Going though my dual cross-country flying in summer 2005, I had the priviledge to fly briefly alongside the Reds (at a distance of a couple of miles) as they went into Fairford for a RIAT practice. As we caught up a few minutes later, the Synchro Pair were doing their thing and had the smoke on. My instructor, fully in the knowledge that it was the Red Arrows, reported seeing an aircraft trailing smoke in the vicinity to Fairford, just so we could chuckle I guess. Or just to brighten up the controller's day.
"Erm, yes, they're called the Red Arrows..."
Ginger
