😡
On last nights television news I saw that the government was considering scrapping the RED ARROWS !!!!!!
What on earth is this country coming to – if they were to pull out of Iraq and the EU we would have enough money to keep the Arrows, improve the NHS, have a proper police force and a real army and navy fully equipped. Instead we are now almost a third world country.
Wake up England before it is too late.
dakota
By: Spitfire Pilot - 1st February 2007 at 18:47
That’s very true.
By: BlueRobin - 23rd January 2007 at 18:31
The subject of the funding for the Red Arrows seems to come up at least once a year, if not biannually.
As far as I heard it is the usual military “spending review”. Now you often hear about these reviews leading to cuts, so it would be easy to assume likewise policy for the Reds.
However in my view, a spending review should look at the age of the aircraft and give them some new Hawks. I believe there are still a small number of active airframes that date back to the first Hawk-based display team. There was a documentary on them about 5 years ago where they showed the ground crews patching up fatigue cracks on the tail. You can’t keep fixing and ‘batting forever.
By: Grey Area - 23rd January 2007 at 18:16
Elgan lives in England? 😮 😮 😮
….. GA covers his ears and retires into the corner….. 😮 😮 😮
By: andrewm - 23rd January 2007 at 12:37
Elgan, if your moving from England then you need to move somewhere warm!!!! 😀
Elgan lives in England? 😮 😮 😮
By: andrewman - 23rd January 2007 at 11:19
I saw it on a newspaper this morning, i couldn’t believe what i was reading
Would that be the Daily Express, I’m sure back in 2004 they same paper did a similar story saying the Red Arrows would be axed, a couple of weeks later and they were doing a story saying they had “saved” the Red Arrow’s.
Still it makes a change for the Daily Express to print anything that ain’t about tax going up.
By: Paul F - 23rd January 2007 at 10:59
Don’t take your eyes off the (real) ball here….
As has been said above, the “Reds” are great ambassadors for what (little:( ) is left of “Great” Britain these days, and £5 Million per annum to fund them is small beer compared to the inept waste of funds on (unneccesary) middle managers in the NHS etc.
However, the threat to the Reds may just be a smoke screen to get everyone looking in one direction while more critical cuts are actually made elsewhere behind our backs… don’t forget the current shower of a Government is a master of spin and subterfuge.
Of course, perhaps the theoretical £5m saving is earmarked to pay Uncle Tony’s pension when he steps down 😀
Paul F
By: Dave Homewood - 23rd January 2007 at 10:30
this country needs the Arrows – they are a symbol of our nation!
Yes, like Concorde, the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Sea Harrier, British Rover…
On another note, did you see the Red Arrows had a mid-air collison this month?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/6256827.stm
By: Spitfire Pilot - 22nd January 2007 at 15:52
Don’t be too harsh…:p :p 😀
Isn’t the ‘use’ of the Red Arrows one way of making every little boy and girl that sees them say the words ‘Mum, when I grow up I want to be a fighter pilot’? The Reds are incredible ambassadors for the country and the best advertisement for the armed forces going – we shouldnt scrap them.
The Red Arrows are what made me realise I wanted to be a fighter pilot – fat chance of that but still……we can’t get rid of them.
That’s the trouble with polititions……..very few, if any, are aviation enthusiasts and, as far as I am concerned, don’t have the faintest idea how important the reds are to the RAF’s public relations or the effect the red arrows have on the general morale of the whole country.
No idea whatsoever.
By: RingwaySam - 22nd January 2007 at 14:17
Wouldn’t mind actually :p Though Chicago or Vancover are my 1st choice 🙂
Elgan, if your moving from England then you need to move somewhere warm!!!! 😀
By: bmi-star - 22nd January 2007 at 13:29
Ohhh are you coming to Australia? give us a yell when you get here…:D
Wouldn’t mind actually :p Though Chicago or Vancover are my 1st choice 🙂
By: andrewm - 22nd January 2007 at 13:16
get rid of half the ministerial cars
Now theres a stupid idea.
a) this would enable people to murder any politican they wished as people are most vunerable during transport and their bullet proof cars protect them
b) this would then use a large amount of budget as you need to replace them and make substanical payouts to not only their family but everyone else’s who was in the car
c) more money would be needed to change within their respective offices (home office, mod etc) to facilitate a higher turnover of staff
d) more infrastructure costs to facilitate not using transport
and lets not get into using green fuels for these cars. You simply cant. They are 3 times heavier than normal cars and have to have wider tyres to help spread the load. They only work on Diesel.
