The Red Arrows

[Mike Blackburn]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this question... move at your discretion!!

I was in Holyhead (North Wales) last week, and was lucky enough to witness the Red Arrows doing a display over Holy Island - full 9 ship display with smoke et al. I know that there is a RAF base nearby (RAF Valley).

Does anyone know what the occasion was? Are the Red Arrows based at RAF Valley? (There was a lot of Hawk activity while we were there)

Also, does anybody have the current manoevre (?spelling!) programme for the display?

This may be better suited to the Military Forum...

[SSSETOWTF]

RAF Valley is where all RAF fast-jet boys learn their trade, flying the Hawk. The Reds are based elsewhere, but fly in occasionally, usually as singletons, to use the simulator to practice emergencies. If there was a 9-ship display it was probably because there was a course graduating - getting their wings - a big day for all of us.

For graduation day, one of the students is 'volunteered' to ring around all the fast-jet stations and try to get them to do airfield attacks etc. Sounds like they got lucky this time and managed to blag a Reds display too. But then that's not surprising really given that the chaps will have finished their pre-season work-up by now (probably) and the airshow season hasn't wound up to full speed yet.

[Hilico]

If any of the Arrows read this, can they please start using the water tower at Harwich as a landmark again on their way to the continental trips? They did this for a year or two during the 90s I think it was - sheer magic to hear that tell-tale hissing noise, look up and have them rush along our road (the tower's at the end of it!) at a height of, well anyway.

Failing that, practice intercepts like the one they did on the Harwich Hook of Holland ferry in 198X go down extremely well. I'd always wanted to know how Hawk wake turbulence would affect a ship.

[PPRuNe Pop]

Ever trying to please - here is the latest link to the official Reds site - with display dates.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/dates.html

[Megaton]

Out of Season Practice (OSP). Chance to practice full display at site other than home.

[ETOPS]

A couple of years ago whilst working Brest Control (great callsign!) I heard a laconic "Brest good morning - Red Arrows" . A slightly flustered lady controller replied "Romeo Echo Delta Alpha Romeo Romeo Oscar Whiskey - go ahead"

I didn't stop laughing until PATEL..........

[Training Risky]

When I was training at Cranwell 3 years ago, the Reds were based there. Oh happy days.... trying to lead an exercise in the woods on the North Airfield, delivering a comprehensive brief and...... ZOOM, ....another red fast jet hero flies over my team at 100 ft, giving it the red smoke..... cool!;)

Incidentally, the Reds are either still at Cranwell, or have moved up to Scampton, where a temporary danger zone is sometimes in force.

[Megaton]

Temporary danger zone? So who would it be dangerous for then? Perhaps you mean the TRA?

[Inverted81]

yeah the reds are at Scampton now, i believe the are the only operational RAF squadron based there now, the rest of the field i think is used for other commercial aviation companies.... anyone shed any light.??

Best angle i've seen the reds from was on a hill to the east of Cambridge, they were routing to the south and there they were flying BELOW me.... WOW!!!! :D :) ;) :E :}

[ZH875]

I wouldn't class the Red Arrows as an Operational Sqn, more of a Highly practised flying club. If they were operational, then Baghdad would be covered in red, white and blue diesel oil.

[Grob Driver]

Well, living at Scampton, I thought I’d cast my opinion on the subject.

First, I would class them as an operational squadron… But that’s only my opinion.

They are the only people to fly out of Scampton on a regular basis although there is the odd Tucano that moves in and out. There is a private company here that uses one of the hangars for servicing the Tucanos. Don’t know what level they service them too, but it looks pretty major to me (The untrained eye!).

The old fly machine company also have some ‘bits and pieces’ in one of the hangars. I understand that there is a Buc, and a Hunter in there as well as an SU-22. I’ve only ever seen the SU-22 which is sometimes out and about on a weekend doing engine runs and taxing around the base! Other than that, its all pretty quiet here! The odd jet stream flying about when ‘The Reds’ aren’t around. Still, as long as we have something based here, that will save it from becoming an industrial site, or a Sunday market! (I understand that there is some investment coming to the base… I think it will be very welcome too… some of the buildings are starting to show their age!)

