Red Arrows on TV

[scan]

Red Arrows on TV!
Experience the high drama of how the world famous Red Arrows prepare for the display season as the Team star in a major television show.

The pilots of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team were filmed as part of a major Five documentary series called ‘Danger Men’.

A crew from Firefly Film and Television Productions spent many weeks with the Red Arrows in the spring and summer this year. They covered the last days of the annual Exercise Springhawk in Cyprus where the Team puts the final polish on the display as they worked towards gaining Public Display Authority. They filmed the first major public appearance of the 2008 season at Southend, before joining the Team on its epic journey to Canada and show stopping performance at the Quebec Airshow.

Red 1, Wing Commander Jas Hawker, said: “Our job is not dangerous although people may think that it is. Red Arrows pilots are amongst the most highly qualified and experienced within the Royal Air Force, and safety is always of paramount importance in all that we do.”

He added: “This show gives a really good insight into our daily lives and the hard work and dedication that it takes to be part of the Team.”


The programme will be broadcast on Thursday 13th November at 9pm on Five.

:ok:

[Old Ned]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Runaway Gun]

Undoubtedly, this post will draw out even more than the usual amount of knockers on here. Here we go again.....

Personally, I think that the Red Arrows do the RAF a great service, and they demonstrate the capability of the RAF to an extremely high world class standard.

I look forward to seeing this documentary. :ok:

[BOAC]

Undoubtedly, this post will draw out even more than the usual amount of knockers on here. - here goes!

http://www.newyorkmonthlyherald.com/breast.gif

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Great idea for a show, but what's with the massive disconnect?

Show title: Danger Men
Marketing soundbite: "Our job is not dangerous..."

[brickhistory]

ICEMAN - The Later Years from Nino (http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/8afa50b440/iceman-the-later-years-from-nino)

[ehwatezedoing]

Great idea for a show, but what's with the massive disconnect?

Show title: Danger Men
Marketing soundbite: "Our job is not dangerous..."

Just to get more rating.

You can do the experience yourself, film your own landing and put it on Youtube.
Add "Crash" or "Accident" into your tittle and check the amount of hit.

:yuk::yuk::yuk:

[BOAC]

Hope the Kokinelli is still 'vintage':)

[effortless]

Reds? Bring back the Blacks. Hunters doing a twizzle, now that I would pay see!

[Gainesy]

Think I'll skip it, not really into golf.:)

[Variable Trim]

Hasn't this been done to death ? Surely the Chinooks in Afghan would be more interesting if they really wanted to see danger at work ! Personally I can think of nothing more terrifying in an aviation perspective than flying a Wokka into badlands at low level. They must make choice targets and I'm amazed that we haven't lost one ! Actually, yes I can, being flown in a Wokka - at least if you are the driver you have some say in what happens. :ok:

[Variable Trim]

Gainsy, :D:D:D:D :ok:

[serf]

Hope to see a similar ground crew routine to the Blue Angels next year from the sparrows groundies.

[dead_pan]

Err, I think they were the Thunderbirds roadies.

Looks like the boys did you all proud in Quebec.

[Wycombe]

Thought Red 1 played the diplomat very well when he described the T-Birds as "different".

For me, they make a lot of noise, go fast, fly close together, and that is it!

[hurn]

The Thunderbirds actually did look like they had strings attached. :}

Thought our boys came across alright though. Duffy seems a good bloke. :ok:

[dead_pan]

For me, they make a lot of noise, go fast, fly close together, and that is it!


Nothing like a bit of Las Vegas-style razamatazz to gee up their display.

Perhaps we could go one step further and have a troupe of cheerleaders - would the Garrison Girls be up for it?

[Mark1234]

Shame I didn't get to see it, but another vote for the reds as being an awesome spectacle. Recently moved to aus where we have 'the raaf roulettes' (already sounds like cheerleading team :E) Similar colour scheme, all very nice, but pilatus turboprops? just not the same. Not to mention NO synchro pair..

[Arfur Dent]

Brilliant programme. Even my wife thought it was great! Just the right length (60 min) and easily the best team in the world as they always are. They make it look easy and other teams have always seemed quite ordinary when directly compared. Wish I'd known they were in Quebec before I paid to see them at Kemble this year!!(Just kidding). Flew as a pax with them once many years ago in the days of dear old Frank Hoare and know lots of the 'older Reds'. Must have at least a 'team' here in Cathay!
More please and well done to all concerned.
Can't be in the RAF and knock this kind of thing can you?:ok:

[gashman]

Why, if part of the Reds' mandate is to aid recruitment, didn't the RAF have a few of their new ads in each of the programme breaks? The Army seemed to manage it.

