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  • Parking places for participating military aircraft have been mapped out with aerosol spray at the Royal International Air tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershirewhere a single nosewheel belonging to a Hawk jet of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team, is pressed onto chocks, on a yellow taxi-way centre-line stripe. Since 1965 the Red Arrows have flown over 4,000 such shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows495_RBA.jpg
  • A pilot of the French Air Force walks looking down along the fuselage of his C-130 Hercules oblivious to nine Hawk jet aircraft of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who come screaming behind and 'breaking to land'. This set procedure prepares them to split up as a group, peel off seperately and land safely at the Payerne Air 04 show, Switzerland. It is a perfect day for aerobatics with blue alpine skies during the teams' two-day visit to the Swiss airfield. Payerne is home of the Swiss Air Force who host the cream of international aerobatic display flying every September to 275,000 spectators over a weekend. European display teams and air forces gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Swiss military aviation. .
    Red_Arrows663_RBA.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, are the front gates of Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-02-06-11-2019.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, is the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-12-06-11-2019.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, is the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-07-06-11-2019.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, is the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-11-06-11-2019.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, are the front gates of Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-03-06-11-2019.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, is the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-09-06-11-2019.jpg
  • In memory of fallen WW2 Polish Air Force crews, are the front gates of Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-04-06-11-2019.jpg
  • The statue of Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding,  outside St Clement Danes (RAF) church, on 17th April 2018, in London, England. Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, GCB, GCVO, CMG (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was an officer in the Royal Air Force. He served as a fighter pilot and then as commanding officer of No. 16 Squadron during the First World War. During the inter-war years he became Air Officer Commanding Fighting Area, Air Defence of Great Britain and then joined the Air Council as Air Member for Supply and Research. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is generally credited with playing a crucial role in Britain's defence, and hence, the defeat of Adolf Hitler's plan to invade Britain.
    dowding_statue-05-17-04-2018.jpg
  • The statue of Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding,  outside St Clement Danes (RAF) church, on 17th April 2018, in London, England. Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, GCB, GCVO, CMG (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was an officer in the Royal Air Force. He served as a fighter pilot and then as commanding officer of No. 16 Squadron during the First World War. During the inter-war years he became Air Officer Commanding Fighting Area, Air Defence of Great Britain and then joined the Air Council as Air Member for Supply and Research. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is generally credited with playing a crucial role in Britain's defence, and hence, the defeat of Adolf Hitler's plan to invade Britain.
    dowding_statue-01-17-04-2018.jpg
  • A flying helmet belonging to a member of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, is cradled in the highly-polished open Plexiglass  canopy of a team Hawk jet aircraft. With the arrow pointing downwards we see it from below along with the airplane's red fuselage and the words Royal Air Force stencilled in blue lettering on the side within a white stripe. There are strong angles with clear blue space on the top right. The colours that dominate this image are red, white and blue - the colors of the Union Jack, United Kingdom's flag. This scene is at RAF Akrotiri, Cypus where the Red Arrows put the finishing touches to their display sequences before starting the gruelling air show calendar in the UK and Europe. The squadron represents all that is perfect with aerobatic flying, about teamwork and discipline.
    Red_Arrows102_RBA.jpg
  • Among autumn leaves are the names of fallen WW2 Polish air crew at the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-16-06-11-2019.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Simon Stevens, a pilot in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, makes a pre-flight check of his Hawk jet aircraft before a practice flight at RAF Scampton. Stevens and his fellow-aviators fly up to 6 times in winter training, learning new manoeuvres. The dangers of high-speed close formation flight makes health and safety precuations vital; the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Royal Air Force take working environments of their personnel seriously so pre-flight examination of aircraft happens before every sortie (flight). Performing the brief safety walk-around, Stevens bends at the waste to avoid the aeroplane's low aileron despite wearing a helmet, full flying suit, boots, life-vest and anti-g-pants. Flying still continues despite rainclouds in the gloomy Lincolnshire sky.
