Red Arrows

The Red Arrows, also known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, are the official aerobatics display flyers of the Royal Air Force, based at RAF Scampton.

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 name Red Arrows is derived from the colour of the teams aircraft - red - and the Black Arrows (flying all-black Hawker Hunters), some have suggested red is a tribute to another display team; the Red Pelicans (flying red Jet Provosts).

Initially the Red Arrows were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers which were inherited from another RAF display team, The Yellowjacks. The Gnats were less expensive to operate than the 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 trademark Diamond Nine formation. In late 1979 they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer. The Red Arrows have now given shows world-wide, in over 50 countries.

The Pilots

Since 1966 there have been 9 display pilots each year, all are volunteers. Pilots must have completed one or more operational tours on a fast jet such as the Tornado, Harrier or Jaguar to be eligible. Pilots stay with the Red Arrows for a three year tour of duty. Changing three pilots a year ensures the experience level within the Team is never low as there are always three first year pilots, three second year pilots and three in their final year. As few female pilots have completed a tour of duty on a fast jet there have not yet been any female Red Arrows pilots.

The Red Arrows have no reserve pilots for safety reasons, 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 is able to fly an 8 plane formation, in which case the team leader will change the positions of the other pilots to maintain the most pleasing effect. If the Leader is unable to fly for any reason, then the Red Arrows will not fly at all. Each pilot always flies the same position within a formation. The pilots spend six months from October to April practising for the coming display season.

During a routine, Red Arrows pilots regularly experience forces up to five times that of gravity (see g-force), when performing the Vixen Break forces up to 7g can be reached, the limit of the aircraft is 8g.

As well as the 9 pilots, 'Red 10', also known as the Road Manager, is a fully qualified Hawk pilot who flies the 10th 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 Planes

British Aerospace Hawk of the Red Arrows

The Red Arrows fly whichever aircraft the RAF is using as its advanced fast jet trainer, which is currently (as of 2005) the BAE SYSTEMS Hawk T. Mk.1, they do not use front line aircraft on the grounds of cost. The Reds (as they are affectionately called) have 12 Hawks, 6 of which have been used every year since the Hawk was introduced in late 1979 (as of 2005).

Statistics

Wing span - 9.39 m
Length - 11.85 m
Height - 4.0 m
Maximum speed sea level - 645 mph (1037 km/h)
Maximum altitude - 48,000 ft (15894 m)
Empty weight - 8,000 lbs (3628 kg)
Maximum weight - 18,390 lbs (8330 kg)
Powerplant - one Rolls-Royce Adour Mk 151
Thrust - 5,200 lbs (2359 kg)

Displays

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 65 in France, at the French National Air Day in Clermont Ferrand. The first public display in the UK was on 15 May 65 at the International Air Fair at Biggin Hill. The first display with 9 aircraft was watched by The Duke of Edinburgh and was on 8 July 1966 at RAF Little Risisngton.

The first display in Germany was at RAF Laarbruch on 6 August 1965, 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, see Ramstein airshow disaster.

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 with a crowd of 650,000 people, a statistic not exceeded until 1996 in Sydney.

The most number of displays flown in any year was in 1995 when the Red Arrows performed 136 times. The least 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 for a Red Arrows display. By 2000 the charge had become £2,000 (including VAT and insurance). To date (April 2005) the Red Arrows have performed over 3400 times.

Team history

Predecessors

The Red Arrows are not the first RAF aerobatics team, in fact the first RAF biplane pageant was held at Hendon in 1920. The biplane teams were 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 clearly 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 became the first jet RAF formation team to use smoke trails. Vampires were replaced by Meteors, No 66 Squadron developed 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 next year they adopted the name ‘The Black Knights’, all the pilots wore black flying suits.

All ten Red Arrows Hawks line up ready for the display.

The official RAF team was provided by No 111 Squadron ('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 is a world record for the greatest number of aircraft looped in formation, a record unbroken to this day. The Black Arrows were the premier team until 1961 when The Blue Diamonds (No 92 Squadron) carried on the role of the Black Arrows, flying 16 blue Hunters.

In 1960, 'The Tigers' (No 74 Squadron), were re-equipped with Lightnings and performed wing-overs and rolls with nine aircraft in tight formation. In 1962 they became the RAF's premier team. 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 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’ call sign "Yellowjack", the name was briefly 'Daffodil Patrol' but was quickly changed back.

In 1964 it was decided to amalgamate all the existing RAF display teams as it was feared pilots were spending to much time practicing 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 (possibly in an effort to lose the name Yellowjacks) and arrows after the Black Arrows, however some think red was a tribute the to the Red Pelicans.

The Red Arrows arrive

A Red Arrows pilot exits his Hawk aircraft at the end of the display.

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT), the Red Arrows, was originally based at RAF Fairford, then a satellite unit of the CFS. The team later moved to RAF Kemble, and after RAF Scampton became the CFS Headquarters the Red Arrows moved there in 1983. Scampton closed in 1995, so the Red Arrows moved to RAF Cranwell. Since December 21, 2000, the Red Arrows have been based again at RAF Scampton, near Lincoln.

The first team had seven display pilots and flew the Folland Gnat jet trainer. 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 in the field of aviation.

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 50 countries.

On the September 9th 2003, a Red Arrow jet veered off the runway at Jersey airport. By the quick reflexes of the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jez Griggs, the jet was run 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 it was speculated in the British media [1] that the Red Arrows were to be disbanded, after a defence spending review, due to running costs of between £15 million and £20 million. Many consider the expense worth it as the Red Arrows help develop business in the defence industry and they also act as a recruitment mechanism for the RAF. Many consider it highly unlikely that the Red Arrows will be disbanded as they are a considerable attraction throughout the world.

Video game

In 1985 Database Software released a flight simulator called Red Arrows made in cooperation with the flight team. In the simulator, stunts have to be performed while flying in formation. It was available for ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad, Electron, BBC Micro and Atari. [2]

References

The official Red Arrows home page. (http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds). April 10, 2005.
Red Arrows.com. (http://www.redarrows.com/home.html). April 12, 2005.
BBC news. "Why everyone loves the Red Arrows" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3908187.stm). April 12, 2005.
Sky-Flash. "the Red Arrows history" (http://www.sky-flash.com/reds8.htm). April 12, 2005.