Red Arrows, complete team, pilots and crew technicians. list of former red arrows pilotsjefferson parish jail mugshots January 19, 2023 . The Red Arrows were not the first RAF aerobatics team. The Red Arrows performing a low level flypast over 04 threshold at RAF Scampton. The Red Arrows (officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team) were first based at RAF Little Rissington, located in Gloucestershire, before moving on to the Central Flying School and then RAF Kemble, which is now Cotswold Airport, in 1966. For the entirety of the 2014 display season, the aircraft carried special 50th Anniversary markings on their tails instead of just the red, white and blue stripes. In 1960, the Tigers (No. If youre wondering When were the Red Arrows formed? and When did the Red Arrows start? we first need to look at how and why they were created and that means looking at what came before them. [22][23] An inquiry delivered in November 2022 concluded that at least two pilots from the team had enough of a service case against them to warrant their discharge from the service. They include former Red Arrows pilots, test pilots, Jaguar, Typhoon, Hawk and Harrier pilots, as well as Spitfire display pilots. [18] Seven personnel had nineteen opportunities to check the position of the SFH between its final flight on 4 November and the incident, and none of them, including Cunningham, had determined the SFH to be misplaced. [18] It was confirmed in May 2020 that Waddington had been selected. The Red Arrows have a prominent place in British popular culture, with their aerobatic displays a fixture of British summer events. Having witnessed two fatal aircraft crashes, in which two of her friends tragically died, alongside the breakup of her marriage, Kirsty found herself suffering from anxiety attacks and . [42] The programme was the first time the team had displayed in China, and the first time a British military aircraft had deployed to Vietnam. [9], In 1968, the then team leader (Sqn Ldr Ray Hanna) expanded the team from seven to nine jets, as he wanted to expand the team's capabilities and the permutations of formation patterns. Various teams flew the Vampire, and in 1950, No. In 1961, the Blue Diamonds of No. In December 2021, Chief of the Air Staff Mike Wigston ordered an inquiry into the Red Arrows, which The Times later reported related to allegations of bullying, misogyny, sexual harassment and drunkenness. After the 2016 display season, the Red Arrows embarked on an Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tour. This was far from the only incident in the Red Arrows history. One stated that Night Nurse contains promethazine, which can cause "drowsiness, poor vision, loss of concentration and cognitive impairment". Former Red Arrow pilot Mike Ling, who has watched Top Gun hundreds of times, reviews his form. [33] An assessment carried out by the Ministry after the incident stated that the event would occur only every 115 years. - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey, Unbelievable: Celebrations as Grimsby stun Southampton in FA Cup, Appeal after man dies in collision near Gainsborough, Officer Commanding Wing Commander David Montenegro, Red 1 (Team Leader) Squadron Leader Tom Bould, Red 3 Flight Lieutenant Patrick Kershaw, Red 6 (Synchro Leader) Squadron Leader Gregor Ogston, Red 7 (Synchro Two) Flight Lieutenant James Turner. Red 8, Flt Lt Damon "Damo" Green, left for personal reasons in. At a charity auction in 2008, a British woman paid 1.5million to fly with them. Up to 40 new recruits to the squadron, many of whom were female, described the culture as "toxic". [26] There had also been pressure on the pilots to perform at a greater number of events. August 20 - A Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team "Red Arrows" aircraft (BAE Hawk T1) crashed after performing at an air show in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom. Damo Green is stepping back from his role as pilot of Red 8. Pilots who start on the left of the formation stay on that side for the duration of their three-year tour; the pilots on the right side stay on the right. [39] The 4,000th display was at RAF Leuchars during the Battle of Britain Airshow in September 2006. Further demonstrating that reports of their demise were very much exaggerated, the team put on their 4000th aerial display in September 2006 at the Royal Air Force Leuchars Battle of Britain Airshow. During this time, Hanna oversaw the enlargement of the team to nine Folland Gnat T.Mk.1 aircraft, making possible the inclusion of the diamond-nine formation which is a staple feature of Red Arrows display routines to this day. [6], In 1965, Hanna became a member of the Red Arrows display team as 'Red 3'. The Red Arrows followed and were based there until 1995 when, as a cost-saving measure, Scampton was closed down, and the team was moved to RAF Cranwell despite still using Scamptons air space. The Red Arrows returned to a full aerobatic formation of nine aircraft in 2013.