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.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/thatguypinchedmyname/IMGP8103_filtered.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/thatguypinchedmyname/IMGP4054-1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/thatguypinchedmyname/IMGP4040-1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/thatguypinchedmyname/IMGP4027-1.jpg)
Wow, nice photos. f**k the US Top Gun, British still have the best pilots.
Quote from: MongooseThese 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! :D
They are indeed awesome. Lots of aeronautical companies down this way so there are often random jets flying overhead!
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.
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.
Quote from: neXusWow, 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 ;)
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...
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.
Quote from: mr_rollNice 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-)
they flew over my house last sunday... didnt realise there was an airshow near by :(
1st two photographs are really top notch :)
Ill have to find my videos of the sunderland air show a few years ago...
Quote from: mr_rollIll have to find my videos of the sunderland air show a few years ago...
isnt it on again next week ?