Gr4techie,
TomJoad is correct. Now I apologise for the following.
The Red Arrows main purpose is as ambassadors, not as an aerobatic team. I suspect if the red Arrows could carry out a burlesque fan dance which provided the same effects then UK government would be more than happy.
The Red Arrows socialise in a number of different ways, and for different reasons:-
- As a team - all included
- Outside of work hours
- In the mess
- At functions (might be in a mess or elsewhere)
- At air shows, with the public and with people outside of the team
All these are indicative of a good team. The results of the socialising being more important than the socialising itself. Indications are that the socialising works.
How do you measure how effective a team is? There are a long list of documents that tell you how to measure effectiveness. Simplistically, what is the reputation of the Red Arrows with the public, their peers inside the R.A.F. and within other military organisations? The fact that they continue to exist is also an indication of their success. Look at the corps of Royal Signals display team, the White helmets. Their costs, other than salaries are about £100,00 per annum. Yet they are not as famous as the red Arrows. Why? Is their role different. Yes it is. The White Helmets are more likely to be abolished than the Red Arrows.
Members of football teams also socialise. Sometimes not quite so successfully, as is the case with some footballers who have ended up in court from accusations of GBH to rape.
As for the Patrouille de France and the Blue Angels, they also have similar effective functions as the red Arrows. I could just as well written that these teams area also effective ambassadors for their respective military forces.
Here is a question for people though, and one I do not know the answer to. The Red Arrows have been used by business to enhance their image, for example British Airways with Concord and more recently with the A380. Then there was the photo shoot with the QE II. Numerous other examples exist. Have these other military display teams been used in a similar fashion? Is it a good or bad idea to be associated with certain organisations as well?