Reds with Black lead

Please lets keep rumours to a minimum; facts will be out in due course.

Unfortunately as I have posted in the Military thread they lost one to day, it went down at Bournmouth, details are coming out but are sketchy, some rumours say it was fatal 🙁

A red Arrow just crashed. no more news yet 🙁

When I saw the thread title I thought it was another milestone……..’First female Red Arrows pilot last year and now……..’ well, you get the picture.

On a serious note, it looked like they had a black Hawk with them on their flightline at RIAT.

The Red Arrows also had the black Hawk XX284 as a spare aircraft at Fairford this year, it remained on the north side during the weekend as all nine red jets were serviceable for the displays at Fairford and Shrivenham.

….I guess the RAF doesn’t have 23 pilots to spare !?

Does the RAF even have 23 pilots these days?

perhaps they are due to get another 22 black Hawks so they can beat the old record ! :diablo::rolleyes::cool:

I’ve often wondered if a team or air force would ever try, I guess the RAF doesn’t have 23 pilots to spare !?

re;

that what I love about this forum – I usually get the answer I want within hours of spotting an a/c! thanks everyone!

They “lost” Red 7 (XX280) a week or so ago after a bird strike, flame-out and emergency landing at Blackpool.

I understand the aircraft is still there. That may explain why they are down on numbers.

If they fly a ‘black’ Hawk, it will almost certainly have to fly as lead, as it will not have smoke system, nor the upgraded engine systems to enhance throttle response for close formation work.

It was XX260 that made the emergency landing, XX280 has never flown with the team. I had read that it is going to be stripped for spares as the airframe doesn’t have many hours left on it.
Also the Red Arrows are still flying XX306 which isn’t on their list of aircraft. XX294 is in storage at Shawbury.

Nine Red ones just left Hurn for Weymouth. 🙂

Actually it looks like I guess wrong as someone on another forum is saying they displayed at Cromer today with the black hawk in the Red 1 position as low ‘n’ slow suggested above.

Strange though, as there’s clearly nine serviceable reds that arrived here, unless one was u/s for Cromer but then fixed?

I’ll try and see whether the black one flies again later today when they go off to display at Weymouth.

Certainly not the best picture you’re likely to see, but this was the Reds arriving at Hurn this afternoon with the black one in the lead position.

With only ten aircraft in the formation, I can only think that should one aircraft go u/s then they’ll have to perform an eight ship routine.

They “lost” Red 7 (XX280) a week or so ago after a bird strike, flame-out and emergency landing at Blackpool.

I understand the aircraft is still there. That may explain why they are down on numbers.

If they fly a ‘black’ Hawk, it will almost certainly have to fly as lead, as it will not have smoke system, nor the upgraded engine systems to enhance throttle response for close formation work.

It seems to be XX284 on loan from RAF valley.

They flew into Hurn with it the other weekend and I have to admit it looks a bit odd with it stuck in the formation.

I’m just guessing here but maybe as they lost at least one aircraft last year they’re a bit short on all red ones now. They seem to only have ten ‘Reds’ listed on their website currently with XX284 and XX294 as spares.
XX294 is listed as part of the aircraft replacement program, so I’ve no idea if it’s airworthy.

Anyway, they’re coming down here later today so I’ll keep a look out!