    Red_Arrows005_RBA.jpg
  • Among autumn leaves are the names of fallen WW2 Polish air crew at the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-25-06-11-2019.jpg
  • Ground crew prepare BAE Systems Hawk jet of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team. ..It is the start of another training day for the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team who spend five months who have been using this aircraft type sine 1980,  A towing tractor is pulling the air frame from the warm glow of the shelter out into the drizzle and wind of bleak English weather. Since 1965 the Red Arrows have flown over 4,000 air shows shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows016_RBA.jpg
  • Among autumn leaves are the names of fallen WW2 Polish air crew at the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-20-06-11-2019.jpg
  • Among autumn leaves are the names of fallen WW2 Polish air crew at the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-22-06-11-2019.jpg
  • Among autumn leaves are the names of fallen WW2 Polish air crew at the Polish War Memorial, on 6th November 2019, in South Ruislip, Northolt, London, England. The Polish War Memorial is in memory of airmen from Poland who served in the Royal Air Force as part of the Polish contribution to World War II. The memorial was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the war. It is constructed from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle, the symbol of the Polish Air Force. The original intention was to record the names of all those Polish airmen who lost their lives while serving during WW2 (a total of 2,408) but there was not enough space for this and, as a compromise, the names of the 1,241 who died in operational sorties are there instead.
    polish_memorial-15-06-11-2019.jpg
  • Ending France's Bastille Day parade, the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, streak over the pyramid peak of the Louvre art museum in the centre of Paris. Leaving vapour trails of red, white and blue smoke to mark the 100th anniversary of the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale. They were chosen by the French authorities to close the fly-pasts. British armed forces paraded in the historic parade for the first time. Under blue skies on a perfect summer day, the squadron lined up in their classic fly-past 'V-shape' called 'Big Battle', following the straight line of the Champs Elysees then eastwards over the Parisian suburbs. Personnel from four British military units were present and French Air Force jets performed their own fly-past to open the parade, while the British Hawk jets of the Red Arrows had the honour of completing it. .
    Red_Arrows462_RBA.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, Colonel Augusto D Dela Pena (left) and Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. (right) of the Phillipines Air Force (PAF) leave Horseguards, passing the London memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-22-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, Colonel Augusto D Dela Pena (left) and Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. (right) of the Phillipines Air Force (PAF) leave Horseguards, passing the London memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-23-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, Colonel Augusto D Dela Pena (left) and Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. (right) of the Phillipines Air Force (PAF) leave Horseguards, passing the London memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-24-10-07-2018.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Dan Simmons of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, zips up his g-pants before climbing into his Hawk jet. G-pants counterac the effects of high gravity stresses that jet-fighters impose on the human body, automatically inflating and squeezing blood back to the thorax and head when blood drains towards the legs. As he attaches the zipper, he rests his straight right leg on a retractable step which helps him and his ground crew engineers to gain access to the cockpit, high above the ground. Hanging from another part of his airplane is his life-vest which he will wear around his neck, whilst in flight. Flight Lieutenant Simmons wears heavy-duty black boots which are regulation footwear for flying personnel and dressed in his red flying suit that is famous around the world.
    Red_Arrows173_RBA.jpg
  • Small AIr Force cadet peers into ex-Gnat of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team at RAF Scampton.
    Red_Arrows360_RBA.jpg
  • Nine Hawk jets from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, almost touch in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 4,100 feet in the Mediterranean skies above Cyprus. The texture of mottled cirrus cloud provides a soft background for the  aircraft which approach each other at a combined air speed of approximately 800 miles per hour (1,200 kph). The Opposition Loop is flown by the two pilot partners known as the Synchro Pair who fly independently of the other seven in the second-half of their 25-minute show. The two jets have vegetable dye and derv (diesel fuel) smoke mixture coloured red, blue or white. Here it traces the paths of both airplanes which curve from the edges of the frame to the centre (center). To the crowds far below, both look as if they are on collision course but will safely pass within feet of each other.
    Red_Arrows338_RBA.jpg
  • Officer pilots of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, lean aginst a wing of their Hawk jet in a pre-flight briefing while a member of their ground crew positions some wheel chocks. The highly-skilled engineer is known as a 'Blue' but the 'Reds' discuss  flight plans. Eleven trades skills are imported from some sixty that the RAF employs and teaches. It is mid-day and only their flying boots and red legs are seen with the RAF roundel emblem is on the underside of the wing. The better-educated officers in the armed forces enjoy a more privileged lifestyle than their support staff. In the aerobatic squadron, the Blues outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly. SOme of the team's Hawks are 25 years old and their air frames require constant attention, with increasingly frequent major overhauls due.
