The only trick the RAF has missed is having a girl in the Reds. I am sure it would go down very well with the Mums as well as the "sisterhood". I wonder whether this apparant oversight is due to the selection process. Even if a girl made it to the short list, could she survive the "democratic" final election hurdle, where all prejudices can be safely exercised? Apart from the gender question, what chance would an "ethnic" have; and as for a black dyke, she would have to fly like an angel and be a roaring extrovert with an endless store of rude jokes and a thirst like a brewer's, and play the piano standing on her head.

Well, no. Because unfortunately no matter how good she was, there would inevitably be silly "Only got in 'cos of the lumpy jumper" comments - and she would invariably be hunted down by the press at every opportunity....

By the way, isn't 'Black Dyke Fen' near Coningsby? Never did learn whether Fen was a person - or a place. Thankfully!!

Flatus, if you do know of such a woman she's probably making a killing on the internet. On the other hand, if the RAF could get her into the Reds and thence onto Celebrity Arseswap or something similar, the recruitment potential would be incalculable. But do we want to be defended by an RAF full of noisy ethnic alcoholic lesbian piano players ?

Went for Emmerdale personally :}

I have to say as an ex pongo that I thought the programme was excellent. The team members came across with just the right amount of swagger but with a healthy respect for the applicants. It showed both the RAF and RAFAT in an excellent light.

What was the situation with the final selection..........seemed to be different to that reported on the programme??

I don't have any better idea than anyone else about why the individuals concerned were or were not selected. However, one thing that occurred to me at the time the prog was first shown was how I would feel as a potential member of the team being approached.

Presumably the candidates would have had to agree to being filmed, interviewed etc, and personally, I am not sure I would have wanted to be filmed not getting through ... especially given the way we in the mil tend to load banter onto any mates who appear on the TV - "It's That Serious."

Excellent Families Day by the way chaps, good effort despite the cr@p weather.

STH

FayeDeck

It was Sqn Ldr Ben 'Baz' Murphy and Flt Lt Andrew 'Boomer' Keith, as confimred at the end - both we're on the show but neither were interviewed.

That was for the 2007 season and both Duffy and Kermit reapplied succesfully, with each getting one of the 3 slots for next years team.

Thought the programme showed the RAF in the right light. Professional yet able to let their hair down. All of the blokes came across really well. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Hurrah!

My wife will be relieved. She couldn't believe that Bollard and Kermit didn't get through first time. "After all", she said, "they certainly came across as arrogant enough tossers".

Tourist,

'arrogant enough' would infer that your view of Red Arrows pilots is that they all have this personality trait. Please avail us of details of your experience in this matter:}.

(IOT lessons on leadership - 'beware of individuals who use deferred authority' - ie 'the Air Cdre said'! Hmmm deferred auth with CINC Nag Home perhaps:bored:).

Perhaps your wife said 'arrogant enough - tosser'.

she does sound really lovely

RL
For God's sake don't start Tourist off again on an ant-Reds rant. We've been there before.

Can't speak for the NZ guy but Bollard is one of the most down to earth, nicest guy's you could meet. Didn't think he came across as arrogant at all.

Brilliant- I love the anti-Reds threads....Here we go again!:E

As much as I don't agree with the continued existence of the Red Arrows, Bollard is indeed a very very good lad, as are many of the others on the team. I can count a couple of tosseurs, both already on the team and in the selection process, but that's just my opinion!

Interesting to hear that the Reds were all "Battle hardened Pilots...."

Maybe a statement saying "All the Red Arrows have flown fast jet aircraft in the RAF, some of whom have been on operations and some have only ever been deployed on exercise." would be more accurate!:p

Well really!

So Tourist,

At what stage did you get chopped??:}

Yes, it was an excellent families' day, relaxed, friendly and utterly professional, the hallmarks of the Reds. Good to see that Rachel, the only civilian on the team, now has a red suit too.

