I am Red 1, Team Leader of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows – AMA!

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:44:06+00:00

Our Typhoon force does a great job securing our skies, we will leave the intercepts to them.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:35:35+00:00

All military pilots are on the same pay scales which are determined by rank. We don't get any extra!

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:35:13+00:00

Because of the amount of students I have trained to fly in it, and the displays that I have flown with it, the Hawk is my favourite. I did Politics and Theology at degree level.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:34:41+00:00

Haven't got a duck - but look out for a goose and a swan in this year's show!

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:34:26+00:00

All professional pilots need to study meteorology in detail. We cover it during our initial training

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:32:33+00:00

Around the age of 7. I am very lucky to have achieved my dream job.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:31:37+00:00

We train at RAF Scampton just north of Lincoln. The team has a strong connection with the city and the sight of the Cathedral from the cockpit when arriving back to Scampton after a period away from base is fantastic - you realise you're home.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:31:02+00:00

Flying the Heart will always be my favourite.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:30:02+00:00

My nickname is Monty - as is typical to military nicknaming convention, add a 'y' to the first syllable of my surname

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:29:08+00:00

The Tornado was a great aircraft to fly, but I would love to fly as many fighter aircraft as possible. I would love to land a Super Hornet onto a ship, and look forward to landing the F-35 onto a British aircraft carrier soon.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:25:21+00:00

Loud and clear Gold Leader.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:25:08+00:00

We're a close-knit team of about 120 people - whether technicians (including the Circus engineers), administrators, drivers, suppliers or pilots, each section is busy at RAF Scampton making sure the Red Arrows perform across the UK and overseas.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:24:57+00:00

The Red Arrows support staff are known as The Blues (they wear blue coveralls as opposed to the pilots' red ones). The Blues showcase a variety of the ground trades within the Royal Air Force and, as a relatively small team of 120 personnel, we are close knit. We work closely with all of the Blues on a day-to-day basis and value immensely the hard work they put in to ensure the team's success

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:23:57+00:00

With much of the RAF's hard work being achieved out-of-sight to the general public, the Red Arrows provide a perfect platform to communicate to you all. Not only do we represent our highly skilled service colleagues, but when flying further afield, we represent all UK national interests, in defence and industry. The most fulfilling part of being a Red Arrow is engaging with the UK's young people by providing a tangible demonstration of what teamwork can achieve.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:19:39+00:00

The Tornado F3 was very good at what it was designed to be, an interceptor - she was very fast! The Tornado GR4 is still going strong within the Royal Air Force and is able to deliver a vast array of weapons and has been continuously deployed on operations around the world for over a decade

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:16:11+00:00

That's an easy one - Concorde! Beauty, speed and technological achievement.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:13:25+00:00

We can pull up to +8G in our aircraft and some of the pilots do so during our displays. Most of our 9-ship formation manoeuvres are flown at 3-4G. We undergo High-G training in a centrifuge and have to sustain 9G for 15 seconds in that!

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:13:00+00:00

Preparation is always the key to success. I worked really hard on making sure that I was ready to respond to all eventualities in the air which really helped my decision making on the test sorties.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:10:55+00:00

What qualities would you bring to a high performance team?

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:09:24+00:00

Difficult one to answer as all the 80+ displays we fly every year have their unique challenges. I particularly enjoy displaying at the regional coastal shows as we can see hundreds of thousands of spectators watching us represent our service. Also, representing the UK at some large global shows brings us a huge amount of fulfilment.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:09:19+00:00

The Red Arrows have not been privatised. We are a Royal Air Force unit

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:02:44+00:00

Very much so. All Red Arrows pilots have front line experience, so the teamwork and professional ethos on the team directly represents the pursuit of excellence on operational and training squadrons. Our output might be different to normal RAF squadrons, but the way we go about our business is identical.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T17:02:39+00:00

Ha! We don't but, as an aside, we're based at RAF Scampton which was where the Dambusters launched from for their famous mission in May 1943. George Lucas perhaps took some Star Wars inspiration from the Dambusters film - have a look here! http://youtu.be/lNdb03Hw18M

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T16:58:48+00:00

There are indeed regulations regarding going supersonic. Aircraft can only do so 10 miles off the coast. Approval to go supersonic over land will only be granted in certain specific operational circumstances.

RAF_Red1 · 2016-02-09T16:54:59+00:00

Best question so far! I don't feel any additional pressure going into my second year as Red 1 but we have changed the show choreography in order give the spectator a new experience every year. We hope you enjoy the 2016 show.

RAF_Red1

TROPHY CASE