    Red_Arrows174_RBA.jpg
  • The Red Arrows fly over Green Park on the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF)representing Britain's air defence history flew over central London, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-09-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the day French President Emmanuel Macron visits London to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle's famous wartime broadcast calling French citizens to arms against Nazi occupiers, the British Royal Air Force's Red Arrows aerobatic team lead their French aviation counterparts, La Patrouille de France, over Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, on 18th June 2020, in London, England.
    red_arrows-01-18-06-2020.jpg
  • Squadron Leader David Thomas of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, sits on the wing of his Hawk jet aircraft and concentrates on the air display at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) RAF Fairford, UK. The pressures on the pilots are enormous when thousands of people scruntinise the team's every move. Squadron Leader Thomas is Synchro Leader - the prime flyer in a partnership of two who perform some of the most spectacular manoeuvres in the Red Arrows routine, including the most physically demanding high 'G' (gravity) turns. Leaning back on the fuselage, he replays the manoeuvres through his mind. The psyching-up process mentally prepares him for the intensive show. Thomas wears his anti-g pants which squeeze blood back to his thorax and head during the turns and loops, also wearing the famous red flying suit. .
    Red_Arrows507_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows686_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows740_RBA.jpg
  • Former Chief of the Air Staff Sir Jock Stirrup toasts the achievements of the Wright Brothers at RAF Hendon...Air Chief Marshal Sir Graham Eric (Jock) Stirrup and guest RAF dignitaries chat and drink at the Royal Air Force Museum Hendon on the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903. Behind them, Icarus falls to earth on melted wings before the Red Arrows RAF aerobatic team flew over the North London museum in a perfect Diamond Nine formation.
    Red_Arrows418_RBA.jpg
  • Seen from the cockpit of another Hawk of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team during an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. Seen through the explosive Plexiglass cockpit of a tenth plane, we see forward into deep blue sky as two sets of aerobatic pilots steer their machines from a crossover manoeuvre, their organic white smoke pouring from their jet pipes to emphasize their paths through the air. In front of a local crowd at the airfield the team work their way through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows684_RBA.jpg
  • Banking slowly left over the agricultural Lincolnshire countryside are the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, who have commenced an In-Season Practice (ISP) training flight near their base at RAF Scampton. They turn at a gentle angle trailing white organic smoke  before reforming in front of a local crowd at the airfield and working through a 25-minute series of display manoeuvres that are loved by thousands at summer air shows. Their objective is to appear perfectly spaced from a ground perspective. Freshly-ploughed English fields with properties, roads and hedgerows are seen below. After some time off, spare days like this are used to hone their manual aerobatic and piloting skills before re-joining the air show circuit. Since 1965 they've flown over 4,000 shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows681_RBA.jpg
  • Southend Air show during display by the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team.
    Red_Arrows184_RBA.jpg
  • Two Hawk jets from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, almost touch in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 4,100 feet in the Mediterranean skies above Cyprus. The texture of mottled cirrus cloud provides a soft background for the  aircraft which approach each other at a combined air speed of approximately 800 miles per hour (1,200 kph). The Opposition Loop is flown by the two pilot partners known as the Synchro Pair who fly independently of the other seven in the second-half of their 25-minute show. The two jets have vegetable dye and derv (diesel fuel) smoke mixture coloured red, blue or white. Here it traces the paths of both airplanes which curve from the edges of the frame to the centre (center). To the crowds far below, both look as if they are on collision course but wil safely pass within feet of each other.
    Red_Arrows094_RBA.jpg
  • Stored temporarily in a storeroom shelf, are the front and rear sections of a Hawk jet aircraft smoke pod belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. Grubby and old, like museum artifacts, the two items are attached to the ageing aircrafts' belly accessory that provides the team with their distinctive red, white and blue smoke (a vegetable dye and diesel fuel mixture) during their air show display routines. This version of the BAE Systems Hawks are primitive pieces of equipment, without computers or fly-by-wire technology. Nevertheless, the team's aircraft are in some cases over 20 years old and their air-frames require constant attention with increasingly frequent major overhauls due. Here the parts are separated from the middle section which are receiving a winter modification.