Nice work by the team though. Hopefully the crowd reaction and comments by the other teams will quash the doubters as to the reason we have this team as the overtly public face of what we do. The USAF commentator was very keen to talk up his entire air force as the best in the World, using the display his team were performing to highlight the point. I don't agree with that point of view however...

[BOAC]

I hope the brief 'golfing' clip didn't upset Gainesy too much. Personally I thought it was a surprisingly well made item, compared to what I was expecting.

For those who have not seen the link, there is a 30 min Youtube of the dusk display at Quebec here (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bG3JEXLZelA&feature=user) and I think it is outstanding. I'm proud of the lads and ladettes. Well done all.

[nigegilb]

I thought they came across really well, congrats Jas on a job well done.

Looking forward to a documentary on the Hercules Fleet, now that would be fun...

[Max Contingency]

Can't be in the RAF and knock this kind of thing can you?

Unless you are being forced to drive around Afghanistan in an inadequate Snatch vehicle because we spent money on an aerobatic display team instead?

[spamcanner]

Great show. I wonder when we'll get
the first lady arrow??? Nice moment
when the female T'birds flyer took off
her helmet and her blonde hair tumbled
down:E

[dead_pan]

flyer took off
her helmet and her blonde hair tumbled
down


That's 'cos she's worth it. Shame her hair wasn't a bit longer though for better effect. Saw her interviewed at the RIAT preview day last year - an all American gal.

The prog was a much better ad for the RAF than that godawful TV ad campaign they're running at the moment - something along the lines of 'join the RAF and learn how to put up a tent'. The Army ads are much better - 'join the Army and big it up with your mates in Cyprus'. No contest.

[Gainesy]

T'was tongue in cheek BOAC, as I'm sure your banter was.:)

A lot of folk in UK have seen them so often that they are blase about the display. I've seen them perform overseas several times and the effect they have have on foreign audiences is nothing short of electric.

Unfortunately did not see the prog as I wa out, doubtless it'll be repeated.

[I've_got a traveller]

I agree the Reds are an excellent advert for the RAF unlike those new God awful adverts.
Whoever thought that two failed actors from Hollyoaks would be a good advert for the RAF need their heads testing. You would never see the Americans using actors from Falcon Crest to promote their Armed Forces.


ps. I would just like to point out that for the record I have never watched Hollyoaks.

p.p.s The same goes for Falcon crest.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Unless you are being forced to drive around Afghanistan in an inadequate Snatch vehicle because we spent money on an aerobatic display team instead?

Have you any figures on this huge amount of money that the MoD spends on the Red Arrows? Isn't much of the cost of running the RAFAT met by sponsorship?

Of course the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq might not have to spend so much time in Snatch Land Rovers if LAND spent a bit more of their budget supporting JHC rather than the various ceremonial units of the British Army.

See how that works? Turn any 'fact' to your way of thinking and you can make an argument for/against.

Perhaps rather than doing the usual 'bitch about the Red Arrows sucking up the budget' thing you can ask why this government can't provide for both considering its all to happy to chuck money at a sinkhole called the NHS, nationalising failed banks, propping up the idle with an all too generous state welfare system and generally spending it on anything but the military that deep down they detest so much.

[BOAC]

T'was tongue in cheek BOAC, as I'm sure your banter was - :ok:

Demand Five | watch television on demand - Channel 5 TV (http://demand.five.tv/Home.aspx) and its 'watch for free'

[spekesoftly]

Also repeated on Sunday 16 Nov 08 - CH5 at 23:35 UTC

[Megaton]

Reds Arrows aren't sponsored per se by industry although overseas tours generally will be. Few years ago I saw the cost of tv ads placed by the Army during Corry Farm and the Red Arrows compared reasonably well.

[Max Contingency]

I think the Red Arrows are brilliant, the best in the world at what they do, a fantastic advert for the RAF and far better pilots than I will ever be.

I would still trade them tommorow for better equipment, conditions and pay in our operational commitments.

