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 � The Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - YouTube The Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented.

This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Oct 2, 2010 The Red Arrows are renowned throughout the world as ambassadors for both the Royal Air Force and the United Kingdom. Since the Team was officially formed in 1965, the Red Arrows have completed over 4,000 displays in 53 countries. 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, they are soon to move to 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. 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 53 countries. 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 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. 2010 Line up The History of RAF Aerobatic Teams From 1920 : Smoke On ... Go!. (eBook, 2011) [WorldCat.org] 1 online resource (497 pages) Contents: Acknowledgements; Foreword; Preface; Select Bibliography; Glossary; Chapter 1 Early Days; Chapter 2 RAF Squadrons; Chapter 3 Auxiliary Squadron Teams; Chapter 4 Tripartite Evaluation Squadron; Chapter 5 FEAF Towed Target Flight/No. 1574 (Target Towing) Flight; Chapter 6 Canberra Display Teams; Chapter 7 FFS 'A' Acro-Team; Chapter 8 Central Flying School; Chapter 9 RAF College, Cranwell; Chapter 10 RAF Flying College (School of Refresher Flying), Strubby/College of Air Warfare, Manby; Chapter 11 Flying Training Schools; Chapter 12 The Red Arrows.

Abstract: The Royal Air Force has long recognized the value of display flying for pilot training, prestige and recruiting purposes, and the standard of its formation aerobatic teams has always stood favorable comparison with those of air forces of other nations. Aerobatics have always played a prominent part in RAF training. They are not performed merely to provide a spectacle for the public but are an essential step in the making of a pilot, giving him confidence in himself and his aircraft. Formation aerobatics give him the added factor of confidence in his leader and other members of the team. This his. Reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Be the first. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Be the first. Tags Add tags for "The History of RAF Aerobatic Teams From 1920 : Smoke On ... Go!.". Be the first. Similar Items schema:datePublished "2011" ; schema:description "Acknowledgements; Foreword; Preface; Select Bibliography; Glossary; Chapter 1 Early Days; Chapter 2 RAF Squadrons; Chapter 3 Auxiliary Squadron Teams; Chapter 4 Tripartite Evaluation Squadron; Chapter 5 FEAF Towed Target Flight/No.

1574 (Target Towing) Flight; Chapter 6 Canberra Display Teams; Chapter 7 FFS 'A' Acro-Team; Chapter 8 Central Flying School; Chapter 9 RAF College, Cranwell; Chapter 10 RAF Flying College (School of Refresher Flying), Strubby/College of Air Warfare, Manby; Chapter 11 Flying Training Schools; Chapter 12 The Red Arrows."@ en ; schema:description "The Royal Air Force has long recognized the value of display flying for pilot training, prestige and recruiting purposes, and the standard of its formation aerobatic teams has always stood favorable comparison with those of air forces of other nations. Aerobatics have always played a prominent part in RAF training. They are not performed merely to provide a spectacle for the public but are an essential step in the making of a pilot, giving him confidence in himself and his aircraft. Formation aerobatics give him the added factor of confidence in his leader and other members of the team. This his."@ en ; Books - RAF Aerobatic Teams by David Watkins by David Watkins Another great book by another one of our Shareholders, David Watkins .

He has written many memorable aviation titles and for this one he has enlisted the aid of several of our other shareholders. This book has been in preparation for several years and is eagerly awaited. We have been privileged to receive an early copy of the Jacket. It is expected to be on sale from the end of November 2010/Early December 2010. DAVID WATKINS joined the RAF when he was nineteen and saw service in the UK, Germany and the Far East. He has written books on the de Havilland Vampire and Venom, No.501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron RAuxAF and RAF Chivenor, besides contributing numerous articles on aviation subjects for specialist magazines. The Royal Air has long recognised the value of display flying for pilot training, prestige and recruiting purposes. For nine decades RAF formation aerobatic teams have stood favourable comparison with those in air forces of other nations. Aerobatics have always played a prominent role in flying training. They are not merely performed to provide a spectacle for the public but are essential to produce effective military pilots, boosting self confidence in the air through mastery of an aircraft's widest capabilities.