    Red_Arrows393_RBA.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, the Queen and other members of the royal family watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-11-10-07-2018.jpg
  • Air show organiser Jock Maitland of the Biggin Hill displays is to be presented with a momento by members of  the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. We look down upon three pilots' backs (known as the Reds) who are lined up in their famous red flying suits during the ceremony and as speeches of thanks are made. A scaled model of a Hawk jet aircraft is hidden from view behind Flight Lieutenant Dave Slow's back before being handed to Mr Maitland as thanks for his contribution to the air show calendar. They stand at ease on the grass of this famous World War II airfield which saw much enemy action during the Batttle of Britain, patiently and relaxed with hands behind backs before leaving to perform their display routine in front of thousands of spectators.
    Red_Arrows727_RBA.jpg
  • Five Hawk jets from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, almost touch in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 4,100 feet in the Mediterranean skies above Cyprus. The texture of mottled cirrus cloud provides a soft background for the  aircraft which approach each other at a combined air speed of approximately 800 miles per hour (1,200 kph). The Opposition Loop is flown by the two pilot partners known as the Synchro Pair who fly independently of the other seven in the second-half of their 25-minute show. The two jets have vegetable dye and derv (diesel fuel) smoke mixture coloured red, blue or white. Here it traces the paths of both airplanes which curve from the edges of the frame to the centre (center). To the crowds far below, both look as if they are on collision course but will safely pass within feet of each other.
    Red_Arrows336_RBA.jpg
  • Wearing ear-defenders,military green camouflage and fluorescent tabard, a 'line' engineer from the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, inserts his head into the jet pipe of a Hawk aircraft immediately after a winter training flight at the team's headquarters at a damp RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. The man is a member of the team's support ground crew (called the Blues because of their distinctive blue overalls worn at summer air shows). Checking for irregular blemishes within the aircraft's exhaust is a vital aspect of maintenance jets whose engines need to perform as the highest level, especially if its performance, and that of each pilot's manoeuvres need to be perfect. Power reduction can ruin a display for tens of thousands of spectators but an engine failure could be catastrophic..
    Red_Arrows389_RBA.jpg
  • Looking out to the Mediterranean Sea from the Akrotiri Peninsular, Cyprus, we see the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, practising their display finale, the Vixen Break, a show-stopping manoeuvre of their 25-minute air show display routine. A rusted and crumbling hulk of a ship lies in the shallow surf and the Hawk jets used by the Red Arrows fan out above it using red, white and blue smoke. It is a calm sea near the shoreline and the shipwreck's remains provide a sad foreground to the dynamic flying beyond making a graphic landscape. 'Datum' is an axis on which the Red Arrows focus their displays, from where the whole show is visible at the crowd's centre. 'The Wreck' is but one of a series of datum points selected by the team leader at short notice to simluate diverse geographical features and wind directions. The wreck is the MV Achaios. Built in 1932, it was on a voyage from Yugoslavia to Jeddah in 1976 with a cargo of timber. She ran aground in a storm at Akrotiri Peninsula, but no lives were lost.
    Red_Arrows337_RBA.jpg
  • Pilots of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team let off steam after passing their display authority on PDA Day at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is when they are allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK or here in the glare of Akrotiri. The pilots are called reds and their ground crew, the Blues after their summer air show uniforms.
    Red_Arrows152_RBA.jpg
  • Wing Commander ill Ramsey congratulates pilots of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team on PDA Day at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is when they are allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK or here in the glare of Akrotiri. The pilots are called reds and their ground crew, the Blues after their summer air show uniforms.
    Red_Arrows144_RBA.jpg
  • Bathing spectators enjoy fly-past by the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team in Clacton-on-Sea.
