Unlike some of the contributors I have had some first hand experience of the Red Arrows starting back in 1970.
They were around the place when I was on the CFS course and I noticed then the somewhat arrogant and sneering attitude that many of the CFS staff had towards the team.
I then got to know another bunch when I was one of their support team for the odd trip around Europe when they used a C130 for the equipment and the ground crew.
Finally, I knew or flew with several ex-arrows in civilian aviation when we had both left the Services.
I found them to be a great bunch of blokes who were an unfailingly good source of
PR for the Service and great company off duty. I have seen their kindness and patience to the public and the way in which they insisted on the groundcrew and support crew being included in any social events. None of them seemed to believe that they were God's gift to aviation and subsequently many proved to be mere mortals in other forms of flying.
They were however brilliant at putting the RAF into the face of Joe Public and I would be sad to see them closed down by a Government who specialise in making demands on the services that they then fail to back up with rescources.