The Red Arrows – Precision, Speed and a Very British Spectacle
The Red Arrows – Precision, Speed and a Very British Spectacle
There are some sights that are instantly recognisable, and the Red Arrows sweeping across the sky in their bright red Hawk jets is certainly one of them.
I have seen plenty of aircraft displays over the years, but there is still something special about seeing the Red Arrows. You can often hear them before you properly see them, and then suddenly the formation appears, incredibly tight and precise, with trails of red, white and blue smoke stretching out behind.
Even if you are not particularly interested in aviation, it is difficult not to stop and watch.
The Story of the Red Arrows
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, better known simply as the Red Arrows, was formed in 1964 and flew its first display season in 1965. The team brought together the RAF's various display teams into one professional unit and quickly became one of the best-known aerobatic teams in the world.
The name came from a combination of two earlier RAF display teams – the Black Arrows and the Red Pelicans.
During their early years, the Red Arrows flew the Folland Gnat, a small and remarkably agile jet that became closely associated with the team throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1979, the Gnat was replaced by the aircraft that most people now immediately associate with the Red Arrows – the BAE Systems Hawk.
The Famous Red Hawk
The Hawk suits the Red Arrows perfectly.
It is relatively small, fast and manoeuvrable, and its brilliant red colour scheme makes it stand out beautifully against the sky. Seeing one Hawk is impressive enough, but seeing an entire formation flying only a short distance apart is something completely different.
From the ground it can sometimes look almost effortless.
Of course, it is anything but.
Every turn, climb, roll and formation change has been carefully planned and repeatedly practised. The pilots are flying at considerable speed while maintaining extremely precise positions in relation to one another.
There is very little room for error.
Red, White and Blue
Perhaps the most famous feature of a Red Arrows display is the smoke.
The long trails of red, white and blue have become part of their identity and can transform an already impressive flying display into something genuinely spectacular.
From a photographer's point of view, this is often when the display really comes alive.
A clear blue sky, nine red aircraft and those huge trails of coloured smoke can create some wonderful images, particularly when the formation begins to split and aircraft head off in different directions.
The smoke also helps the crowd follow the path of the aircraft through the sky, particularly during some of the faster manoeuvres.
The Diamond Nine
One of the classic sights associated with the Red Arrows is the famous Diamond Nine formation.
It is probably the image most people have in their minds when they think about the team – nine red Hawks arranged in an incredibly neat diamond shape, moving through the sky almost as though they were a single aircraft.
Seeing it in photographs is impressive.
Seeing it happening directly above you is considerably better.
You begin to appreciate just how close together the aircraft appear and the level of concentration and skill required to keep the formation looking so perfect.
Later in the display, the formation often breaks apart, and the flying becomes faster and more dramatic, with aircraft crossing, climbing and diving in carefully choreographed sequences.
These are usually the moments that have cameras pointing skywards everywhere you look.
More Than an Air Display
The Red Arrows have become much more than an aerobatic team.
Over the decades they have represented the Royal Air Force and the United Kingdom at major events around the world. They have appeared at air shows, national celebrations, royal occasions and important sporting and ceremonial events.
Their distinctive red aircraft have flown over some extraordinary locations, and wherever they appear, they tend to attract attention.
They also demonstrate something that is perhaps easy to overlook when watching from the ground – teamwork.
The pilots may naturally receive much of the attention, but a Red Arrows display relies upon a much larger group of engineers, technicians and support personnel working behind the scenes.
Those aircraft have to be prepared and maintained to exceptionally high standards.
Seeing the Red Arrows
There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about watching an air display.
People stop what they are doing and look upwards, and for a few minutes, everyone is watching exactly the same thing.
Children point towards the sky, photographers desperately try to follow aircraft through their viewfinders, and people who perhaps had no intention of watching an aviation display suddenly find themselves completely absorbed by it.
Then comes that unmistakable moment when the formation approaches.
The noise increases, the aircraft become visible, and seconds later the sky is filled with red, white and blue.
And just as quickly, they are gone.
A British Aviation Icon
After more than sixty years, the Red Arrows remain one of the most recognisable flying display teams anywhere in the world.
Aircraft have changed, generations of pilots have come and gone, and aviation itself has moved forward enormously, but the basic appeal of the Red Arrows has remained remarkably simple.
Nine red aircraft.
Extraordinary precision.
Plenty of noise.
And a sky filled with red, white and blue.
For me, that is what makes seeing the Red Arrows such a memorable experience. You do not need to understand every manoeuvre or know everything about the aircraft to enjoy it.
Sometimes you simply have to put the camera down for a moment, look up and watch.
And when the Red Arrows are overhead, they are very difficult not to watch.
By Daren Frankish
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