    Red_Arrows621_RBA.jpg
  • A large man with a shaved head and hairy back is seen from behind as he watches a display by the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team at Weymouth, England. A heart shape which grows from his bald head has been drawn with red smoke in the sky two Hawk jet aircraft taking part in the town's annual air show along the sea front. Such a tough-looking male specimen contrasts with the romance of this valentine symbol helping to make this picture's quirky juxtaposition touching. The Red Arrows use smoke to emphasize their flight-path, help the spectators see their manoeuvres and to make more of an enjoying spectacle. In blue sky they use white smoke for The Heart and red when overcast. We watch the man from below and see him craning his neck skywards, the skin on his thick neck wrinkling as he looks heavy from this angle.
    Red_Arrows614_RBA.jpg
  • Corporal Chris Ward, one of the photographers belonging to the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, reads a novel while wrapped up in sleeping bag and hammock aboard a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft during a two-day journey from RAF Scampton to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Corporal Ward has established for himself a comfortable nest in the rear section at the loading ramp. The interior is basic with sharp corners but the walls are padded.  Ward wears a heavy camoulflaged coat to counteract the cold and ear-plugs from the droning engines. The Red Arrows pilots fly their Hawk jet aircraft to air shows but on long journeys requiring the support of ground crew borrow RAF transporters that fly behind the main airborne squadron shipping 10 tons of spares and personal effects for their six-week winter training stay. . .
    Red_Arrows050_RBA.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, the Queen and other members of the royal family watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-10-10-07-2018.jpg
  • Specialist Corporal Mal Faulder is an armourer engineer (qualified to handle ejection seats and weaponry on military jets) but here in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team he is seen polishing the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows129_RBA.jpg
  • Aircraft of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team practice over Cyprus sea during Spring exercises.
    Red_Arrows316_RBA.jpg
  • Darren Budziszewski is a Junior Technician engineer in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. He is seen carefully standing in the cockpit of a Hawk jet closely inspecting the Plexiglass canopy for smears and scratches. Stooping at the open surface while keeping back flat and his knees bent, its posture that the RAF teaches its employees. Darren polishes the aircraft before its pilot emerges from the building at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the team whose air displays are known around the world, cleaning the red airplanes on their day off, so particular are they. The image is backlit and both canopy and man are bottom-weighted to allow us to see space and sky. Specialists like Darren outnumber the pilots 8:1 and without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows099_RBA.jpg
  • Red Hawk jets of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team perform during winter training at RAF Scampton home.
    Red_Arrows098_RBA.jpg
  • The Synchro Pair of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team cross in high-speed manoeuvre during display.
    Red_Arrows095_RBA.jpg
  • An old fashioned pair of public address speakers have been attached to a no access sign overlooking the Northumberland countryside at the Kielder Air Show. Here, the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, are to perform and the squadron's commentator - known as Red 10 - will be describing the 25-minute routine performed in front of a few hundred people, probably the smallest of the Red Arrows audiences. The Hawk aircraft will be flying over the borderland between England and Scotland during this display which has attracted a local crowd to this pretty landscape. This primitive method of amplification makes for it charmingly quirky. Tangled electrical wires and an extension reel is low-tech and makeshift, vastly different to other shows where digital sound quality reproduces audio to many of thousands of spectators.
    Red_Arrows542_RBA.jpg
  • Climbing vertically, high over England's skies is a Hawk jet of the 'Red Arrows', Royal Air Force aerobatic team during display.
    Red_Arrows548_RBA.jpg
  • The Hawk jets of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team make a low-level pass through summer skies.
    Red_Arrows408_RBA.jpg
  • Pilots of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team take shelter under a scale model of Hawk jet during airshow
    Red_Arrows201_RBA.jpg
  • Nine pilots of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, stand in the shape of their signature 'Diamond Nine' formation with one of their Hawk jet aircraft at the team's headquarters at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Today they have reached the all-important milestone of 'first 9-ship' (when all nine aircraft have flown a basic air show display together, after two groups have practiced seperately) and is the culmination of five months rigorous Winter training. They stand proud with beaming smiles on a warm spring day, their flying helmets with those famous arrows pointing towards blue sky and fluffy clouds. Still dressed in green flying suits, they go on to their spring training ground at Akrotiri, Cyprus where they earn the right to wear red suits, known around the world. At the front is team leader, Squadron Leader Spike Jepson...
