The world-famous Red Arrows are the public face of the RAF performing aerobatic displays in over 50 countries. Their guiding motto is ‘Eclat’ which means brilliance.

The Vixen Break

The Reds approach the crowd in tight formation, wings just feet apart, manoeuvring at speeds of up to 400 mph (720 kph). With split-second timing, releasing their trademark coloured trails, they fan out to form a perfect pattern in the sky – the Vixen Break. Rising vertically, the pilots pull a gruelling 7 g, clenching their stomach muscles to help withstand the force. From the ground, it looks absolutely amazing.

No wonder the Red Arrows have come to represent so much of what the RAF is about: total teamwork based on mutual trust, incredible skill put to the test, a dedication to training and excellence – plus the thrill of adventure.

Teamwork

It’s not just pilots who make the Red Arrows spectacular. There’s a whole team behind every single display. Their skills and team spirit ensure that each performance is full of energy and style.

A brief history

The Red Arrows were officially formed in 1965 from a number of existing RAF display teams.

Why ‘Red Arrows’? The team took their name from two aerobatic teams in the 1950s and 1960s: the Red Pelicans and the Black Arrows.

The very first public UK display by the Red Arrows took place at Biggin Hill International Air Fair in Kent on the 15 May 1965.

The planes

The Red Arrows use a distinctive type of aircraft in their displays – the BAE Systems Hawk T Mk1/1a. There are 12 of these British-made aircraft in use with the Red Arrows.

The people

The Blues

All Red Arrows Pilots are heavily dependent on the Ground Support Team – ‘the Blues’ (so called because of their blue flying suits). The Blues are the unseen heroes of the Red Arrows and care for the aircraft themselves as well as all the equipment that goes with them.

The Circus

Of the 85 men and women who make up the Engineering Support Team, ten are selected to be the travelling ‘Circus’. They’re assigned to support a specific pilot throughout the display season and travel with them in the Hawk aircraft in between displays. It's one of the most popular engineering jobs in the RAF.

A team that works

‘The members of Circus are a great example of a team working together for success,’ says Flight Lieutenant Richard Gates. Richard is Circus 1, supporting Red 1. Rich joined the Royal Air Force in 1998 as a graduate entrant following his degree and joined the Red Arrows in 2005.

The Pilots

You have to be super fit, talented and experienced to be a Red Arrows Pilot. To qualify, RAF Pilots need to have 1,500 flying hours and to have completed at least one operational fast-jet tour. And that's just to get to the interview and flying test stage! Once in the Red Arrows, a Pilot can expect to stay for three years.

‘I am extremely proud to be selected to lead the Red Arrows,’ says Squadron Leader Dicky Patounas, Red 1. ‘To lead a 100-strong squadron of hard working and dedicated Royal Air Force personnel is a huge privilege.’ Dicky started in the RAF on a scholarship from school and joined up in 1989. He now has over 3,000 hours of fast-jet flying experience in a job that has taken him across the globe.

Red Arrows Team Manager, Squadron Leader Paula Hunt

Paula heads the support team responsible for extensive planning and organisation behind the scenes. Paula joined the RAF in 1991 and was commissioned as an Aerospace Battle Manager. She has served as a Tactical Radar Operator and Surveillance Instructor and has taken part in many exercises and operations, including deployment to Iraq during Operation TELIC. Following an appointment at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Paula joined the Red Arrows in March 2006.

Built for the job

A Red Arrows Pilot needs to have exceptional physical skill and stamina. Flying the aircraft requires intense concentration whilst grappling with extreme physical forces.

Flying at speed increases the weight of everything – including the pilots themselves. Pilots have to endure up to seven times the normal ‘g-force’ that we're used to (7 g - the ‘g’ stands for gravity).

At these levels, blood flows differently; it can start to collect in the legs and stomach and away from the brain and eyes. This would mean that pilots could lose their vision or even black out. To counter this, pilots learn a technique of tightening their stomach muscles. It’s very tiring, but essential to safe formation flying at high speed.

Pilots also wear hi-tech anti-g suits. These are tight, elasticated suits with pipes for pressurised air. This air is pumped into the suit in proportion to the g-force a pilot experiences, compressing the abdomen and legs to limit blood flow to these areas.

A jaw-dropping show

A display by the team – aircrew and ground crew working together – is a fabulous spectacle. Audiences are wowed by the aerobatics everywhere the team go.

The Diamond Nine is perhaps the most famous of all the Red Arrows' manouevres, with all nine aircraft moving as one. Other favourites include the Rollbacks, the Corkscrew and the Champagne Split.

Positioning and synchronisation between all the Pilots has to be incredibly precise. For safety, each Pilot always flies in the same position within any formation. Like so many jobs in the RAF, flying in formation requires incredible teamwork and trust.