Springhawk 2007

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Springhawk 2007

RAF Akrotiri

Akrotiri Gate Guardian F6 Lightning XS929

Red's run in with smoke on to begin another practice display

"Smoke on" heading in to start a display with the town of Limassol has a back drop

Two months on the Island of Cyprus would be seen by most to be an ideal way to unwind from the stresses and strains of your previous years work. For most a welcome break however for the Red Arrows the detachment to Akrotiri is no relaxing wind down. In fact, quite the reverse. This is the place to which the team come to after the winter maintenance period and with this year’s two new pilots, they begin to ramp up their rigorous training schedule readying themselves for the display season ahead.

Before the team left the UK the new flying members where chosen from this year’s applicants and flying training began in earnest. Starting with formations of three & four aircraft. They slowly build the pilots confidence, and gradually the introduction of more aircraft to the formation continues until all nine Hawks are flying together. Once the basics of the display team are in place the Red Arrows Team are detached to Akrotiri along with their support trades Airframe, Avionics, Electrical, Propulsion, Weapons, Supply, Transport, Survival Equipment, Painters, Photographers and finally Administration staff. Plenty of stamina is required by all during the detachment to Akrotiri as three sorties per day are performed. This means no let up on the Pilots and less for the ground crews who have to have the jets readied each time they return in time for the next practice display. When flying is completed for the day, the night shift take over making sure that any problems are dealt with so that the Team have nine aircraft from the twelve taken ready for the following day’s flying.

Jas Hawker delivers the morning brief with members of the Royal Saudia Aerobatic team present	One of this years new team member Ben Murphy explains how he pulled up
Fuel and pre flight checks are carried out while the Pilots have their brief	Last minuet checks prior to the pilots arrival

The whole team is scrutinised each time the Reds fly. Here Red 11 phones the engineers about a problem with the smoke	Into Diamond Nine at the top of the loop
At the de-brief pilots are self critical when disusing were in the formation each aircraft should be, in an effort to get the formation tight and in line	Practice will make perfect

Taking great pride in her work this painter prepares another jet for the team

Keeping up appearances a painter makes sure the jets are in pristine condition for the following days work

Joining the Red’s this year in Akrotiri were five pilots of the Royal Saudia Arabia Air Force Hawk display team, who are based at Tabuk in Saudia Arabia. Along with former Red Arrow pilot Sqn Ldr Mark Cutmore who is acting as an advisor to them, the Saudia team pilots joined the Red’s pilots and sat in the back seat of most of the display sorties with the team. They sat in during the teams briefs and debriefs and both teams swapped experiences and skills during their visit to Akrotiri.

When the training is complete the team will perform one more full display on Akrotiri in front of their Commander-in-Chief who will make an assessment of their safety and professionalism so as to attain their display validation, once this is given the pilots get their Red flying suits and the Technicians get their Blue overalls. They are now officially The Red Arrows 2007.

Red Arrows Squadron badge