Save The Red Arrows!!!

[Boorish Grobian]

WTF?  Got to admit to being completely mystified at the idea of the RAF demonstration team being disbanded. Is the RAF that hard up for cash?  Just wouldn't happen to the T-Birds and Blue Angels.
As far as the best, I've seen the Red's, very, very good, but until you've seen the USAF Thunderbirds do their signature high speed, high altitude starburst...you haven't seen the best.
Fax

[mgmark]

WTF?  Got to admit to being completely mystified at the idea of the RAF demonstration team being disbanded. Is the RAF that hard up for cash?  Just wouldn't happen to the T-Birds and Blue Angels.
As far as the best, I've seen the Red's, very, very good, but until you've seen the USAF Thunderbirds do their signature high speed, high altitude starburst...you haven't seen the best.
Fax

Fax,

      You're not the only one that's mystified but, as you can appreciate, for some of us it is closer to home than others and one can't necessarily post what one actually thinks.  Suffice to say that it's part of a process that is called public sector budgets, and we hope sincerely that we don't need to take that step.  Moving onto an area where I may comment more freely, your last sentence is, of course a well-baited hook dangling for a bite......of course, we do it at high speed with 9 aircraft instead of 6 and at low level.....

 

[mgmark]

......and for the real anoraks, from my post above, the Reds 7 picture is called the Spaghetti Break and the Reds 6 picture - even better - is called the Gypo Cross.....don't ask me why on the latter, I haven't got a clue!

MG Mark

[fagey]

......and for the real anoraks, from my post above, the Reds 7 picture is called the Spaghetti Break and the Reds 6 picture - even better - is called the Gypo Cross.....don't ask me why on the latter, I haven't got a clue!

MG Mark

Go mark!!

wikkid pics, and I can remember when I was younger watching our air display on st aubins bay and the red arrows doing their display and crossing at approx 30ft above the beach! (not any more mr H&S!)

[Steve Pyro]

I've stripped out the RAF / USAF debate to another topic here http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=6635.msg83423#msg83423.  If you wish to continue that tirade, do it there.

If you want to Save the Red Arrows, do it here - Steve

[Nobby Diesel]

Thanks for doing the house keeping on this Steve.

And well said, please try to help save the Red Arrows.

[Bob U]

Recieved this reply today.

Good news.


E-petition: response from the Prime Minister
The e-petition asking the Prime Minister to "continue funding for the Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team - The Red Arrows" is on-going. This is a response in advance of the closing date from the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Thank you for signing the petition on the No.10 website calling for the maintenance of the Red Arrows. It is a sign of the place they hold in the national affections that so many people have joined you in signing it - one of the highest numbers since the e-petition service began. That's why I wanted to reply personally. It's also why I am replying before the petition officially closes, in order to reassure people who are clearly concerned.

I am pleased to be able to give you good news. There are no plans to change the funding for the Red Arrows, let alone to disband them.

It is important, of course, that the MOD looks at the full range of its spending plans as part of its routine financial planning, to ensure that taxpayers' money is spent where our Armed Forces most need it. Obviously it is this review which prompted fears that the Red Arrows might be scrapped.

However, like you, the Government recognises just what an important role the Red Arrows play in our national life. As the world's premier aerobatic team, they have thrilled millions of spectators over many years. I was lucky enough to see their extraordinary skills myself only last year at the Farnborough Air Show.

More importantly, the Red Arrows have maintained public support for the Royal Air Force, encouraged recruitment, acted as ambassadors for Britain in the world and promoted British industry for many years. So I am pleased to assure you that this government fully intends to keep the Red Arrows flying.

Thank you for signing this petition, and I hope you get a chance to see the Red Arrows yourself soon.

Yours sincerely,
Tony Blair
Further information
Red Arrows display dates for 2007
PM pays the Red Arrows a flying visit
Get all the latest news from No.10 by subscribing to our email service
10 Downing Street homepage
If you would like to opt out of receiving further mail on this or any other petitions you signed, please email optout@petitions.pm.gov.uk

[mgmark]

Well hurrah for that - maybe we can just quote this reply direct from our great leader in future years, instead of having to justify it time and time again in every bloody spending review! 

