Author Topic: The Red Arrows (Read 2542 times)

Mongoose · **on:** July 18, 2009, 11:43:31 AM

The Red Arrows

on: July 18, 2009, 11:43:31 AM

The Red Arrows did a display for the military graduation at my place of work on Thursday, I thought Id share a few of my photos.

These guys are absolutely nuts and thoroughly deserve their reputation for excellence. Ive never seen them in real life before, but seeing fast jets doing aerobatics so low that you sometimes lose sight of them behind 2 story buildings is just indescribable.

The first was taken with a Pentax *istDL2 and Pentax DA 55-300mm lens, the other three with a Pentax K10D and Tamron 300mm F2.8 prime. Hope you like them.

neXus · **Reply #1 on:** July 18, 2009, 12:05:29 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #1 on: July 18, 2009, 12:05:29 PM

Wow, nice photos. f**k the US Top Gun, British still have the best pilots.

zpyder · **Reply #2 on:** July 18, 2009, 12:38:01 PM

The Red Arrows

Reply #2 on: July 18, 2009, 12:38:01 PM

Quote from: Mongoose

These guys are absolutely nuts and thoroughly deserve their reputation for excellence. Ive never seen them in real life before, but seeing fast jets doing aerobatics so low that you sometimes lose site of them behind 2 story buildings is just indescribable.

Just to rub it in, but they often use Bournemouth airport as a base of operations for some things and do lots of practice down this way. See them maybe a dozen or so times a year over my house!

They are indeed awesome. Lots of aeronautical companies down this way so there are often random jets flying overhead!

Mongoose · **Reply #3 on:** July 18, 2009, 13:14:35 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #3 on: July 18, 2009, 13:14:35 PM

lucky sod!!

Still working at the Defence Academy is pretty good for flybys, we often get random planes from transports to the memorial flight to lone aerobatic spitfires, often for no reason which is ever explained to us mere civvies. The Red Arrows we knew about in advance, hence I was tooled up with camera gear.

Quixoticish · **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2009, 14:00:20 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #4 on: July 18, 2009, 14:00:20 PM

They are mighty impressive, arguably the best display team in the world, although Im sure those over the other side of the Atlantic would say differently.

Alien8 · **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2009, 16:55:53 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #5 on: July 18, 2009, 16:55:53 PM

Quote from: neXus

Wow, nice photos. f**k the US Top Gun, British still have the best pilots.

IIRC the training base that Top Gun was based on used British Pilots to set up the training course in the 60s by training the topgun trainers

mr_roll · **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2009, 17:40:23 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #6 on: July 18, 2009, 17:40:23 PM

Nice photos.

Those guys are only allowed to stay in the Red Arrows for 7 years iirc. Its so other people can have a chance of going in the Red Arrows.

I wonder which director will make a English Top Gun...

Mongoose · **Reply #7 on:** July 18, 2009, 19:50:51 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #7 on: July 18, 2009, 19:50:51 PM

I think its 3 years actually, and they swap out 3 pilots a year so they always have 3x new guys, 3x 2nd years and 3x 3rd years to maintain a fairly constant level of ability.

The other thing I found out recently is rather sad for Nexus, apparently its impossible for the Red Arrows to perform in NZ because they cant get there, no where to re-fuel within the range of a Hawk.

Thanks for the kind comments everyone, Im really pleased with these pics.

Quixoticish · **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2009, 20:03:25 PM

Re:The Red Arrows

Reply #8 on: July 18, 2009, 20:03:25 PM

Quote from: mr_roll

Nice photos.

Those guys are only allowed to stay in the Red Arrows for 7 years iirc. Its so other people can have a chance of going in the Red Arrows.

I wonder which director will make a English Top Gun...

The British equivalent would probably be the yearly, and far less sexy sounding Combined Qualified Weapons Instructor course, or CQWI. Somehow I cant see that translating too well into Hollywood material. 8-)