depth maintenance back at base and are also commanded by a Flight Lieutenant Engineering Officer (Eng 2). In the 32 years that the Team has been in existence it has displayed in fifty countries. They perform over one hundred displays each year and have totalled more than 3400 to date. The 1000th show was flown in the summer of 1977 at Greenham Common. Nine years later the 2000th display was achieved in front of holiday crowds at Bournmouth sea front. The 3000th display was performed over the estuary at Dartmouth in August 1995. The Team has always fulfilled its role in promoting a positive image of the Royal Air Force and as an aid to recruiting, but more recently they have been called upon to promote the British Aerospace industry through displays at home and abroad. The Red Arrows, through the many displays they perform each year, have become a household name and there is almost no one in the UK that does not know who or what they are.

It is true to say that following recent tours to Africa, Asia and North America they are also becoming a worldwide name. This is a rare position to hold and should ensure that the Team remains a useful asset for many years to come. by Flt Lt Mark Zanker Special thanks must go to all the Red Arrow pilots and special to: the Groundcrew. all photographs by: EJ van Koningsveld �

Question: Which village in Lincolnshire is home to the aerobatics display team The Red Arrows ?
Answer: SCAMPTON