Training
As soon as the last display of the event season is completed, the Red Arrows start training for the next year. To mark the change from old season to new, members of the Squadron don their green flying suits – they won’t wear red again until the new recruits and changed formations have proved themselves.
During training, each Pilot flies three times a day, five days a week. Training sessions include being briefed thoroughly, before the flight and formations are recorded on video from the ground. After the Pilots have landed, they’re debriefed in detail using the video footage.
In the winter months, the Blues really come into their own. The Red Arrows’ fleet of 13 Hawk aircraft is given a complete overhaul, each aircraft being dismantled, inspected, tested and repaired over a period of four to 16 weeks.
When February comes, five months into the training season, the Reds are finally ready to fly nine-jet formations. And in order to put the final polish on the display, the Red Arrows swap the unreliable weather of Lincolnshire for the guaranteed blue skies of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Training ends in May when the Red Arrows’ Commander-in-Chief makes an assessment of the team’s safety and professionalism. If he’s happy with their progress, he awards them the Public Display Authority – permission granted to display in public.
The Red Arrows swap their green flying suits for the prestigious red and blue suits – and get ready for their first official event. And that’s when the hard work really starts.
Want to know more about the Red Arrows? Check out their official site at http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/ for the latest news, fundraising events, Pilot profiles and upcoming events.