The exhilarating demands of low level display formation acrobatic manoeuvres require above average flying ability, mature experience and mutual trust in both the leader and every team member. This history of RAF acrobatic teams is the result of many years of meticulous research and covers their early beginnings with five Sopwith Snipes at the Hendon Pageant in 1920 up to the present day Red Arrows. The book also contains an introduction which details the gradual development from the experimental and 'stunt' flying of early aviators, through the aerial artistry by use of smoke to highlight manoeuvres and tied-together formation aerobatics. to the introduction of jet teams after the war. A detailed index lists each team and its members from 1920. Aviation historians and enthusiasts, as many appreciative spectators, will welcome this essential reference source on our Royal Air Force formation acrobatic teams.

Price: £25.00 Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Limited, Freepost, 47 Church Street, Burnley, South Yorkshire, S70 2BR, England E-mail: enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk RAF aerobatic teams 1920-1964 - Everything2.com RAF aerobatic teams 1920-1964 by archiewood Sat Mar 15 2003 at 14:42:03 Many Brits , if you ask them about aerobatic teams, will mention the Red Arrows before any other. This team has represented Britain and the RAF all over the world for almost forty years with precision formation flying and aerobatics stretching the abilities of pilots and aircraft alike. The pilots that have rotated through the ten-man Red Arrows team since its inception have between them performed at almost four thousand public displays in over 20 countries. However the Red Arrows are not the only display team the RAF's ever had - unlike the US Navy the RAF seemingly maintained little control over the operation of aerobatic teams until the formation (heh) of the Red Arrows in the mid-1960s.

As far as I am aware the Blue Angels (and to a lesser extent the USAF's Thunderbirds ) have been America's 'national' aerobatic teams for as long as America has had them; however Great Britain , although it has always had at least one aerobatic team since the early 1930s , did not initially maintain a 'national' team. Aerobatic/formation flying teams were always put on by individual squadrons with little or no central administration of their display routines or itinerary . Some did get some kind of official recognition however, and would be regarded as the national team for a time. Hazy Beginnings It is unclear exactly when the first formation display took place but it was definitely at an aerial pageant at London's Hendon Aerodrome, sometime in the early 1920s or 1930s . A three-ship team of biplanes - either Hawker Furies , Gloster Gauntlets or Gloster Gladiators - performed there, flying a series of rolls and loops with their aircraft literally tied together, using bungee cord.

This was later repeated at the annual pageants by pilots from several other squadrons, although records are unclear on the specifics of this. The first jet aircraft display in Britain was a small team of De Havilland Vampires (the first jet aircraft to be used by the RAF after the Gloster Meteor ) from Hampshire who started displaying in 1947 . Apparently there were several small teams of Vampires (!) like this by 1950 , by which time No. 72 Squadron was flying a display team of seven aircraft and No. 54 Squadron was flying a five-strong team. Notably the latter were the first aerobatic team to use smoke in their displays, which they did by injecting diesel fuel into their aircraft exhausts. Record Setters Seemingly turning into an inter-squadron rivalry, it became a trend for squadrons around the country to have their own aerial display teams. When No. 54 Squadron's Vampires were replaced with Hawker Hunters they formed a new display team called the Black Knights. In 1955 they flew a 4-aircraft formation, pilots dressed in all-black flying suits. The following year, No.