[41]. In that same year, a team of five yellow Gnat trainers from No 4 Flying Training School displayed at the Farnborough Airshow. Days later, Flt Lt Will Cambridge was suspended after a fellow flier complained about an alleged affair with a female colleague. Download the app now. Daniel Lowes is a former RAF Typhoon fighter pilot, weapons instructor, and elite Red Arrows display pilot. This team became known as the Yellowjacks after Flight Lieutenant Lee Jones's call sign, "Yellowjack". The wording paraphrases part of the poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee Jr.[45][46]. - 18th August 2009 at 23:02 Permalink The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team The Red Arrows fly over New York. [2] His first operational posting was to No. [35] The Hawks are modified with an uprated engine and a modification to enable smoke to be generated; diesel is mixed with a coloured dye and ejected into the jet exhaust to produce either red, white or blue smoke. The display was to introduce the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team to the media. [44], There is a memorial at RAF Scampton to Cunningham and fellow Red Arrows pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging. Pilots bid farewell to Red Arrows after 2019 season. [29] At the end of each season, one of that year's new pilots will be chosen to be Red 7 for the following season, with that year's Red 7 taking over as Red 6. While that cost is steep (especially at a time when essential British services such as the NHS are underfunded and under attack), there is a case to be made that the Red Arrows are worth the cost in the revenue they earn back. [25], The inquest also heard how a squadron leader who had returned to the Red Arrows after being away for four years was surprised by the lack of engineers for the squadron, the operational tempo (especially given the age of the aircraft) and the relative inexperience of the engineers, some of whom were on their first tour. I thought Adrian Thurley ended up flying the B747-200 for Virgin. One of the pilots in the display was Flying Officer C. W. A. Scott, who later became famous for breaking three EnglandAustralia solo flight records and winning the MacRobertson Air Race with co-pilot Tom Campbell Black in 1934.[4][5]. [citation needed] At the end of the 1970s Hanna was asked by the Chairman of Cathay Pacific, Sir Adrian Swire, to display Swire's Spitfire LFIXb, MH434. The first display in Germany was at RAF Laarbruch on 6 August 1965. [37], The greatest number of displays flown in any year was in 1995, when the Red Arrows performed 136 times. Like Robin Hoods legends, the Red Arrows colorful history comes from many sources and looms large in British cultural consciousness. [29], The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced in May 2013 that no-one would be prosecuted over the incident, but that the Health and Safety Executive might pursue a prosecution. [30][27] This means that the yellow and black strap that sits between the pilots legs (the SFH) can be pulled upwards sharply and the seat will deploy. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That said, if youre wondering How much do Red Arrows pilots get paid? thinking that theyre raking in the pounds, while the answer can be hard to gauge, guesses typically range around 44,000. The Mariners recorded a 2-1 win at St Marys Stadium thanks to two penalties from Gavin Holohan on Wednesday, March 1. By Ben Griffiths for the Daily Mail. The pilots spend six months from October to April practising for the display season. All of our instructors are current or former military fast jet pilots, many of whom have fought and flown operationally in The Gulf War or Bosnia. Once they have finished their tour with the team - usually three years in total - they will return to operational, training, staff duties or other roles in the Royal Air Force. Members of the RAF Aerobatic Team are said to hate each other in the units worst morale crisis since it was formed in 1964. Brought up in Kent, Ling joined the RAF in 1998 and, operationally, flew the Tornado F3, helping to secure the skies of . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. [1], The first team, led by Squadron Leader Lee Jones, had seven display pilots and flew the Folland Gnat T1 jet trainer. During displays, the aircraft do not fly directly over the crowd apart from entering the display area by flying over the crowd from behind; any manoeuvres in front of and parallel to the audience can be as low as 300 feet (91m), the 'synchro pair' can go as low as 100-foot (30m) straight and level, or 150-foot (46m) when in inverted flight. For the 2012 season, the number of hours flown had been dropped from 3,000 to 2,500. [14] However, in December 2011, those plans were put under review. The Blades announced. Source: Breitling . After a demonstration in France, they were hailed as "Les Fleches Noires" and from then on known as the Black Arrows. This driver may hold important information that could help our investigation. This performance featured Sopwith Snipes painted red flying amidst blank ammunition and pyrotechnics. [31][32] Martin-Baker had informed some operators of the Mk10B1 seat (including many military air forces worldwide) not to over-tighten the bolt, but had not informed either the Ministry of Defence or the Royal Air Force. In April, Red 5, Sqn Ldr Nick Critchell, 36, confronted Red 1, Tom Bould, 41, over a toxic culture at training in Croatia and Greece. Jets are more efficient at higher altitude, so longer flights are made at 35,000 to 42,000 feet (11,000 to 13,000m). Paedophile ex-Red Arrows ace, 59, who was honoured with an MBE for his 20-year RAF career could face up to five years in jail after admitting possessing indecent images of children. I remember he was in the ITVV video. After leaving the RAF, Hanna became a commercial airline pilot flying Boeing 707s for Lloyd International, and subsequently spent seven years with Cathay Pacific, flying 707s and Lockheed Tristars. Sometimes a C-130 Hercules or an Atlas C.1 accompanies them, carrying spare parts. Flypasts are still intended to be performed with nine aircraft, with experienced Red Arrows pilots flying the remaining 2 aircraft. The parachute on the seat did not deploy and Cunningham fell, still strapped to the seat, 220 feet (67m) to his death 217 feet (66m) away from the motionless aircraft. No. This is about enough for one minute of red and blue smoke each and seven minutes of white smoke. [24][25] In November 2022 it was announced that the commanding officer had been suspended for investigations. Pilots wear green flying suits during training, and are only allowed to wear their red flying suits once they are awarded their Public Display Authority at the end of winter training. The following year, he became the team leader, 'Red 1', a post which he held for a record four years. A former pilot told The Sun: This is a disaster for the RAF. He also founded The Old Flying Machine Company, which commercially flies Second World War . The Red Arrows performed in Germany a further 170 times before formation aerobatics were banned in Germany following the Ramstein airshow disaster in 1988. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,800 displays in 57 countries worldwide.[3]. They fly via Scotland, Iceland and Greenland to Halifax, Canada. This move was confirmed by the RAF in May, saying that the Red Arrows would perform mostly with seven aircraft rather than the regular nine for this display season but other pilots were brought in for the Platinum Jubilee flypast events. Pilots All Red Arrows display pilots are fast-jet pilots, having previously flown with frontline Royal Air Force squadrons. By: Black Knight - 19th August 2009 at 08:04 Permalink 92 Squadron) continued their role, flying 16 blue Hunters. Act 1974, List of fatal accidents and incidents involving Royal Air Force aircraft from 1945, "Red Arrows death: Ejection seat firm fined 1.1m", "Former Coventry schoolboy joins Red Arrows", "Coventry Red Arrows pilot death: Ejector seat firm in court", "Joining Red Arrows was boyhood dream for pilot killed in ejector tragedy", "Red Arrows pilot killed in incident at RAF Scampton", "Ejector seat manufacturer criticised after death of Coventry Red Arrows pilot", "Manufacturer to be prosecuted over death of RAF Red Arrows pilot", "Red Arrows pilot 'killed when parachute failed', "Red Arrows pilot death: No charges over fatality say CPS", "Red Arrows ejector seat death: CPS to review Red Arrows fatality", "Martin-Baker vows to learn lessons from fatal Red Arrows accident", "No charges over Red Arrows pilot's death", "Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham inquest: Seat mechanism 'useless', "Red Arrows display pressure investigated in pilot death", "Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham 'died in 300ft ejection', "Work culture of Red Arrows to be probed at pilot's inquest", "Red Arrows pilot death: Ejector seat firm to be prosecuted", "Red Arrows pilot ejected 300 feet into air to his death", "Red Arrows 'lacked experienced