Red Arrows to be chopped? Again!

[Mactlsm1]

Heavy Metal

Originally Posted by LateArmLive

Who seriously thinks we'd replace the Hawks with Typhoons?! We're trying to SAVE money, not pi$$ it away. The cost of running a Hawk per hour is a fraction of that required to run
the Typhoon.
The tornado will never replace the Hawk in the Reds for the same reason, and I have seen the amount of work required to get 9 tonkas airborne ONCE in a year, never mind 3 times a day.
Those who suggest that we could man a display team made up from jets (and pilots?) from different sqns have obviously never spent time on front line flying sqns. We're working hard enough to generate enough jets for our own operational needs as it is.

LLL

Notwithstanding the comments above, I’ve been there and done that wrt jets on the line, albeit an older jet (Bucc). What’s wrong with having some “Heavy Metal” doing the job. Having recently see the Blue Angels at first hand, they are impressive, albeit with “only” 6 jets. Nevertheless they do what it says on the tin. (Don’t start me on Fat Albert with RATO – very ‘kin impressive) Also, the USAF use their own “Heavy Metal” with the F-16, again an excellent display. Not that I don’t like the Reds, I have seen them on many occasions and what they do with 9 jets is excellent, they are second to none as an aerobatic team.

If money was no object, let’s try to better the current record of 22 aircraft in a formation loop, which was done way back in 1958 (PC incorrectness and spirit willing!)

Oh bu**er, back to planet Earth in 2007.

Mac