111 Squadron provided the official display team, this time with their five Hunters completely black, save for the RAF roundels on the wings and fuselage. After performing at a French airshow they were dubbed Les Flèches Noires and subsequently became known everywhere as the Black Arrows. They are probably the most recognised British team to use front line operational aircraft ; since about 1967 all British aerobatic teams have used training aircraft. In 1958 the Black Arrows were increased to nine aircraft and stunned airshow goers when they turned up and performed rolls and loops in formation, a feat unlike any had seen since before the war . The team added new tricks and formations to their routines every year. The Black Arrows gained and so far retain their place in the record books by looping and barrel-rolling 22 aircraft in formation (with the help of No. 56 Squadron, who loaned them 13 Hunters with pilots) at the Farnborough airshow in 1958 . This feat has never been equalled and with the cost of aircraft now, as well as pilot training and availability, it seems likely that this record will stand forever.

The Black Arrows continued to be the RAFs ambassador to much of the world for several years following until 1960 when they were replaced by the Blue Diamonds of No. 92 Squadron, flying a team of 16 blue-painted Hunters. Unfortunately, probably because they only displayed for two years, there seems to be no information about the Blue Diamonds beyond the fact of their existence. Lightning Display Teams In 1961 the Hunter was superseded as Britain's attack aircraft by the English Electric Lightning and in 1962 a team of them took over the mantle of showing off for the RAF from the Blue Diamonds. This team was named the Tigers, rather unimaginatively as it turned out since this was and is the nickname of their outfit at No. 74 Squadron as well. As the first supersonic fighter to serve in the RAF, the British-designed and built Lightning was the perfect symbol of British prestige and engineering excellence; a team of nine impressed and deafened spectators with formation flying and aerobatics for two seasons. In the crossover year between the Hunters and the Lightnings the Blue Diamonds and Tigers toured air shows together, putting on a spectacular unified display before the Lightnings took over fulltime.

The Tigers performed at air shows until about 1963 when No. 56 Squadron and their newly-formed Firebirds team (also Lightnings) took over. Both teams continued the tradition of distinctive markings on their aircraft - the Tigers painted their stainless silver Lightnings black along the top of the fuselage with yellow and black tessellating triangles on either side of the RAF roundel on the nose. The Firebirds adorned theirs with red and white-chequered tails and a red and white arrow in front of the nose roundel. Aerobatics by Central Flying School In 1964 the management decided that it would be easier and cheaper to draw the RAFs main display team from a training unit instead of operational squadrons. In that year the Central Flying School was charged with providing the main display team and did so using Jet Provosts in a team they called the Red Pelicans. Several other training units also put on their own display teams using Jet Provosts, these being the Poachers, Swords and Macaws. It seems however that although the Provosts put on a polished display, they were a bit soft compared to their loud, fast and powerful predecessors.

The Provost was much slower than the Lightning and not as agile or attractive as the Hunter. From my limited showgoing experience their displays are not, to me, as exciting as displays put on by higher-performance aircraft (however I'm not a particular fan of the Provost so I suppose I'm biased). Some of the Provost teams including the Red Pelicans and Macaws still exist and perform regularly at airshows. Perhaps seeing a gap that needed to be filled, Flight Lieutenant Lee Jones of No. 4 Flight Training School in RAF Valley, North Wales and formerly of No. 111 Squadron and the Black Arrows, set up a display team composed of 5 yellow Folland Gnat training aircraft. After his callsign and the colour of their aircraft, the team adopted the name Yellowjacks. The Gnat had just come into service as a trainer, although the design was originally submitted by Folland for a combat role. The weapons capacity of the Gnat was small but it was very fast and manoeuvrable (able to perform a 360° roll in less than a second), making it an ideal aircraft for training and aerobatics.

This team performed as the second official RAF display team alongside the Red Pelicans until the end of the 1964 season; the Red Arrows were formed immediately afterwards. I apologise for the vague nature of parts of this writeup; although not desirable it's preferable to being wrong. Because of the large amount of sources for this writeup, there's huge scope for little mistakes on my part and there is considerable disagreement between sources on some areas, therefore I have just touched on them. If anyone can supply me with definitives for some of the more vague areas of this writeup I'll include them. Thanks to toalight for doing just that.