engineers' ejection seat inquest hears", "Red Arrows inquest: coroner criticises ejection seat manufacturer", "Red Arrows crews missed 19 chances to spot deadly ejection seat risk", "Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham inquest: 'Problem with ejection seat', "Inquest into Red Arrows pilot death told 'resources were a big issue', "Ejection seat firm failed to warn MOD of Red Arrows safety flaw", "Red Arrows pilot was not warned about ejector seat danger before death, says coroner", "Inquest into death of Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham finds ejector", "Red Arrows pilot death: Report due in June", "Ejector seat-maker to be prosecuted over death of Red Arrows pilot", "Ejection seat firm in court over Red Arrows pilot death", "Firm to face trial after RAF Red Arrows ejection seat death", "Ejector seat firm to stand trial over death of Red Arrows pilot from Coventry", "Red Arrows ejector seat firm pleads guilty to RAF Scampton pilot death", "Pilot death ejection seat firm fined 1.1m", "75 Years of High Flight Beloved aviator poem's 75th anniversary celebrated", "2028 Squadron Realise A Dream With The Red Arrows", Service Inquiry Investigating the Accident Involving Hawk XX177 on 8 Nov 2011 Part 1.3 Narrative of Events, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Sean_Cunningham&oldid=1137981718, Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in England, Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 11:23. If the cloud base is less than 5,500-foot (1,700m) but more than 2,500-foot (760m) the Team will perform the Rolling Display, substituting wing-overs and rolls for the loops. ", "Pilots removed in Red Arrows bullying and assault row", "Another Red Arrows pilot sacked for bad behaviour", "Red Arrows commanding officer suspended as RAF investigates claims of inappropriate behaviour", "RAF Aerobatic Display Team the Red Arrows Return to Biggin Hill", "Red Arrows: HIW interview Red 2 pilot Mike Bowden", "Planespotter pays $3.2m for Red Arrows ride", https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5j5lURBGbDPtBGuU8Ty_BTYv9zHKA?docId=N0892591330839602757A, "Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - North American Tour 2019 :Written statement - HCWS1264", "Red Arrows Return From Huge North American Tour", "Plans announced for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend 2022", "RAF Red Arrows to display as 7 ship in 2022", "How Is An A400M Atlas Aircraft Helping The Red Arrows On Tour? - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00. You've got to stay within 18 inches of the formation. Thats for them.. [3] Cunningham attended Ernesford Grange School and learnt to fly, gaining his pilot's licence at the age of 17. XR537 was officially re-launched during the Bournemouth Air . Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through the gallery. An RAF pageant was held at Hendon in 1920 with teams from front-line biplane squadrons. For the same reason, Red Arrows displays in New Zealand are unlikely because there is no land near enough for a Hawk to land and refuel to reach New Zealand on the most fuel that it can carry. The replay at Blundell Park ended in a 3-0 victory to Grimsby and set up what was a memorable night at Southampton. The former Red . [17] On 25 September 1999, Mark, at the age of 40, crashed in a Hispano Aviacin HA-1112 "Buchn" during a performance while coming in to land at an airshow in Sabadell, Spain, and died the following day in hospital from the injuries sustained. - 19th August 2009 at 12:44 Permalink The first public display in the UK was on 15 May 1965 at the Biggin Hill International Air Fair. An RAF spokesman said: The moves were made without prejudice and are a result of both personal and professional reasons. The initiation of the ejection seat was assumed to be by accident. To carry out a full looping display the cloud base must be above 5,500 feet (1,700m) to avoid the team entering the cloud while looping. His grave is next to that of his son's, each marked with headstones shaped like an aeroplane propeller blade. View our online Press Pack. [2] The badge of the Red Arrows shows the aircraft in their trademark diamond nine formation, with the motto clat, a French word meaning "brilliance" or "excellence". The new lineup is: Officer Commanding - Wing Commander David Montenegro Red 1 (Team Leader) - Squadron Leader Tom Bould Red 2 - Flight Lieutenant Stuart Roberts Red 3 - Flight Lieutenant Patrick Kershaw Red 4 - Squadron Leader Jon Bond Red 5 - Flight Lieutenant David Simmonds Red 6 (Synchro Leader) - Squadron Leader Gregor Ogston The 58th Red Arrows season is officially underway, as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Display