    Red_Arrows421_RBA.jpg
  • We look through the windscreen of a Royal Air Force C-130-J Hercules to see a pilots-eye view of his fixed head-up-display (HUD), while in flight over Hampshire during the Farnborough Air Show. We see the aircraft flying data in green set against the magenta colour (color) of the clouds and sky beyond. The pilot will see the statistics that are important aspects of his aeroplane's altitude, compass heading, localiser, air speed, pitch, roll and yaw. Head-up displays are increasingly important to military and commercial aircraft (airplanes) when information can be displayed without obstructing the user's front view front. The second type of HUD is mounted within a protective helmet visor. The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the tactical portion of airlift operations. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. The C-130-J is the newer generation digital version with fully integrated digital avionics; color multifunctional liquid crystal displays including the HUD; state-of-the-art navigation systems with dual inertial navigation system and global positioning system; fully integrated defensive systems; low-power color radar; digital moving map display; new turboprop engines with six-bladed, all-composite propellers; digital auto pilot; improved fuel, environmental and ice-protection systems; and an enhanced cargo-handling system..
    RB-0160.jpg
  • The Hawk jets of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team make a low-level pass through summer skies. ,
    Red_Arrows629_RBA.jpg
  • A half-eaten bar of chocolate has been left on an armchair supplied by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is seen in a crew room at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Much of the facilities at RAF and MoD outposts are basic and spartan leaving small luxuries to be imported by visiting air and ground crew. In this case, the 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, are occupying this building while on their detachment to the British Mediterranean base while putting the finishing touches to their air display routines ready for PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'). After passing this test, they are then allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK or here in the glare of Akrotiri. The pilots are called Reds and their ground crew, the Blues after their summer air show uniforms. Since 1965 the team has flown over 4,000 air shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows134_RBA.jpg
  • A Royal Air Force Sea King Westland helicopter takes-off after a medical mission to deliver a patient to Kings College Hospital in Camberwell. As locals look on at the aircraft as it lifts off from Ruskin Park, Lambeth in south London, the yellow RAF search and rescue aircraft (SAR) leaves to return to base. Both RAF, Royal Navy and London air ambulances regularly use this public space for emergency transporting of casualties to the NHS Trust A&E department.
    sea_king_park02-21-05-2013.jpg
  • Senior RAF officers assess 'Red Arrows' Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team and grant them authority to fly public displays
    Red_Arrows130_RBA.jpg
  • Squadron Leader Duncan Mason of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, strides out across a gloomy, rainswept 'apron' at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Squadron Leader Mason will fly up to 6 times daily during winter training ,when weather permits, learning new manoeuvres. Wearing winter green flying suits, their day is spent flying and de-briefing. Mason  wears a green flying suit with anti-g pants and helmet on with its pilot number. He is being greeted by a member of the team's support ground crew who outnumber the pilots 8:1.  The engineer wears a fluorescent yellow tabard and stands politely by the waiting aircraft on the 'line'. He has already prepared it for flight and helps with any technical issues that may arise.
    Red_Arrows015_RBA.jpg
  • Flight Lieutenant Antony Parkinson a pilot with the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, signs posters on arriving at the team's home base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire from his last ever display. Flt Lt Parkinson has served on the Red Arrows for four years and is to leave for a Typhoon squadron - from a relatively simple aircraft to one of the most sophisticated. Press and PR is one of the team's main purposes, acting as ambassadors for the UK and as recruiting tool for tomorrow's RAF officers and autographing publicity material is a routine chore. Traditionally, photographs are designed to allow pilots a space to sign their names alongside their respective position in the display formation. In high-spirits after a stressfully long year, he is in the crew room to wind down, with a tomato in his mouth. .  . .
    Red_Arrows747_RBA.jpg
  • Senior Machinist Supervisor, Tricia Randle finishes a red flying suit of Squadron Leader David Thomas, a pilot of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. Tricia is a bespoke seamstress at Dale Techniche, Nelson, Lancashire. Every Winter, the Red Arrows place about 40 pilot suit orders and 180 blue (support ground crew) suits. Tricia adjusts her thread while the suit is complete on her work bench. The clothing factory also designs the Red Arrows badges, each requiring 15,000 stitches. All suits are made from Nomex by the Du Pont corporation, containing 5% Kevlar. Flame-retardant, they fit exactly each team member. Fouteen different measurements are taken before the first suit is cut, each one requiring approximately three metres of dyed cloth. When a suit is complete, each one is signed inside by the machinist.