Now, for those who didn't know it, you can request a flypast for events that you are involved in organising - and no, this is not taking the pi** or a wind up - the details are here:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/displayinfo/requestdisplsyflypast.cfm
http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/reds/downloads.html

The Reds do support fetes, school events etc.  The way it works is that they will do a flypast at your event if it is on the right day/time and they are enroute between planned displays.  It is a small way that we can give something back as well as via the big displays - last year they fitted in 7 dedicated flypasts (i.e. that is what they got airborne for) and 65 flypasts that were enroute between displays. 

Display programme is here - http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/displayinfo/may07.cfm - and it doesn't take the brains of a rocket scientist to work put whether or not you might be anywhere near a route on a particular day.

MG Mark

[Matt Harper]

and it doesn't take the brains of a rocket scientist to work put whether or not you might be anywhere near a route on a particular day.

MG Mark

Hi Mark
This does, of course, assume that everyone knows where they are stationed.... the itinerary states clearly where they are going to, but not from where they came. Not much of a plane buff, I'm not at all sure where the Red Arrows are based. A bit nit-picking, but I certainly don't have the brains of any kind of scientist, rocket or otherwise.
Regards
Matt

[mgmark]

and it doesn't take the brains of a rocket scientist to work put whether or not you might be anywhere near a route on a particular day.

MG Mark

Hi Mark
This does, of course, assume that everyone knows where they are stationed.... the itinerary states clearly where they are going to, but not from where they came. Not much of a plane buff, I'm not at all sure where the Red Arrows are based. A bit nit-picking, but I certainly don't have the brains of any kind of scientist, rocket or otherwise.
Regards
Matt

Matt,

Quite right, should have added that - unless they are night stopping elsewhere between displays, they are based at RAF Scampton, just north of Lincoln.

MG Mark

[Pam the Weather]

WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY RETURN TO SCAMPTON AFTER EVERY DISPLAY.  FOR EXAMPLE AT THE RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, Somerset, 7TH JULY, FOLLOWED BY THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX, 8TH JULY, THE REDS WOULD REMAIN AT YEOVILTON OVERNIGHT, YUMMY, AND THEN FLY NORTH.  MAYBE FITTING YOU IN ALONG THE WAY

HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE,

TRY HERE FOR BOOKING INFO

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/displayinfo/requestdisplsyflypast.cfm

[Papa Lazarou]

WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY RETURN TO SCAMPTON AFTER EVERY DISPLAY.  FOR EXAMPLE AT THE RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, Somerset, 7TH JULY, FOLLOWED BY THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX, 8TH JULY, THE REDS WOULD REMAIN AT YEOVILTON OVERNIGHT, YUMMY, AND THEN FLY NORTH.  MAYBE FITTING YOU IN ALONG THE WAY

HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE,

TRY HERE FOR BOOKING INFO

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/displayinfo/requestdisplsyflypast.cfm

ARRRRRGGGHHHHH! caps lock OVERDOSE!!!!!! 

[Matt Harper]

they are based at RAF Scampton, just north of Lincoln.

Ah, OK. I once conducted a sales meeting at a hotel just north of Lincoln. Above the bar (I can't, for the life of me, remember what I was doing in there), was a very large, very old, gnarly tree-limb - with a little engraved brass plaque beneath it. The legend read that it was removed from the undercarriage of an Avro Lancaster that was limping back to Scampton, after a nocturnal delivery over occupied Europe in the forties. Apparently, the plane had taken a bit of a battering and didn't quite clear the trees on it's final approach. Thankfully it got it's young, brave crew back in one piece and toted an extra piece of lumber, in the deal. Clearly, the hotel was used as a watering-hole by these guys on their nights-off.
Weren't the Dambusters based at Scampton? 

[Papa Lazarou]

I remember when I was at school, on clear days we could make out weird patterns appearing in the clouds way way off to the east.  One day it dawned on us that it was the red arrows practicing about 40 miles away...  Cool...

[Snoring Rhino]

WHIST I'M ON MY NATIONALIST SOAP BOX NIGHT, THEY CAN'T AXE THE RED ARROWS, IT WOULD BE LIKE SHOOTING THE ROYAL FAMILY AND SELLING OFF THE ROYAL PALACES TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS AND SAVE FEW IN THIS YEARS BUDGET - IGNORING THE WIDER REVENUE.
(CAP'S AWAY - SORRY PAPPA)