F34NZ

I totally agree your first sentence. Concerning your question about the sort of person we want defending us in the RAF, at my age I have long since stopped fussing about gender, colour or sexual preference. As long as someone can "do the business" I am most grateful to them. My old dad told me that the fighter pilots he shared an airfield when he was flying RE8s in WWI were mostly pi$$ed out of their minds when they flew. And I wonder how many B o B pilots would have passed a breathalyser? Of course in this age of multi-million pound aircraft the culture has had to change, and the heavy drinking seemed to have faded out with the first generation jets. But I am not sure the RAF is richer for the lack of eccentrics and mavericks. Anyway, I suppose the Reds are more about PR than "Defence".

Do I detect an "ethnic" connection in your monica?

Red Arrows Hawk
 

Will the Red Arrows switch to the Hawk T2 after the RAF have completed the order with Bae Systems or will they stick with T1s,ive been wondering about this for a while and i thought someone would know:ugh:

Maybe they should switch to Typhoons, then at least nine of them would have a useful role!

... and it could entertain the Bear crews halfway through what must be a fairly dull day out!

By the way, I wonder if any Russian military members have ever been witnessed on Prune?

Perhaps our current democratic government/MoD have taken a leaf out of the Soviet book with the recent gagging order.

Hey,I wonder if the Reds ever came on Pprune:}

Ugly looking thing:

Hawk T2

Looks like it's been built by Geppetto.

STH

Perhaps the sticky-out bit at the front is a golf bag pannier - to save on the cost of replacing canopies!?

Oops sorry, was that a military secret... must go, doorbell ringing!

No, its just a T1 with a hard on

I believe they'll carry on using T Mk 1s for quite some while but will probably be replacing the original jets with Fuselage Replacement Programme aircraft from Valley.

Soon be lots of second-hand Tucanos...:uhoh:

Maybe it's BAe's unofficial tribute to Blair's years in office? :}

Never mind the ugly T2. What's the "cabriolet cab" in the background?

Martin Bakers Meteor!

Globemaster, speaking to the Reds ENGO. They won't be getting them any time soon...but i assume they will at some point in the future.

'Red' Typhoon (click image to make bigger). :ok:

Reds 1330 06 Sept - private display nr Pangbourne
 

Any idea who is the beneficiary of the Reds display at 51 30' 08"N, 001 09' 04"W at 1330 on Thurs 6th?

Might wander down with my lunchtime sarnies. I assume just because it's private doesn't mean I can't look as well :E

Looks like a farm, AA. Why not do a recce today and report back?

I may join you.....

I suspect that the event may be the charity clay pigeon shoot at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School, held in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

http://www.gosh.org/events/claypigeo...s.html#details

The Reds have displayed there before for the same event.

Good call Archimedes - JN check yr PMs.

I hope nobody shouts 'pull' mid way through the display !;)

I'm not to far away, so may take advantage of a "working at home" day tomorrow to go for a look :ok:

When I first saw this, I wondered if it was at Pangbourne College, but that theory has been disproved above.

Red Arrows At Pangbourne 6/9
 

I fly off a private strip at Pangbourne. Have just telephoned Wycombe Airpark, Blackbushe,White Waltham, and Farnborough Tower. None were aware of the Reds TRA and Notam for above Display. Not many people seem to check Notams, no wonder so many Display area infringments this year.
In their defence I suppose one would not expect a Red Arrows Display in the middle of an agricultural area, as this private Display is.

I read it on http://www.flyontrack.co.uk/2007restrictions.pdf - and was curious as I live <5 miles away, so found out more. It was first on that page about a month ago, though I think it may have been updated since. I didn't find the times until I saw them on the Reds' page.

NOTAM schMOTAM.

If you can't see 9 bright red planes trailing bright coloured smoke from 3 miles away, you shouldn't be flying a plane anyway... :}

Just curious, but what benefit will the RAF will accrue from a display at this particular private event? It can't be exposure nor publicity, is it pecuniary or personal?