    Red_Arrows084_RBA.jpg
  • Members of the public watch the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team at Southend Air show.
    Red_Arrows186_RBA.jpg
  • In the mid-day heat, all members of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, stand on the wings of a Hawk aircraft as the official photograph is taken on PDA Day at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is when they are allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK or here in the glare of Akrotiri. The pilots are called reds and their ground crew, the Blues after their summer air show uniforms. Since 1965 the team has flown over 4,000 air shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows154_RBA.jpg
  • In the mid-day heat, Flt. Lt. Anthony Parkinson is a member of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. Here he walks out alone to his aircraft, which is lined up with some of the others jets at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus before flying out to Marka in Jordan for the first display of the year. The Red Arrows arrive each April to fine-tune their air show skills in the clear Mediterranean skies and continue their busy display calendar above the skies of the UK and other European show circuit. We see John Green carrying his flight bag and life-vest over his shoulder. He paces confidently across the bright 'apron' dressed in his famous red flying suit that the Red Arrows have made famous since 1965. He is alone and striding confidently towards the matching red eight Hawk airplanes.
    Red_Arrows699_RBA.jpg
  • Ground crew members of Red Arrows Royal Air Force aerobatic team refuel the team's Hawks between training flights,
    Red_Arrows427_RBA.jpg
  • Propulsion engine specialist inspects internal Hawk of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team.
    Red_Arrows385_RBA.jpg
  • Pilots of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team pace out to aircraft before Cyprus training flight.
    Red_Arrows298_RBA.jpg
  • Young lad wears merchandising flight suit of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team at air show.
    Red_Arrows197_RBA.jpg
  • A Hawk jet aircraft is towed by tractor from its hangar early on a January morning at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. It is the start of another training day for the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team who spend five months who have been using this aircraft type sine 1980,  A towing tractor is pulling the air frame from the warm glow of the shelter out into the drizzle and wind of bleak English weather. Since 1965 the Red Arrows have flown over 4,000 air shows shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows008_RBA.jpg
  • Ground crew prepare BAE Systems Hawk jet of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team.
    Red_Arrows004_RBA.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, two members of the public gain extra height on Santander rental bikes, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-13-10-07-2018.jpg
  • A partner of a member of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team who are leaving for their winter training ground at Akrotiri, Cyprus. Other team-member families have come along to see these famous red aircaft. Most of the team leave the UK for a six-week stint, refining their evolving air display routines and manoeuvres in the clear Mediteranean skies. Pilots and ground support crew will be away from loved-ones and their absence is one of the toughest aspects of RAF frontline personnel - and aerobatic squadrons.
    Red_Arrows262_RBA.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, a senior officer shows his pass to enter Horseguards, next to the memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-36-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, a serviceman holds his child next to the memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-30-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, women service personnel leave Horseguards, passing the memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-19-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, women service personnel leave Horseguards, passing the memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-18-10-07-2018.jpg
  • Ground crew of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team polish the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows112_RBA.jpg
  • Corporal Mal Faulder pushes a Martin-Baker ejection seat through an RAF Hangar. He is an Armourer (an engineer handling seats and weaponry on military jets) but here in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team, his duties are wider. With other members of the team's support staff (the Blues who outnumber the pilots the Reds by 8 to 1) he also helps clean the Hawk aircraft before air shows across the country. He pulls the seat into a blast-protected bunker for safe storage where explosive charges inside this equipment are temporarily removed. The seat is returned to service when the aircraft is through its regular maintenance schedule. British company Martin-Baker manufacturers ejection seats and membership of the its Tie Club is solely for air crew who have ejected from an aircraft in an emergency which saved their life.
