What are the legalities of this????

[BRL]

I was wondering today if I bought an Arrow and painted it red like one of the Red Arrows, what stance would the RAF take on this? Would they go mad or do you think they wouldn't mind?

(It will never happen to me by the way, I don't earn enough to buy an arrer' outright just maybe a share in one so please don't take me too seriously, its just a bit of fun for the end of the day.. ) :)

[Flap40]

What? Like this you mean?

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/313283/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/313283/M/

[Keef]

I don't think you can patent or copyright a single colour, so I can't see you having a problem.

Now, if you were to put a big red "L" on it, I suspect the MoT would be after you for abuse of their trade mark...

[BRL]

That arrow is amazing. Thats my question answered then..!!!!!

As for the big red L there is a driving school in Kent I think with that name... :8 (But not why I choose my name though...)

[mad_jock]

I think the only colour your not allowed to paint them is the yellow that the air ambulance uses.

But who would want to paint there aircraft urine (the day after a night out) yellow.

MJ

[Timothy]

Going off the Red Arrow topic...

Here's a true story worth repeating for them as 'as never heard it.

A long time ago, when many of you whippersnappers were still safely snuggled in your mothers' ovaries, there was a cheap start up airline called Court Line, flying, AFAIR, 1-11s and TriStars.

Their gimmick was to paint their aircraft all over in garish colours - pink, orange, green, lilac and brown. It is said that the owner allowed his family to pick the colours. Most of his family were girlies.

Apparently one day an American aircraft was waiting at the hold somewhere (say LGW for the sake of argument). The weather was absolutely filthy, with strong winds and torrential rain when out of the gloom wobbles a brown Court Line aircraft and lands.

"Jeez!" comes the american voice over the RT "What has he flown through?" :yuk:

OK, you can go back to Red Arrows now! ;)

W

[rotorboater]

I remember flying on a court line plane when I was a kid and I remember that the inside was just as 'nice';) as the outside.

Mind you the worst inside paintjob was on a PIA aircraft, it was hand painted orange with brush hairs left in it, thankfully it landed in more or less 1 piece but you won't find me on one ever again;) ;)

[Rallye Driver]

I think it would be the CAA who would object!

I flew LY-AOZ a couple of times from Little Gransden. This Yak 52 was painted in the Empire Test Pilots School raspberry ripple scheme with RAF roundels as they used it from time to time.

When it was subsequently put onto the G-register its new owner was told that official permission had never been granted and the roundels had to go.

They have now been replaced by Italian roundels with what looks like nuts and bolts on them. A shame really as the original scheme looked great.

RD

[topcat450]

I think the roundals is where you'd fall foul of the CAA...unless you were granted an exception. Nothing against painting your aircraft red with white go-faster stripes.

Would you then wear a red flight suit and get the callsign Red 11 :p

[paulc]

Big Red 'L'

thanks for linking to my picture :) - I was wondering why the hit count had gone up!

I think that particular aircraft is owned by an RAF flying club so that may account for the markings (RAF Benson maybe)

[BRL]

I just found out it belongs to Mr+Mrs Bedgood from Bracknell. I wonder if they still have it like that..?

[LowNSlow]

To paint an aircraft in military markings you have to get an exemption from the CAA.

There's a Tiger Moth I know of that is in it's original military markings and the CAA insisted that it have the civil reg painted over the mil markings. Now they are insisting on the civil reg being taken off :hmm: :hmm:

There was a Kittiwake which was built by RN apprentices that still flies in it's RN training colours.

[Mark 1]

Some of you might remember when Spencer Flack bought his two Hunters - G-BOOM & G-HUNT.

He wasn't allowed to have them in camouflage on the basis of them still being an operational type (Swiss Air Force). Hence the bright red livery.

[Blind lemon]

Red Arrows scheme has been done before. John Hamer flys a homebuilt Rotax powered Minimax in Red Arrows colours.
RAF roundels have been replaced with a similar symbol but in a diamond rather than a circular pattern.

