Originally Posted by
exMudmover
Finningley Boy
“I’ve never come across anything like this before”
Er – it’s been a lot worse in the distant past.
In the late 60s a new leader was parachuted into the team without having flown with them before ‘down the back’, so to speak. During the season work-up he was so bad at leading that the rest of the formation broke away during a display practice and landed independently.
The team refused to fly with him again; a previous leader was brought in on the spot and led a successful season.
It happened again in the mid 70s, although it wasn’t quite so dramatic.
Unofficially, the Arrows (that’s what we used to call them - not the Reds), are the only RAF unit which can sack its own boss.
ExMM
If my memory serves me correctly, Ray Hannah led the team from '66 to '69 then Den Hazell took over for 1970. Former team member, Bill Loverseed took over following the loss of more than one pilot during a serious incident during a training flight in 1971. I imagine the individual you refer to here remains unnamed.
FB