The Government allocates our Defence budget but the dispersal of that budget is largely done by people in uniform. Anything that doesn't contribute to our operational effectiveness has no place while we are so heavily commited. I believe that things like aerobatic display teams and bands that do not deploy should be 'suspended'.

I know that I am in a minority of one here. However, start a thread on 'overstretch' or reasons for PVR and you will quicky get 30 posts in support, but dare to suggest that we disband the Reds and collapse their manpower and money into the front line! Burn that man...

[CrazyMonkey]

Max Contingency, I disagree. The Red Arrows are great ambassadors for the RAF, the military and the UK...they are also a fantastic recruitment tool. They cost very little considering the great publicity and inspiration that they do...despite the operational issues that you talk about the RAF would be worse off without the team. It is all about striking a balance and the big picture.

The telly programme was well edited and will be well received by all - Well done to Jas and his team. :ok:

[The Equivocator]

Max

Well said. Minority of two...

Love watching them, can't justify them. I can't justify any of the other ceremonial rubbish either of any colour.

Just of interest, the commentator suggested that you had to have done one 'combat tour' to be in the reds.

Not sure that's true now is it?

[KeepItTidy]

Well I watched it too and it was pretty good , does somewhere in you feel mighty fine to be British and a wee bit proud.
One of the red pilots looked in awe at the F16s and F18s , you think the government could at least give 9 Typhoons, paint them red and give the North Americans a much louder show next year.

Now that would indeed sure test what the british pilots could do. You could save money too as Typhoon as far as im aware does not need groundcrew as it does not go U/S

[klingonbc]

Love the Reds - Well Done all for a very good prog.:D
Once had the honour of being on a four ship Wessex Task from Aldergrove down to the border in bandit country while the Reds were on Aldergrove's DA2 dispersal preparing for their Ards Airshow debute. Body-armour, IRJs, MAWS, HK53's and GPMGs - Wessex bristling with grunts intent on the defence of the realm - Air Traffic could not answer the radio for laughing when the call came over the RT. "Marrows Check - 2, 3, Marrow 4, Tower - Green Marrows 4 ship for south-westerley low departure."
I dare say the Chinook Guys in Afghanistan would take the p**s in the same way but they still respect the role the Reds play in the greater scheme of things. I still think the BBC documentary of the Chinook Guys in Afghanistan takes a lot of beating for showing what real teamwork and professionalism is in the RAF. Take care out there on ops guys ... KBC :ok:

[In Tor Wot]

Very good programme and excellent to see that the high standards set by the Arrows can be admired by fellow teams.

As for Max Contingency - not only are you narrow sighted, you are very poorly informed. Try having a look at the Defence Estimate (http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/164CD40C-0EFE-434E-8C24-27BAD016A72F/0/annrptvol2_200708.pdf) for the last year.

You are right in one of your comments:

The Government allocates our Defence budget but the dispersal of that budget is largely done by people in uniform.

This is an extract fromt the latest estimate:

The net outturn for Total Resources is £36,286,316,000 against an Estimate of £38,041,570,000; an underspend of £1,755,254,000. The variance against the Supply Estimate results from an underspend of £1,093,592,000 against Resource DEL; an underspend of £661,662,000 in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME).

Request for Resources (RfR) 1, Provision of Defence Capability, provides for expenditure primarily to meet the MoD’s operational support and logistics services costs and the costs of providing the equipment capability required by Defence policy. Any Appropriations in Aid in excess of the Estimate
are shown at Note 5, and these will be surrendered to the Consolidated Fund.
The net outturn for RfR1 is £33,076,149,000 against an Estimate of£34,629,760,000 an underspend of £1,553,611,000. The main reason for the underspend is depreciation charges and provisions, included
in the Spring Supplementary Estimate, that did not materialise.

RfR2, Operations and Peace-Keeping, shows a net outturn of £2,196,037,000 against an Estimate of £2,381,803,000; an underspend of £185,766,000. The underspend principally relates to an over-stated request for indirect DEL in the Spring Supplementary Estimate which has not materialised at the year end. Further detail is provided in the RfR2 analysis at Note 2 to the accounts.

RfR3, War Pensions Benefits shows a net outturn of £1,014,130,000 against an Estimate of £1,030,007,000; an underspend of £15,877,000. This RfR provides for the payment of war disablement and war widows’ pensions in accordance with relevant legislation; this is all AME. The costs of administering war pensions are borne by RfR1.

