The Red Arrows

The Red Arrows are the RAF's premier aerobatics team and the most famous in the world today. Formed in 1965, the Reds have attracted a worldwide following as ambassadors for Great Britain on their overseas display tours to some fifty countries. Aerobatics has a long and distinguished history in the RAF, forming an essential part of training and developing expertise and teamwork skills. The classic Diamond Nine formation is recognized internationally as the team's trademark. Following a brief history of the Red Arrows, the author surveys a day in the life of a Red Arrows pilot. Pilots stay with the team for three seasons, ensuring that maximum expertise remains with the team from year to year. Flying display planning - up to one hundred displays are flown yearly - and the vital roles of the ground and support crews are examined. Lavishly illustrated with full-color photography and endorsed by the Red Arrows, this is a worthy tribute to the world's best-known aerobatics team.