The Red Arrows will display with nine Hawk T1 aircraft during the 2025 season.
They will display or perform flypasts at many air shows and events in 2025.
Red Arrows News for 2025:
19 December 2024 - First nine-aircraft flight for the new 2025 season at RAF Waddington.
May 2024
• - To be Announced...
June 2025
• - To be Announced...
July 2025
• - To be Announced...
August 2025
• - To be Announced...
September 2025
• - To be Announced...
* Note that RAF Families Days are NOT open to the public.
Red Arrows Flypasts and RAF Families Days Displays are in italics.
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows fly nine BAE SYSTEMS Hawk T.1 advanced trainer aircraft and are currently based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
Red Arrows Training:
The Red Arrows begin training for the forthcoming season almost as soon as the previous year has ended.
Typically, winter training starts in October, with small groups of three or four aircraft formations.
Each pilot flies three sorties a day, five days a week, and the formations grow in aircraft number as training progresses.
These flights involve a thorough brief, debrief and discussion to ensure safety is paramount and the formations are precise.
One complete cycle consisting of these elements lasts about two hours, usually with a 30-minute flight.
Winter training lasts until mid-March, when the team usually moves overseas to a location with more predictable, settled weather to maximise flying hours and perfect the display. This is known as Exercise Springhawk.
During Springhawk the team is assessed by senior Royal Air Force officers, with the aim of gaining Public Display Authority.
If this is awarded, the Squadron's pilots change from green coveralls into their famous red flying suits and the ground crew are allowed to wear their royal blue display coveralls.
The season then officially begins and public performances by the Red Arrows are permitted.
Types of Display:
There are three types of display the Team Leader can elect to fly - full, rolling or flat. To carry out a full, looping, display the base of the cloud must be above 5,500ft to avoid the aircraft entering the cloud at the top of the loop. If the cloud base is less than 5,500ft, but more than 2,500ft, the team will perform the rolling display - substituting wing-overs and rolls for the loops. And when the cloud base is below 2,500ft, the Team will fly the flat display, consisting of a series of flypasts and steep turns.
Red Arrows Team Pilots for the 2025 season:
• Red 1 - Sqn Ldr Jon Bond (Team Leader)
• Red 2 - Flt Lt Rob Thomas
• Red 3 - Flt Lt Andrew McEwen
• Red 4 - Sqn Ldr Chris McCann
• Red 5 - Flt Lt Dustin Wales
• Red 6 - Sqn Ldr Tom Hansford (Synchro Leader)
• Red 7 - Flt Lt George Hobday (Synchro 2)
• Red 8 - Flt Lt Richard Walker
• Red 9 - Flt Lt Ollie Suckling
• Red 10 - Sqn Ldr Graeme Muscat (Safety Supervisor & Commentator)
• Officer Commanding - Wing Commander Adam Collins.
There is actually a 10th Red Arrow (Safety Supervisor) who provides commentary during the display as well as flying the Red Arrows photographers and spare jet.
Red Arrows Press Releases:
• Red Arrows (Nov 2024)
Training begins for two new Red Arrows pilots.