A total underspend of £1,755,254,000 !! So stuff the miniscule cost of maintaining an excellent ambassidor for the RAF and the country, look wider and ask how many 'snatch' landrovers could be replaced with the £1.75bn that we have just handed back to the Treasury from the Defence budget. :ugh:

[dead_pan]

I still think the BBC documentary of the Chinook Guys in Afghanistan takes a lot of beating for showing what real teamwork and professionalism is in the RAF


This indeed was excellent. It was a crying shame it was publicised more or shown earlier in the evening - deserved to have a wider audience.

[Logistics Loader]

Must admit,

I enjoyed watching the "Reds" for 3yrs whilst i was in AKT.. my last year i got a back seat in the Spare frame with Boss of Cranwell...

Whilst a great experience doing a fast jet ride...it was beaten by

Low level in Puma, left hand seat... and jump seat in Chinook at low level...

but for me, it was 5hrs MRR then low level across the Falklands in a Herc....
how low ?? Bristows s61 was above us !!

Safe flights guys..!!

[Fox3snapshot]

Sorry but The Reds are an institution...I saw them as a young fellah in 1976 with my ol man at the Farnborough Air Show (possibly Gnats then?!) and to this day, even as an Ozzy git, they are the benchmark in military aviation and team flying and long may they exist! :D :cool:

Posted before but worth throwing it again....the boys on my doorstep here in Abu Dhabi.

YouTube - Red Arrows Abu Dhabi 2007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QlvqmIkh60)

[KeepItTidy]

Well for what my jobs worth I reckon the RAF should do a series on what goes on in the gulf , from suppliers to pilots , to give the UK public a true reflection of what goes on.What we see on TV is deffo not what is happening in real life , everyone loks at reds and thinks cool , its just a disguise to hide the fractures in real RAF

[Prangster]

Middling to fair programme but. 'Wot abaht the ad breaks? Do we really have to be sponsored by some half baked bunch of gamblers....or is that how we intend to sort out the promo budget?

[dropintheoggin]

Not that I'm being a spotter but there are some good pictures of the Reds' tour on their website under the Multimedia section. RAF Red Arrows - Home (http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds)

The C17 pics are awesome :ok:

[BossEyed]

The red arrows don't fly the C17.

Good Lord! I had to check, but I do believe you're right - instead, they appear to fly Hawks or somesuch.

That will explain why there are absolutely no C-17 pics at the link dropintheoggin gave.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/rafcms/mediafiles/gallery/0D2C4CC0_1143_EC82_2E65B6F8226EF3A8/Sca-08-440A-Out-Unc-087%20Story.jpg

:rolleyes:

[GaiPilot]

The Red Arrows are the best advertising the RAF have got. Without them the recruiting figures would decline in my opinion.

[Ten West]

Come on now, you definitely ARE a wind-up, aren't you? You can tell me. ;)

[Al R]

Keep it tidy said: Well for what my jobs worth I reckon the RAF should do a series on what goes on in the gulf , from suppliers to pilots , to give the UK public a true reflection of what goes on.What we see on TV is deffo not what is happening in real life , everyone loks at reds and thinks cool , its just a disguise to hide the fractures in real RAF.

Are you really sure we want people to see what Suppliers do for their cut of the wage budget?

Prangster said: Middling to fair programme but. 'Wot abaht the ad breaks? Do we really have to be sponsored by some half baked bunch of gamblers....or is that how we intend to sort out the promo budget?


Agreed. I was dissapointed in the warning 'strong language throughout' too. If they had said 'We caution you that understated, suave and urbane prose is demonstrated throughout', the brand would have been enhanced. But seeing as it was on 5, that might have been lost a little anyway.

Not a bad prog, I enjoyed it. Sure, someone's serving wife needs to focus just a little more on her marksmanship principles but because it was from a TV company which doesn't have to keep tossing off a g'ment obsessed with lying and PR, we are more likely to get an honest perspective. And for me, seeing how they flew the pants off the Americans and Canadians in Quebec was worth it alone. For that - nice one.

I think we should become anti heroes. The more the foreigners practice saluting aeroplanes, applying more starch to uniforms and coordinating cockpit helmet doffing, the more our boys should be doing things like putting on weight, smoking Capstans Super Strength in the cockpit taxying in and not shaving (will not appply to Red 3 anyway by the looks of it).