Hope that helps!

Cheers
Grob Driver

[Mike Blackburn]

Hi All

Thanks for the info. Just glad we were at the right place at the right time!

[Yeller_Gait]

HI Grob,

Jus to let you know that you are not the only person still living at Scampton, I too, for my sins. am there too.

My opinion, and it is only personal, is that the Reds are not an operational squadron, they are part of PTC. However, as you say, perhaps things are changing at Scampton, (the next 3-4 years at least) in that it may become an STC base, with who knows what based here, (email me for further info) and the Reds becoming a lodger unit financed by PTC.

[Megaton]

Excuse me for being pedantic but the Reds are already a lodger unit at RAFC Cranwell financed by PTC. And, of course, they're not operational; they are, however, decorational.

I think you'll find (in best dweeby, speccy voice) that Tucano servicing is done by Vosper Thorneycroft Aerospace. And I believe it's actually a subsidiary of the OFMC called Hunter Aircraft Co (or something like that) that's based at Scampton.

[HP retires to library to find sad, anorak friends]

[Grob Driver]

Yeller Gait,

I’ve sent you a PM, although I’m not sure if it’s delivered it! It looks like it’s not playing ball!

Ham P… You learn something new every day! – I didn’t know that they (Vosper Thorneycroft) were a subsidiary of the OFCM. Anyone know anything about the Buc etc that the OFMC have based here? Are there any plans for them, or is Scampton just being used as a ‘storage yard’?

Thinking about it, you’re probably right… The reds aren’t operational, although that doesn’t belittle their existence (IMHO!).
Cheers
Grob Driver

[Megaton]

VT Aerospace are not part of OFMC. Poorly constructed English - should have tried harder at skool.

[MajorMadMax]

No worries, Ham, probably from all that time you spent in the Lone Star State! Y'know them Texans is gonna ruin yer Eeenglish! :ok:

Hope all's well in your neck of the woods, just finished my masters and walked in Heidelberg weekend before last. Now I have Air Command and Golf to do if I ever want to get promoted again!

Cheers! M2

[Megaton]

Why, MM, I thought you'd gone kinda quiet since getting to lil ole Europe! Good to hear from you, mate. Send me an e-mail to my pprune address with your phone number and I'll give you a bell.

[whowhenwhy]

Ahhh, the Red Arrows! Picture the scene if you will! Me in tower! Them doing their pretty run and break in both directions to land. Emergency ac doing precautionary single engine approach to land, about 15 nms out. All spa.. sorry, arrows now landed and asked to vacate runway immediate, emergency ac inbound. "Sorry tower we have to do our formation taxy. We'll be ready to vacate the rwy soon." Emergency ac now at 8nms, lovely people in red still formating on the rwy for their beautiful formation taxy that will be watched by one increasingly irate tower controller, some crows and the Sapho wagon. "Get off the bloody runway NOW!!!" Much sniffing and whingeing emanating from cockpits.:mad: :mad:

[MajorMadMax]

Ham

Dropped you a note, didcha get it?

Cheers! M2

[bunny1]

If I may refer to the original posting on this topic, the Reds over flew my house yesterday, the 3rd. June ( I was at work and missed it ; bloody typical!! ).
However, my wife said they were followed shortly afterwards by another 7 ship of different aircraft. Anyone know who these were??

[Zoom]

I won't forget this moment: it's 1968 and 20 of us eager cadets are studying thermodynamics in Trenchard Hall at Cranwell. The airfield is south of the Hall but the classroom is north-facing. The Reds in their Gnats are due for their annual check display in front of the AOC and whooooosh, they arrive. Spotty flt lt lecturer says 'I expect you'd all like to go outside and watch the Red Arrows'. Twenty 'Yes, pleases' are accompanied by the sound of 20 chairs being pushed back. SFLL: 'Well, you can't!'

And we didn't!

I know your name and I remember your face, SFLL, and one day.......one day...... :mad: