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, 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.
At a charity auction, a British woman paid £1,500,000 to fly with them.

The Red Arrows were not the first RAF aerobatics team. An RAF biplane pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with biplane teams 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.
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 Airshow. 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.

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 Airshow. 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, 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 (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. Another reason for the change to red is that responsibility for the team moved from Fighter Command to the Central Flying School, whose main colour was red.


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.


Pilots


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.
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.

The Red Arrows wear green flying suits during training, and are only allowed to wear their red flying suits when fully qualified.
On the 13th of 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. 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. Flt Lt Plank is based at RAF Cottesmore.


Red Arrows at Southport Airshow 2009

The current team for the 2010 display season is:
Red One: Squadron Leader Ben Murphy
Red Two: Flight Lieutenant Ben Plank
Red Three: Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore
Red Four: Flight Lieutenant Dave Davies
Red Five: Flight Lieutenant Zane Sennett
Red Six: Flight Lieutenant Paul "Pablo" O'Grady (Synchro Leader)
Red Seven: Flight Lieutenant David "Monty" Montenegro
Red Eight: Squadron Leader Graham "Duffy" Duff
Red Nine (and executive officer): Flight Lieutenant Simon "Kermit" Rea
Red Ten (Road Manager): Squadron Leader Graeme Bagnall
Red Eleven Wing Commander: David Firth-Wigglesworth

The first 9-ship formation with the 2010 team was flown on Wednesday 10 March 2010 overhead RAF Scampton. Due to the accident in Crete in March 2010, the team was forced to restructure their schedule. Flight Lieutenant Mike Ling has had to be replaced by the 2008 synchro team leader Flight Lieutenant Paul O'Grady. Due to this change, the team has had to cancel some of the first scheduled shows in order to allow the new team member to fit into the team's show.
After some favourable weather and better-than-expected gelling of the new Red 6 into the team, the team flew a display on June 7th and were granted PDA (Public Display Authority) for the 2010 season meaning that only 3 weeks have been lost of the 2010 season due to the crash in Crete. The team's first public display of the season was at the RAF Cosford airshow in Shropshire on June 13th 2010.


The team for the 2011 season was announced on 13th September 2010
Red One: Squadron Leader Ben Murphy
Red Two: Flight Lieutenant Chris Lyndon-Smith
Red Three: Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham
Red Four: Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging
Red Five: Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore
Red Six: Flight Lieutenant David Montenegro (Synchro Leader)
Red Seven: Flight Lieutenant Ben Plank
Red Eight (and executive officer): Flight Lieutenant Dave Davies
Red Nine: Flight Lieutenant Zane Sennett
Red Ten (Road Manager): Squadron Leader Graeme Bagnall