Sources/Further Reading: Andrew March; "Silver Jubilee of the Red Arrows"; Royal Air Force Yearboook 1989 (Author unknown) (Untitled); < Airventure; "Red Arrows Special"; < Cheek, Tim; "Duxford" < Skyflash; "The RAF Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows"; < North East Aircraft Museum; Daugherty, Brian; "De Havilland Vampires"; < dave@militaryairshows.co.uk; "Display Teams; Red Arrows"; < Black Arrows (54 Squadron), Black Knights (111 Squadron) & Blue Diamonds (92 Squadron) Flightline UK 2001; "The Hawker Hunter at Airshows"; < North East Aircraft Museum; Daugherty, Brian; "Hawker Hunter F51 (E-419)" < webmaster@classicfighters.com; "Hawker Hunter History" < Eade, Dave; "Wattisham Squadrons; 111 Squadron: 'Treble One'"; < British Crown; "Squadron badges and histories; 78 to 111 Squadrons" < Burke, Damian; "Hawker Hunter

; History"; < Eade, Dave; "The Wattisham chronicles; Part Three: Hunter heaven & Javelin jottings" < Classic Fighters; "Hawker Hunter PR11 WT723"; < feedback@rafweb.org; "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation; No 91 - 95 Squadron Histories"; < Tigers (74 Squadron) & Firebirds (56 Squadron) Burke, Damian; "English Electric Lightning; History" < (also Firebirds) IPMS Stockholm; "Camouflage and markings of No.

74 Squadron RAF"; < Parsons, Gary; "Wattisham Squadrons; 74 Squadron: Tiger Phantoms" < Eade, Dave; "The Wattisham chronicles; Part Four: English Electric's finest"; < Pearson, Bob & Banyai-Riepl, Chris; "The BAC Lightning: The Early Years" < Pasons, Gary; "Wattisham Squadrons; 56 Squadron: Phantoms & Firebirds" < Red Pelicans (Central Flying School) North East Aircraft Museum; Daugherty, Brian; "Hunting Percival Jet Provost T4"; < British Crown; "History of the CFS"; < Lock, Justin; "The Jet Provost T5A"; < Deacon, Ray; "Ray Deacon's Photographs - Page 3"; < (Author unknown); "Proud of Louth"; < (Macaws) Yellowjacks Ristniemi, Kurt; "Gnat in Aerobatics"; <~kurt/infnars/gnat/aerobats.htm> The Doublestar Group; "Folland Fo.141 Gnat"; < British Crown; "No 4 Flying Training School"; < Jet Provost

 heaven - RAF Jet Provost display teams The Central Flying School (CFS) 1958 season The era of the Jet Provost aerobatic teams begun as early as 1958, when the Central Flying School based at RAF Little Rissington formed a 4-ship team of Jet Provost T.1s, known simply as 'The Sparrows'.

The unit had previously flown 4 Hunting-Percival Piston Provosts and had just received re-equipped with the Jet Provost the previous year. 1959 season The CFS put up a two ship team for the 1959 season, known as 'The Redskins'. 1960-62 seasonsDuring the latter part of 1959 deliveries CFS received the first six Jet Provost T.3s and the T.1s were slowly phased out of service, and as a result the existing Redskins team was disbanded. However the unit formed a new 4-ship team in preparation for the 1960 season, called "The CFS Aerobatic Team". Its aircraft had no special markings applied, but wore the standard silver and orange day-glo training colours of the day. The team continued until halfway through the 1962 airshow season, at the same time the T.4 Jet Provost was beginning to arrive on strength. 1962-64 seasons Halfway through the 1962 season the team re-equipped with four Jet Provost T.4s and a smoke system was also fitted to each of the display aircraft.

