The Red Arrows

[Hockham Admiral]

I know that quite a few of us enjoy watching the Red Arrows and I found this old documentary of their '72 visit to Canada and the USA.

Now these guys were seriously good and very, very low! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6xCbeY6HjE

[grendel]

we used to watch them at Manston airport, the taxiway to the runway was just the other side of the fence, and they used to turn and line up right opposite just before taking off. When landing they would buzz the runway at about 10 ft altitude then come round and be just about landing opposite.

 

[donnygeoff]

when I was learning to fly, they came by while I was in the air....

9 flew in formation, and they looked great, the flying instructor said

"well that's nine of them, where's the other one"

I said, "they only have nine"

another one on it's own flew by, and the instructor said

"there you go, the spare"

he then told me that when traveling, they went in the nine formation, so if people saw them they would instantly know it was them, the spare aircraft always flew a little behind.

Don't know if they do it now, but this was back in '82

[grendel]

I once saw one come back and land mid display, he put the blue smoke on he came in to land - probably to disguise the black smoke that had been coming out of the back as he flew back. even coming in to an emergency landing he was thinking about their reputation - it was nearly 2 weeks before that one left the airport.

[quo vadis]

So the ones with red smoke burn red diesel, what about the others

[ScrumpyCheddar]

We watched them Saturday at Weston super mud and they was brill a 30min spectacular... Those boys do us proud.. And do a fantastic job displaying to this country and world wide ..

Well done Raf Red Arrows.. 

[quo vadis]

The blue smoke maybe Esso Blue paraffin

[quo vadis]

Will a jet engine run on Cheesy Whotsits, just contemplating the yellow smoke

[grendel]

I have found my piccies now - so surfing on 2 computers at once 8 came back at the end of the display on day 1, but 9 were there again on day 2 (spare in use?), and a final pic to bring back the nautical connection.

[JennyMorgan]

Many years ago the Red Arrows performed at Oulton Broad and back then flew at much lower levels than they do nowadays. At that time I had the Waveney Inn at Burgh St Peter and the Arrows used the pub as a line up point before blasting across the marshes at a very low level before their dramatic appearance over the Broad. After their first appearance they later drove over to the pub to apologise for disturbing us, very thoughtful bunch of people. Don't expect it had anything to do with the beer! Anyway, the following year they really announced their arrival, big time! In they came, close astern of each other, one after the other they arrived at the pub and went vertical, presumably with after-burners on, really shaking the pub up as they went skyward. Inevitably they returned in the evening, once again to apologise and to enjoy a repeat quaffing session. Later one of the Arrows nicked the top of a yacht's mast down in Pool Harbour and, subsequently, such low level performances came to an end. Shame really, it really was quite something to watch them streaking really low across the marshes, even if we were well doused in paraffin exhaust. Seriously, they were that low the reeds used to be flattened!

[LizG]

I remember them coming over Oulton Broad during Oulton week. They only just missed Maidie's original mast/flag. It was twirling! My helm was staying in the Wherry and his room was full of the coloured 'smoke' when he returned to his room

[TheQ]

I've seen the Red arrows flying many times in Many places, the First was at RAF Locking (now sadly demolished) near Weston Super Mud, I was standing on top of a two story flat roofed barrack block looking down on single aircraft  at times!!! they had to pull up to avoid the barrack block I actually lived in!!

 

[Timbo]

You are all wrong you know...they are not the Red Arrows...they are Gracie's Planes! We are fortunate enough to see them practise most days. However when we take our Granddaughter Gracie along Tillbridge lane to visit Great Nanny and Granddad in Nettleham 'Gracie's Planes' perform aerobatics to celebrate Gracie's imminent arrival. On spotting the team at another location someone pointed out the planes. "Yes I know" said Gracie "They are mine!".

[JennyMorgan]

8 hours ago, w-album said:

I remember them coming over Oulton Broad during Oulton week. They only just missed Maidie's original mast/flag. It was twirling! My helm was staying in the Wherry and his room was full of the coloured 'smoke' when he returned to his room

Perhaps there was a bit more bravado in those halcyon days of my youth. My father back then owned the old Maltings buildings and my brother & his family were watching the display from one of the roofs, they were quite adamant that they were looking down on the aircraft as they flew along the Broad. Clive Ricko's nice carbon mast would certainly have been in the way!

