'This is the kind of embittered attitude we have come to expect in todays society. The expensive aspect of an aerobatic team is of course the aircraft. By removing these, we are providing better value for money across a number of cost streams, whilst still maintaining an insight into how todays RAF operates'.
He added:
"By operating without aircraft we will also able to increase serviceability and we will be less affected by adverse weather, which has caused the curtailment or cancellation of about 20% of displays in the past five years. Flight safety will be increased, as we will no longer have to watch out for aircraft not obeying NOTAMs within the display area.
It is this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that will benefit future RAF operations - doing more with less, while maintaining the core values and traditions of the service."