Reading back through the comments, I get the feeling that some people seem to think that I was criticising RAFAT. I didn't say that at all. I also get the impression that some people think I'm not in a position to even have a view. I have spent a lot of time with the Red Arrows - I've flown on chase sorties alongside the formations, I've flown back seat in quite a few full displays in lead, wing and rear positions. I've sat through many debriefings, stayed on base in the Mess, interviewed the pilots etc. So I think it fair to say that I have a fairly clear view of what the team is really like. I'm not just conjuring-up a view from nowhere.
I still think that if one takes an objective look at the documentary, it is clear to see how poor it was. Aside from the points I've mentioned before, even the most fundamental points were completely overlooked. Was any attempt made to explain how a display routine is put together and how each pilot holds formation with the others? Nope. Did the programme illustrate just how busy a typical day is for the pilots? Nope. More importantly, did the programme illustrate just how brutal the display flying is for the pilot, and how incredibly difficult it is to maintain such a polished performance that looks so clean and tidy from the ground? Nope. Incredibly, even the famous smoke generators were mentioned but not explained. Showing someone polishing the pipes isn't information, it's just lazy programme-making.
It was contemporary television at its worst. The Reds deserve much better. It's easy to just say "I liked it very much" as if that's some sort of answer. Liking it doesn't mean it was any good. If it didn't inform the viewer then what is the point of it? Look at the incredible effort and attention that is devoted to Attenborough's nature programmes and then look at that awful Red Arrows programme