Team started their campaign with a remarkable role in the RAF flypast of Buckingham Palace for the Queens Platinum Jubilee at the start of June. The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force (RAF) based at RAF Waddington. They performed flypasts or displays in Karachi in Pakistan; Hindon and Hyderabad in India; Dhaka in Bangladesh; Singapore; Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; Danang in Vietnam; Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Zhuhai in China; Muscat in Oman; Manama in Bahrain; Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. There are good people there who are trying to fix it but it is an unhappy place.. Taking multi-purpose chronograph pilot watches to new levels, the 1985 inspired Aerospace has gone to places Maverick and Goose would have dreamt of. In January 2018, in the prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive, Martin-Baker, the manufacturers of the seat, pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety law regarding Cunningham's death. On 2 June 2022 Trooping the Colour, as part of Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, closed with the Queen and Royal Family observing a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Red 10's duties include co-ordination of all practices and displays and acting as the team's ground safety officer. Raynham George Hanna, AFC & Bar (28 August 1928 - 1 December 2005) was a New Zealand -born fighter pilot who emigrated to England to join the Royal Air Force (RAF). If youve come here wondering What are the Red Arrows? youll quickly find that theyre both a world-class aerobatics team and much more. 111 Squadron in 1956, and for the first time, the aircraft had a special colour scheme, which was an all-black finish. Pilots must have completed one or more operational tours on a fast jet such as the Tornado, Harrier, or Typhoon, have accumulated at least 1,500 flying hours, and have been assessed as above average in their operational role to be eligible. [42] As part of the guilty plea, Martin-Baker agreed to pay court costs amounting to over 550,000 but refuted the prosecution's allegation that what happened was "not an isolated incident". Key Publishing Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 2713662. Thats why the RAF have tried so hard to keep a lid on this. A TRUE Gent for sure.all the best Tim if youre reading this! 2000-2011. The road remains closed while emergency services attend the scene. Justin Hughes writes on issues rel The 2018 team will comprise the following pilots: Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team: Wing Commander Andrew Keith Red 1 and Team Leader: Squadron Leader Martin Pert Red 2: Flight Lieutenant Jon Bond Red 3: Flight Lieutenant David Stark - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00, By: Arthur Pewtey By: ian_st In 1947, the first jet team of three de Havilland Vampires came from RAF Odiham Fighter Wing. - 18th August 2009 at 00:01 Permalink "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. In 1925, No. [4] He had flown with No. However, the team carried out official flypasts with nine aircraft by utilising Red 8 as well as ex-Red Arrow display pilot and then Red 10 Mike Ling. 66 Squadron developing a formation team of six aircraft. Few things capture the imagination of aviation lovers quite like aerobatic teams. The first minute to the 90th minute we had to dig deep. Still, Little Rissington is just the first of many answers to the perpetually changing question Where are the Red Arrows based? If youre wondering What planes do the Red Arrows use? that answer has changed over the years, too. To me, an ejection seat should have two settings: safe or in use. marketing position with BAe Warton, now retired. Syncro Lead on Gnats at the end of his time with the Redsex Lightning/Phantom man who latterly flew Sea King Air Sea Rescue. All data presented is for entertainment purposes and should not be used operationally. [22], The inquest heard about the incident and the events leading up to it, including how Cunningham had taken Night Nurse, a brand of cold relief, as an oral suspension the night before and how moments before crewing-in, he accepted a 49-second call on his mobile phone from an estate agent about a house sale. It also follows the shock departure of a third ace for family reasons in January. [43] In February 2018, and despite the Judge, Mrs Justice Carr, listing eight reasons why the company were not guilty, the company was fined 1.1million. In 1979, the team switched from their Follant Gnats to BAE Hawk trainers. 