[TheQ]

Next year you could be seeing the Red Arrows again...

http://www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/press-releases/Great-Yarmouth-launches-air-show.aspx

[VetChugger]

The lower level flying certainly added to the drama. I was playing cricket in Leeds at North Leeds CC by Soldiers Field in the late 70's. It was Gala Day at Roundhay Park.

The Red Arrows approached form all points to converge over the arena and go into a funnel like steep climb. The timings were not announced and I was coming off my long run to deliver one of my snorting yorkers and two of them came screaming over the cricket field. It truly felt as though I could literally reach up and touch them they were so low. It was a very impressive entry that lingers long in my memory.

[Bound2Please]

47 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Next year you could be seeing the Red Arrows again...

http://www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/press-releases/Great-Yarmouth-launches-air-show.aspx

You can See them both days at clacton again this year

[Maxwellian]

Saw one of them flying over Fleet this evening, must be getting ready for Farnborough.

[Hockham Admiral]

On 24/06/2016 at 8:42 AM, JennyMorgan said:

Perhaps there was a bit more bravado in those halcyon days of my youth. My father back then owned the old Maltings buildings and my brother & his family were watching the display from one of the roofs, they were quite adamant that they were looking down on the aircraft as they flew along the Broad. Clive Ricko's nice carbon mast would certainly have been in the way!

The rules were still there, Peter, the minimum height was 100ft agl . We just didn't choose to obey it and very few bosses insisted on us doing so....

[Vaughan]

I have already told my story of that display on Oulton Broad on the thread about the new air show at Yarmouth, but I can confirm that I was sitting on the 1st floor verandah outside the bar in the WOBYC clubhouse, and those planes were coming past at my level!

They started the display with a pass at right angles to the broad, from the south and took everyone completely by surprise. I was actually showered by gravel chippings off the flat roof of the clubhouse!

What impressed me most was their use of "dead" ground. You may think there are no hills around there but they somehow always found somewhere to hide behind and disappear, only to reappear from a completely different direction. It must have taken a great amount of prior planning and knowledge of the topography.

Sadly I fear we will now only see them perform over water in future. I gather they have already cancelled their display at the Farnborough Air Show.

 

[LizG]

I think I was referring to the same year as Vaughan. I was in a Rebel possibly doing the 'bloodbath' and we were half way up the broad towards the dyke. It was amazing but scary. There was another year when a helicopter landed in the park as part of the fun and several dinghies capsized!

[JennyMorgan]

Vaughan, the use of the 'dead' ground, as you call it, was low over the marshes  and I do mean low. We probably had as much of an airshow at Burgh St Peter as you guys did at the WOBYC.  I do remember the sailing club being asked not to be sailing when the Arrows were performing. In return an assurance was given that the aircraft would come in spectacularly low, which they did. At that time an uncle of mine was an air-vice marshall, never asked but I often wondered if his presence on the bank might not have had its advantages. One perk for us was that the Arrow's commentator came to Oulton Broad by helicopter and that he needed somewhere to land. We offered the use of our garden in return for a trip for my wife and I. That trip was a memorable low level blast along the Waveney.

[LizG]

Well we were racing the year I saw them. Did they come more than once?

[jeffbroadslover]

We have had them over Cleethorpes today as part of the National Armed Forces Day celebrations

Fortunately it was before the rain came

Jeff

[Vaughan]

3 hours ago, w-album said:

Well we were racing the year I saw them. Did they come more than once?

We are talking about the same year, Liz, and they were still racing, as the wind was very calm. As Peter says, it had been planned to come between the day's sailing and the evening power boat racing.

The "bloodbath" race was still on, and White Wings split tacks with Raisena as they came round the Wherry buoy to go for the finish. As they parted on their different tacks one of the Arrows went right between them, at the height of the spreaders on White Wings's mast.

I am glad there are other witnesses here on the forum, otherwise it would be un-believeable!