By: Agent K - 22nd January 2007 at 08:00
If I was one of the chiefs of defence staff or the chief of the RAF I would immediately scrap the Red Arrows and put the money into operational requirements. I would also close the BBMF. Why?, I am a big fan of both these teams/displays, because this would highlight the current defence policy to the general public, the severe underfunding and drain on the armed forces. It would make a stand.
By: lovemigs - 22nd January 2007 at 03:52
Ahh, don’t we just love this Government. Haven’t they spent their pennies well :rolleyes:. Now if only that Drama about Blair last Thursday on C4 would happen in 2010 :p!
2 years to go before I leave this dump of an island!
Ohhh are you coming to Australia? give us a yell when you get here…:D
By: roscoria - 22nd January 2007 at 00:42
😡
On last nights television news I saw that the government was considering scrapping the RED ARROWS !!!!!!What on earth is this country coming to – if they were to pull out of Iraq and the EU we would have enough money to keep the Arrows, improve the NHS, have a proper police force and a real army and navy fully equipped. Instead we are now almost a third world country.
Wake up England before it is too late.dakota
Obviously it’s all about cutting costs, the government are cutting back on things Military, THEY consider are unnecessary. The worrying thing is ,this country is up to it’s eyeballs in debt, no government can continue to borrow forever. I am surprised they haven’t closed RAF Marham, and given the defensive job to the Americans at Lakenheath. Things must be bad, if the government are considering scrapping the Red Arrows. The Red Arrows exemplify all that is British about Britain. Slowly but surely, it seems the RAF and other services are being gradually taken apart, this may be, because of a European defence force strategy.
_____________________________
By: Hurrifan - 21st January 2007 at 22:40
We get the politicians we deserve…we elect them after all!!!!
Daft isnt the word for this…
get rid of half the ministerial cars and you might not have to get rid of the Arrows or send the Marines in on the stub wings of an Apache !!!
mind you its as bad here…..just got my first look at one of the IAAC’s new choppers yesterday….doing a ministerial transport job!!!
By: Ren Frew - 21st January 2007 at 22:22
Speaking as a ‘Commercial bod’… Is the Hawk still in production and are the Red Arrows kind of also considered a sales tool for the aircraft… ?
And am I suggesting the Eurofighter would look a bit daft in red ??? 😉
By: duxfordhawk - 21st January 2007 at 20:29
I really hope this is nonsense, The Red Arrows bring in a lot of trade for the UK and are great Ambassadors for the UK in General, They are also great recruiting tool for the RAF many kids dream of Being a Red Arrow pilot.
We need the Red Arrows and the Government should not under estimate this.
By: bmi-star - 21st January 2007 at 17:03
I know Anglesey isn’t exactly the hub of the universe, Elgan, but that seems a little harsh…….. :diablo:
Hehe, well Angelsey doesn’t have a bright future at all Lance, they way things are set to happen on the island within the next 5 years 😮
By: Grey Area - 21st January 2007 at 17:00
2 years to go before I leave this dump of an island!
I know Anglesey isn’t exactly the hub of the universe, Elgan, but that seems a little harsh…….. :diablo:
By: adamdowley - 21st January 2007 at 16:28
2 years to go before I leave this dump of an island!
Don’t be too harsh…:p :p 😀
Isn’t the ‘use’ of the Red Arrows one way of making every little boy and girl that sees them say the words ‘Mum, when I grow up I want to be a fighter pilot’? The Reds are incredible ambassadors for the country and the best advertisement for the armed forces going – we shouldnt scrap them.
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January 21, 2007 at 11:09 am