Perhaps when Sam was refarring to 'outdated ideas', how things have 'improved now' and 'how good it was in your day' he was referring to the concept (perish the thought) that married quarters should be dry and warm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7079700.stm

Signed,

The old timer

(my italics)

Anybody notice there is a war on? Perhaps that is exactly what is wrong with the modern RAF? Too much time thinking about paint schemes when lots of boys and girls couldn't give a ....... about the colour! Just getting home in one piece.

Enough Already its only a commercial!

1978 Signed Red Arrows Poster
 

My mate has been clearing out his late father's stuff and came across a signed Red Arrows poster which I have worked out is the 1978 team.

http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/reds/1978.html

1. Sqn Ldr F J Hoare
2. D R Carvell
3. M B Stoner
4. M J Phillips
5. L A Grose
6. M T Curley
7. R M Thomas
8. S R Johnson
9. B C Scott

If any of you out there in Prooneland are interested a donation to RBL with a token percentage to my mate will secure it for you.

Also in the cardboard tube were the following posters, looks like they're all from the same era.

Nimrod XV248
Nimrod XV226
Vulcan XM646
VC10 104
Phantom XV437
Spitfire
Hurricane LF363
Hawk



http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...ild/Reds77.jpg

Have you considered posting this over on ARRSE as they have a very healthy RBL auction going on right now:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/viewforum/f=67.html

Sir Peter
Please PM me with an amount that will please your mate. I am very interested, as two of the guys are known to me. M Stoner, who was ex Lightnings and gave me my first ever flight, and Tim Curley, my instructor from FT.

Thanks:ok::ok:

Then it would go to a good home rather than being in a cardboard tube in my mates garage for nearly 30 years.

But this is for charridy, so we'd better leave it a couple of days.

My first thoughts (sorry about going public Tigs) are a tenner for my mate, and a matching tenner for RBL.

I'll pay the postage otherwise MI5 and the Directorate of Corporate Communications will enter the bidding to get my address!

If anyone else is interested, my mates tenner stays as his cut, the RBL get the rest.

You want the other stuff as well Tigs?

When this drops to page 2 its yours

How exciting!

Health and Safety would go Ape at this nowadays :eek:

http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/reds/images/1978team3.jpg

No! He meant the pollution from the smoke.

Way-hey! My mate Lloyd Grose is there. What a gent, an absolute gent. Most unassuming bloke and former Red Arrow that I ever worked with. Does anyone know where he is these days?

Ahem, Sir Peter, with great respect - can see Nigel Champness and Roy Barber's signatures on the poster, but not Lloyd Grose's - so I think it may not be 1978.....

Isn't white smoke from the exhaust usually a head gasket failure? Luckily, they don't appear to have ROYAL AIR FORCE splashed down the sides, so thankfully, the crowd probably didn't know who they belonged to.

I last saw him at Cranwell, where he was on CFS, in 1998!

Lloyd Grose was certainly there in 1995 - he took me up for my air experience flight.
'So, young Hinecap - what do you want to do in the Bulldog today?'
'I dunno Sir - I've never been in one of these things before.'
'Well - they handle much quicker than the big ones, more agile, aeros etc..'
'No Sir - never been in an aeroplane before!'
'Ah. OK.'
He had me taxi, take off, some other stuff, loop, stall turn etc. It was fun. Still didn't make me want to do it on a regular basis tho :}

Complete gent.

Photo is indeed 1977 team.

Leader Sqn Ldr F J Hoare (RIP)
2 Flt Lt D R Carvell
3 Flt Lt R S Barber
4 Flt Lt M J Phillips
5 Flt Lt N S Champness
6 Flt Lt M Cornwell
7 Flt Lt M T Curley
8 Flt Lt R M Thomas
9 Flt Lt M B Stoner
Manager Flt Lt M B Whitehouse
Engineer Flt Lt A Hunt

Lloyd flew in the '78 team and I believe went off to aviate in the USA on retirement from the RAF.

Thanks for that BOAC, I was just about to get it back out the tube.

Apologies for my heinous Red Arrows spotting misdemeanor.

Tigs, looks like its yours, I'll tell my mate it was worth nothing and has gone to a nice home for a charity donation. He's had plenty of money off me and my mates. PM me your address for Saturday.

I'm away from the pooter for a couple of days though.

Sir Peter
Done! £25 to dispose of as you wish. Get in touch when you get back.:ok:

That is true BOAC, but he came back to the RAF!

Thanks to the others for their info about Lloyd Grose, but as I was on CFS staff until early 1998 I was aware that he was there then! I was hoping to find out what he had done after his stint at Bristol UAS - did he retire and settle in the Cotswolds?

Red Arrows display at Great North Run
 

After finishing the Great North Run this year we were treated to a display by the Red Arrows. During the display they appeared to overfly the crowd, which I thought wasn't permitted. The particular manouvre in question was 3 aircraft flying in towards the beach and pulling up sharply but appearing to fly over the crowd.

Is this possible or just an optical illusion?

Terrific display, everyone loved it.

I heard a Buzz at the post display symposium that the Reds are not displaying next year.....Any truth in that rumour?

AFAIK the mighty reds :D are the only aerobatic performers allowed to overfly crowds, however most of the display will be along the centreline allocated by the display planner and agreed with the risk assessment.