Question is who are they trying to fool.

:yuk:

[Keef]

Before anyone gets too excited about red, remember that red pigments are the first to fade or break up. We've had to have the red bits on G-UTSY repainted several times, while the blue and white are still fine.

When we finally get to a full repaint job, there will be no red in it (if I get my way).

Sorry, BRL - nothing personal. I'll buy you a pint on Saturday to prove it.

[PPRuNe Towers]

Following on from Keef's point.

Red is a pain as far as paint is concerned. Fades far quicker than any other pigment - universally loathed in the car restoration/preparation trade.

It is also a swine to apply trim colours over due to visual bleed through.

Regards
Rob

[BRL]

No offence taken Keef at all. You have just solved a mystery for me actually........
This explains why the old red car down the road from me is all blotchy and really rough. Its a Reliant and it looks like its been under a tree for years. I now know why it looks that bad, its the red paint.!!

Here it is in fact. Not good quality but you can see what I mean......... http://www.btinternet.com/~paul.evans28/Redcar.jpg

[Keef]

Preeecisely. If you look around, you'll notice very few old, red cars. They're all a mottled pinky rusty sort of colour (like that old Reliant).

Yellow paint was, when I knew about these things, the most expensive colour (no idea why).

[vintage ATCO]

A long time ago, when many of you whippersnappers were still safely snuggled in your mothers' ovaries, there was a cheap start up airline called Court Line, flying, AFAIR, 1-11s and TriStars.

Their gimmick was to paint their aircraft all over in garish colours - pink, orange, green, lilac and brown. It is said that the owner allowed his family to pick the colours. Most of his family were girlies.
Just pink, green and yellow actually. I was working at Luton in the 70s. Don't think the story about the family is right either, although I can't remember for the life of me who was in charge at Court Line at the time. It will come back to me.


VA

[Zlin526]

The rules regarding ex-military markings on civvie aircraft have changed over the years.

I think the Tiger Moth Low&Slow refers to was/is G-AZGZ. Originally, the CAA required that the registration was still visible. Now they insist that any aircraft who's owner wants to paint it in military markings, has to paint it in accurate military markings, hence why the YAK52 was OK when it was on the LY- register, but not when it went on the UK reg. And I also understand that the aircraft must not still be in service in the UK (Then why is Canberra G-BVWC/WK163 allowed in military colours when 39 Sqdn still have Canberras on front line service??)

I know a guy who owned an ex-mil aircraft that was wrongly painted in camouflage, and flew like that for years. When he added fictitious squadron markings that matched the owners initials, he was told to remove them by the MOD! Bizarre..

While we are on the subject, why do the CAA insist that all aircraft have correct size registrations on the aircraft, yet some Jodels still have small registrations painted on the tail?

[Hippy]

I remember a whole shed load of Tucanos being delivered from the factory in Belfast straight into storage at Shawbury. They had mil registrations, but had to have a civil G-XXXX reg bodge-taped over it for the ferry flight. (Not all the bodge tape survived the trip!).

[atb1943]

Black tape reminds me of the story surrounding the strange markings on Strikemaster G-UNNY during its time in the UK as Botswana OJ4.

OJ4 and its cousins were due for delibery and the big Wheel was due to inspeck same. Little Wheel suddenly realised the inspection aircraft had no roundels (well - triangles). So dey got some made up, an fixed dem on wid black tape. Big Wheel much pleased wid him air force, until he saw dem in service, widout de black bits, which he had approved. So de black bits became part of de BotDF official markins.

G-UNNY gone back to home to work again, this time on de west coast, probly much more black tape holdin bits on.

Here's a pic if it works... if not, then http://www.airliners.net/open.file/190616/M/

See big Wheel in background?

[Blind lemon]

Vintage Atco

Did Court pinch the idea from the Yanks.
Braniff International painted all their a/c
solid bright colours including Yuk green
if I remember well.