The "Red Pelicans" team was born, and they performed at shows up and down the country, including the annual SBAC show Farnborough in September 1962. The 1963 season saw the team extended to six aircraft under the leadership of Flt Lt Ian Bashall, and the aircraft in a new colour scheme. Their standard training colours were replaced by a overall dayglo-red scheme, and the Red Pelicans performed at displays in Belgium and France as well as across venues in the UK. At the end of the season the RAF decided that the "Red Pelicans" should continue as the official Royal Air Force aerobatic team for the 1964 airshow season, replacing the RAF 56 Sqn. "Firebirds" Lightning team in the role, which could no longer be spared for display purposes. The 1964 Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team was captained by Flt Lt T.E.I. Lloyd, who took the six-ship team to participate in shows in Belgium, France, Netherlands and Norway in addition to their UK display commitments.

During the latter part of the season the team gave co-ordinated displays with the RAF's first Gnat-equipped team, the "Yellowjacks" from No 4 FTS at Valley, and the team again appeared at SBAC Farnborough in September 1964. The bright lemon yellow aeroplanes complemented the red Jet Provosts well, and the Gnat soon started to earn a reputation for being a superb aerobatic mount. As a result of this the type was chosen as equipment for the 1965 RAF Aerobatic Team - the "Red Arrows". 1965-73 seasons With the newly-formed Red Arrows in place as the RAF's premier aerobatic team, the Red Pelicans subsequently trimmed down to four aircraft without a smoke system facility, and were all re-painted into a post-box-red scheme. The 4-ship team continued to participate in shows across the UK for the next five seasons. In spring 1970 the team re-equipped with the last variant of the Jet Provost delivered, the T.5.

They continued for a further four seasons before the team disbanded permanently at the end of the 1973 season, bringing the curtain down on 15 years of CFS Jet Provost teams. No.6 Flying Training School (6FTS) 1962-1966 seasons During the 1960s and 1970s all the RAF's Colleges and Flying Training Schools had their own "JP" aerobatics team. One of the less known and publicised display teams was flown by 6FTS. They flew a team for five seasons and it was unofficially christened the "Cocks O'the North" before being disbanded in 1966. If anyone has any information on this team please e-mail me! No.1 Flying Training School (1FTS) 1963-69 seasons Based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, 1FTS formed the "Gin-Four" in 1963, flying four Jet Provost T Mk 4s.

The team continued to fly displays for the next six years under this name, but in 1969, the team's last season it was renamed "Linton GIN". The name "GIN" originates from the initials of three of its founder members, and the alcoholic drink! At the end of the 1969 season the team disbanded. 1970-1973 seasons When 1 FTS re-equipped with the Mk 5 Jet Provost, pilots of the Unit formed a new team, christened "The Blades". They flew four aircraft in standard training colours, augmented by a large white Rose of York surmounted by two crossed swords on the engine intakes. A small change to the markings was made for the 1972 season, when the white rose gave way to a large yellow sword painted vertically on the rudder. The 1973 paint scheme retained the normal red and white training markings, but with the top of the fuselage and fin painted dark blue. The team lasted only until June 1973, when it disbanded.

The College of Air Warfare (CAW) 1965-1967 seasons The College of Air Warfare, based at RAF Manby, formed a Jet Provost team in 1965, called "The Magistrates" with the name originated from the initials "JP". The team flew at displays for three seasons until it was renamed following the end of the 1967 season. 1968 season In late 1967, the team name was changed to the "Macaws". This name was constructed from the first letters of the Unit, MAnby College of Air Warfare. The team wore a standard silver and dayglo training colours for their first season, but for their debut season, in 1968, the display aircraft were re-sprayed into a unique colour scheme of light grey and red. 1969-1973 seasons From 1969 the Jet Provosts adopted the now-standard red/white/grey scheme but had special team markings applied. The "Macaws" flew six basic formations, their display culminating in a "Petal Break", or flat bomb-burst towards the crowd.

During the 1971 and 1972 display seasons the team was led by Flt Lt Brian Hoskins, and he later went on to lead the RAF "Red Arrows". The team's final season occurred in 1973, under the leadership of Flt Lt Peter Diggance, with Flt Lts. John Aldington, Mike Fox and Mick Marriot completing the 4-ship line-up. During its last month in existance the team displayed at Cottesmore, Coltishall, Little Rissington, Manby, Buchel (Germany), Frechen (Germany), Langenselbold (Germany) and finally Luxeuil (France). No.2 Flying Training School (2FTS) 1968-1969 seasons 2FTS, based at RAF Syerston, near Nottingham operated a Jet Provost T.3 and T.4 team for two seasons, the "Vipers". The aircraft wore the standard orange dayglo and silver training colours, but with the addition of white tip tanks and fins. The colour scheme also included special markings on the fin consisting of a snake in a triangle, forming the figure "2".

The team's name came from the engine that powered the Jet Provost - the Bristol Siddeley Viper. Their routine was similar to the College of Air Warfare Jet Provost team, which was explained in more detail above. The team was disbanded at the end of 1969, and was replaced by a 2-ship team of Chipmunks. No.3 Flying Training School (3FTS) 1970-1973 seasons For the 1970 season, 3FTS based at RAF Leeming formed a Jet Provost T Mk4 duo, named "Gemini Pair. The team flew a tight routine with the highlight of their display being the "mirror" manoeuvre. This involved the aircraft flying back-to-back at very close quarters and rolling together in this formation. The team was led by Ron Pattinson in its debut season, with Gordon flying as No 2. In 1971, 3FTS was re-equipped with the Jet Provost Mk.5, and Ron Pattinson continued to lead the team for the display season, with Rod Sargent flying the other aeroplane.

The 1972 season saw a new line-up, with John Galyer as leader and Dave Trusler as No.2. The duo was led by Flt Lt Clive "Bob" Thompson during the 1973 airshow season, with Flg Off Graham Miller as his No.2. Both these pilots were instructors at the school. At the end of the 1973 season the team was disbanded. 1974 season Following the end of the "Gemini duo" "Bob" Thompson went on to lead 3FTS' new aerobatic team for 1974 - "The Swords." This team flew four Jet Provost T Mk 5s, and they appeared at shows across the UK, including the 1974 International Air Tattoo at Greenham Common. The team's aircraft had modified colour schemes, with a small RAF Leeming crest painted on the side of the nose, and "The Swords" was placed in small scripted writing on the engine intakes. Other changes included a blue stripe being painted from the cockpit and up to the base of the tail, where a sword was painted on the fin.

The team existed just for the one season and was disbanded at the end of 1974. The History of RAF Aerobatic Teams From 1920 eBook by David Watkins - 9781783031603 | Kobo Show more Show less The Royal Air Force has long recognized the value of display flying for pilot training, prestige and recruiting purposes, and the standard of its formation aerobatic teams has always stood favorable comparison with those of air forces of other nations. Aerobatics have always played a prominent part in RAF training. They are not performed merely to provide a spectacle for the public but are an essential step in the making of a pilot, giving him confidence in himself and his aircraft. Formation aerobatics give him the added factor of confidence in his leader and other members of the team. This history of RAF aerobatic teams is the result of many years of painstaking and meticulous research from its early beginnings with five Sop with Snipes at the Hendon Pageant in 1920 to the present day 'Red Arrows'.

The book also contains an introduction which details the gradual development from experimental and 'stunt' flying of the early aviators, through the aerial artistry of using smoke to highlight maneuvers and tied-together formation aerobatics, to the introduction of jet teams after the war. Also included in the book is a detailed index listing each team and its members from 1920 and it will undoubtedly provide an essential reference work on Royal Air Force formation aerobatic teams for aviation historians and enthusiasts. Buy the eBook

Question: What is the name of the RAF's aerobatics team?
Answer: The Red Arrows