54 Squadron performed the first RAF show with smoke tails and later received Gloster Meteors in 1955, with that same year seeing No. The Reds will set off on a 50+ date tour across the UK this summer, as well as appearing at various airshows and flypasts around the globe, but the team will have a slightly different look about it this year. Over 4000 fans made the 250 mile journey to the south coast, many waving inflatable Harry Haddocks. The skeleton team of seven still managed to wow crowds. There is something really rotten in this team. That said, the question of Where do the Red Arrows practice? has a further wrinkle to it as the team will still use the airspace above Scampton for training. The team debuted in 2006 and many of its pilots are former Red Arrows. As the seat fell back to earth the main parachute failed to deploy to slow the descent to a safe speed, and he fell to his death in the malfunctioning ejection seat. MyLocal Lincolnshire is the new home of The Lincolnite. Opportunities in the Royal New Zealand Air Force were limited, so he looked to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the United Kingdom for a flying career. ), 9 Best Jobs in Aviation (That Aren't a Pilot), A Gnat hitting the trees and two Gnats crashing in 1969, Two Gnats colling in 1971, resulting in four fatalities, and a later crash that year resulting in one further fatality, A Gnat striking the ground during rollback maneuvers in 1978, with the pilot, Stephen Edward Noble, dying of his injuries, A Gnat experiencing fuel blockage in 1979, resulting in the pilot ejecting, A Hawk hitting a yacht mast while performing at an air show in Brighton in 1980, leading to an ejection, A Hawk hitting the ground while practicing a loop in Cyprus in 1984, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot, Later on, in 1984, a Hawk crashed into the sea three miles off the coast of Devon due to engine failure, with a rescue boat saving the pilot, Two Hawks collided in 1987, and both pilots safely ejected, though one was forced to leave the team, A Hawk crashed while attempting a rollback in 1988, killing the pilot, Neil Duncan MacLachlan, A Hawk overshot the runway at Jersey Airport in 1998, running onto a gravel pile without sustaining significant damage, Two Hawks again collided in 2010 during a training session in Crete, with one pilot able to land his plane and the other sustaining injuries following ejection, A Hawk crashed a mile away from Bournemouth Airport in 2011, killing the pilot, Jon Egging, Tragedy struck again in 2011 as another pilot, Sean Cunningham, was ejected from his jet while it was still on the ground at RAF Scampton, killing him when his parachute failed to open; the seat manufacturer, Martin-Baker, was prosecuted and. (Left to right) Flight Lieutenant Stuart Roberts, Squadron Leader Graeme Muscat and Flight Lieutenant Patrick Kershaw will join the Red Arrows lineup for next season. As another part of his duties he also flew Mr M's Citation. The safety pin on the seat could also be mis-aligned, which when viewed from a normal vertical downward angle, means that it looks to be in the 'safe' position, but would not be. [18], Hanna died in his 78th year in Switzerland of natural causes on 1 December 2005. Even more dramatically, a nine-week tour of the United States and Canada in 2018 the teams first North American excursion in more than a decade was expected to garner 2.5 billion. 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force before being selected to join the Red Arrows as 'RED 5' in May 2011. In 1958, the Black Arrows performed a loop and barrel roll of 22 Hunters, a world record for the greatest number of aircraft looped in formation. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. - 18th August 2009 at 21:52 Permalink It should be the highlight of pilots careers to fly for the Red Arrows but they have lost three this year. He did - it was XX264 - which I think is still operated by the team. - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00, Gordon Howe (91-93) used to drive an airbus A 340 with vVIP's on board, now driving more normal airbus', By: The Bump became the Red Arrows Formation flying. The first display with nine aircraft was on 8 July 1966 at RAF Little Rissington.[36]. [38] A pre-trial hearing was conducted in February 2017, where the company pleaded not guilty. Still, the extra fighter jets and pilots proved a blessing, as it allowed the team to develop their signature Diamond Nine formation. By: John Cooper [11][8] Cunningham died after what the coroner called "non-survivable injuries" to his brain and cardiovascular system. This site uses cookies. The engineering team that supports the Red Arrows is known as "The Blues" and consists of 85 members drawn from various technical and support trades in the RAF.