    Red_Arrows018_RBA.jpg
  • Specialist Corporal Mal Faulder is an armourer engineer (qualified to handle ejection seats and weaponry on military jets) but here in the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team he is seen polishing the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows127_RBA.jpg
  • Ground crew of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team polish the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows117_RBA.jpg
  • Members of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team, supervise the loading of spares and personal effects into a C-130 Hercules aircraft before the two-day journey from RAF Scampton to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Surrounded by heavy-duty flight-spares, survival equipment boxes and a tyre for a Hawk jet aircraft, the Hercules looms large in the overcast sky. The team complete their winter training schedule in Cyprus. The Red Arrows pilots fly their own jet aircraft to air shows but when requiring the support of ground crew  they borrow a transporter to fly behind the main airborne squadron. 10 tons of spares and personal effects are shipped for a six-week stay.
    Red_Arrows060_RBA.jpg
  • Blue and red dye stains on the 'line' at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, home base of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team. The spilled dye provides the team with their distinctive red, white and blue smoke (a vegetable dye and diesel fuel mixture) during their air show display routines. While on the ground, this non-toxic derv/vegetable dye is injected into a vacuum under pressure into the jets' modified belly-pod which in varying amounts of concentrate, gives off a smoke via three nozzles that point down into the jet's efflux, the exhaust that exits the jet pipe at 500°C. For a display, the pods hold enough dye for 5 minutes of white smoke, 1 of blue and 1 of red while the Synchro pair uses slightly more. 7,200 gallons of dye during the entire 2004 season and since 1965 they have flown over 4,000 such shows in 52 countries.
    Red_Arrows698_RBA.jpg
  • Ground crew of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team polish the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows116_RBA.jpg
  • Air traffic controller in control tower at RAF Scampton, home base of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team
    Red_Arrows373_RBA.jpg
  • Air traffic controller in control tower at RAF Scampton, home base of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team
    Red_Arrows372_RBA.jpg
  • In the mid-day heat, all members of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, stand at ease and we see the back of one of the squadron's official photographers head, looking into the viewfinder of his camera to record an official photograph immediately on PDA Day at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is when they are allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK or here in the glare of Akrotiri. The pilots are called reds and their ground crew, the Blues after their summer air show uniforms.
    Red_Arrows159_RBA.jpg
  • Pilots of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team let off steam after passing their display authority on PDA Day at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is when they are allowed by senior RAF officers to perform as a military aerobatic show in front of the public - following a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Until that day arrives, their training and practicing is done in the privacy of their own airfield at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, UK or here in the glare of Akrotiri. The pilots are called reds and their ground crew, the Blues after their summer air show uniforms.
    Red_Arrows157_RBA.jpg
  • Ground crew of the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team polish the aircraft's flying surfaces using wool and cleaning fluid on the morning of the team's PDA Day. PDA (or 'Public Display Authority'), is a special test flight when their every move and mistake is assessed and graded. Corporal Faulder is to buff up the airplane for an extra special shine on such an important day and we see the UK's Union Jack flag on the side of the diagonal stripes of the tail fin. The Red Arrows ground crew take enormous pride in their role as supporting the aviators whose air displays are known around the world. Blues like Mal outnumber the pilots 8:1. Without them, the Red Arrows couldn't fly.
    Red_Arrows123_RBA.jpg
  • Members of the the elite 'Red Arrows', Britain's prestigious Royal Air Force aerobatic team, spend hours aboard a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft during a two-day journey from RAF Scampton to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The interior is basic with sharp corners but the walls are padded.  Ward wears a heavy camouflaged coat to counteract the cold and ear-plugs from the droning engines. The Red Arrows pilots fly their Hawk jet aircraft to air shows but on long journeys requiring the support of ground crew borrow RAF transporters that fly behind the main airborne squadron shipping 10 tons of spares and personal effects for their six-week winter training stay.
    Red_Arrows053_RBA.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and following a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, women service personnel leave Horseguards, passing the memorial to those killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-17-10-07-2018.jpg
  • The public look upwards on the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and during a flypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-08-10-07-2018.jpg
  • On the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and before a march andflypast of 100 aircraft formations representing Britain's air defence history which flew over central London, service personnel prepare by A RAF recruiting hoarding, on 10th July 2018, in London, England.
    RAF_100-01-10-07-2018.jpg
  • Fans of the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team await their favourite disaplay in Jersey.
    Red_Arrows718_RBA.jpg
  • Young lad shows interest in Airfix models incl the 'Red Arrows', Britain's Royal Air Force aerobatic team.
    Red_Arrows213_RBA.jpg
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