Smudge,
I may be unique here in being the only one to have been groundcrew on an aerobatic sqn (92 The Blue Diamonds) and supported the Red Arrows with the Gnat and the Hawk. We did lots of UK internals with the Herc during the Gnat era due to its short 'legs'. I have no recollection of ever being invited to a post show party, and as groundcrew on 92 we would definitely not be seen never mind heard !
One of the Reds once asked me what a loadmaster was doing as a Squadron Leader.
I reminded him that we had passed exactly the same OCTU course and that shut him up.