Celebrating Over 60 Years of the Red Arrows

The Excellence and Capabilities of the Royal Air Force

Before the inception of the Red Arrows in 1964, there were several different voluntary display teams across the RAF. It was decided that it would be better to collate these into one premier display team, and the name of the Red Arrows was chosen.

The name paid homage to the Black Arrows aerobatic team and the colour red was chosen in homage to the Red Pelicans. The aircraft chosen for this premier display team was the Folland Gnat, which was preferred by the Yellowjacks. The aircraft needed to be agile and lightweight so that the display team could complete their precision manoeuvres.

The Folland Gnat ended up performing in 1,292 displays before it was replaced by the BAE Systems Hawk T1 for the 1980 season. This aircraft continues to be used to this day and is powered by Rolls-Royce engines that display the best of British engineering.

The Red Arrows first performed for the public in 1965, and this year marks 60 years since this inaugural performance. Their very first performance was for the press on 6 May 1965 at RAF Little Rissington, with their first public performance following on 9 May 1965 at the French Air Force base at Clermont Ferrand. Their first public UK performance was on 15 May at the Biggin Hill International Air Fair, Kent.

The Public Face of the Service

As the public face of the RAF, the Red Arrows works as a recruitment tool for the armed forces. In fact, many personnel join the service as a direct result of watching the Red Arrows perform when they were children. The Red Arrows represent the speed, agility and precision of the RAF, whilst acting as ambassadors for the United Kingdom both at home and abroad.

At the start of 2024, the Red Arrows had performed nearly 5,000 displays across 57 countries.

Precision Flying

Each Red Arrows pilot faces a rigorous set of tests and has to meet certain criteria before they can be selected as part of the team. They must have a minimum of 1,500 flying hours, have completed a frontline operational tour and be assessed as above average in their flying role.
 
Only nine candidates are selected from the list of applicants, and these are then put to the test during a selection week. Each candidate is given a formal interview, a media test, peer assessments and they are also asked to perform a gruelling flying test. Up to three new Red Arrows are chosen to join the team, typically replacing pilots that have finished their three-year tour.

The Team Leader, also known as Red One, is selected through a different process and they must have already completed a three-year tour as a team pilot in the Red Arrows earlier in their career. It is Red One who is responsible for designing the display for the upcoming season.

‘The Blues’

The work of the Red Arrows wouldn’t be possible without the work of their dedicated engineering team known as ‘The Blues’, as well as other members of the support team that are crucial to the success of the service.

‘The Blues’ represent a broad range of professions from across the RAF, with each member undertaking intensive training in their specialised area throughout their career. During the training season both the pilots and members of ‘The Blues’ wear green coveralls. Once Public Display Authority has been granted, the pilots can change into their iconic red coveralls, and the ground crew are allowed to wear their royal blue coveralls.

Some members of ‘The Blues’ are selected to be part of the Circus, a team comprising ten aircraft engineering technicians and one photographer. These are assigned to a specific pilot for the duration of the summer display season and fly in the passenger seat of the Hawk T1 to and from display airfields. It is their responsibility to service the aircraft before and after displays when the team are operating away from their base at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

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