Red Arrow crashes near Bournemouth

[Mad_Jay]

Cu3ed apologies for my out burst, I've spent the past 2 days sat on base here in Lincoln watching it all unfold on the news seeing newspapers and tv channels spiel out so much bull **** about something they really know not a lot about, just repeating what they hear on twitter/facebook etc. It really does make me sick.

Whilst I've been speaking to friends in Bournemouth who have seen events unfold and have now told there experiences to me.

It will be awkward in work tomorrow.

 

[Robbo]

Are you at Waddington, Jason?

 

[Mad_Jay]

I'm currently at RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Junior Ranks and Officers live here. We operate out of RAF Scampton about 20 minutes drive away.

 

[Robbo]

Ah yes, I know they moved to Scampton a while back now (did they not?).

 

[Digital Punk]

Saddened even more that the display wasn't part of the routine. They deviated at the end to put on an "agreed" mini display to the Bournemouth Airport Tower and spectators waiting at the airport to say "thanks" for having them, which they choose to do upon their approach fairly last minute (although as I say, it had been agreed that it could be done if the RAs wanted to, which they did). They just didn't decide until shortly before they were clear to land. It's amazing how one small decision can lead to such a sad event.

The didn't put on any kind of 'agreed' mini display at all, that is rubbish.

They did a flat run in and break over the airfield the same as they do at other airfields they visit. There was nothing unusual about it.

 

[Django x2]

Really, just the SQ Leader was on the local radio and said they had decided to do a fly by at the airport which they weren't going to originally do, then bank back around for the final approach. It was in the bank after the fly by where Red 4 didn't come back up. It was on the Echo website, so again, how accurate that is is anyones guess.

 

[Digital Punk]

Red 4 went down after breaking from the formation to land.
Basically they pull off from the formation left and right as they fly along the runway and do a turn back to fly downwind then eventually turning again to land individually either side of the centre line of the runway.
I believe they pull a few G's when doing the initial break, but couldn't accurately say how many G it involves.

 

[cu3ed]

Cu3ed apologies for my out burst, I've spent the past 2 days sat on base here in Lincoln watching it all unfold on the news seeing newspapers and tv channels spiel out so much bull **** about something they really know not a lot about, just repeating what they hear on twitter/facebook etc. It really does make me sick.

Whilst I've been speaking to friends in Bournemouth who have seen events unfold and have now told there experiences to me.

It will be awkward in work tomorrow.

No worries mate, I understand.

 

[Westyfield2]

Anyone seen this? http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16056204

 

[Mad_Jay]

Its called the lower anti collision strobe light situated just in front of the air brake and between the air brake strakes, the photo is taken just as its flashing.

Quite a few newspapers are running this story claiming its fire, or more stupidly the plane being downed.

Idiots.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Deffinately looks like the Anti col. When they display they fly with them off so it could have been triggered (fault) or just accidently set to on. I imagine there will be lots of reports of major electrical failure soon...

 

[Mad_Jay]

Whilst I'm not aware of aviation flying rules, they where technically "transiting" from Bournemouth Seafront to the Airport. Each transit has a "Nav" (One of the pilots) in charge of getting them from A to B. They don't use the anti cols in the display, but I'm guessing that at least one of the pilots has to have anti cols on during the transit, even if it was such a small one as this one was.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Sounds about right to me, I don't have much info on flying rules as i'm just an engineer. Tbh if you can't see a big group of bright red planes coming your way then you probarbly should not be flying.

 

[Mad_Jay]

You would be surprised on the amount of idiots there are in the air.

2 of our planes almost met a Cessna mid air who wanted a closer look whilst breaking to land at Dunsfold Aerodrome in June.

Watching from the ground was definitely one of those "Oh my ******* god" moments.

They also had to cancel a display half way through last year at Silverstone for the BTCC, as a group of gliders from Bicester thought they would come and have a look.

*edit*

Our bosses little rant about the gliders.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/teamnews/index.cfm?storyid=A9119FF0-5056-A318-A8054E383083343D

 

[Hedge]

Jay on the Reds is your relationship with Aircrew quite close?, As a liney on tornados I barely know the names of any Aircrew, and I couldnt call any of them friends. We certainly dont mingle with one-another.

 

[Mad_Jay]

We are very close, every day during the morning brief they have, they have a powerpoint slide "Engineer of the day" with one of the Techies photos, his/hers name, raf history and nickname if they have one.

We do everything together as a squadron, be it getting drunk on exercise, meals, parties etc.

Some of the aircrew don't even mind not being called Sir or Ma'am, we can happily call them by there first names / nicknames out on the flight line. But when we are in the public eye we have to call them Sir or Ma'am.

 

[ringo747]

Very interesting Jay. I'm sure there are a lot of huge ego's to deal with though.

 

[Hedge]

We are very close, every day during the morning brief they have, they have a powerpoint slide "Engineer of the day" with one of the Techies photos, his name, raf history and nickname if they have one.

We do everything together as a squadron, be it getting drunk on exercise, meals, parties etc.

Some of the aircrew don't even mind not being called sir or ma'am, we can happily call them by there first names / nickenames out on the flight line. But when we are in the public eye we have to call them Sir or Ma'am.

Thats very different to life on 617 and 15sqn thats for sure , I had a feeling the reds were run in a more personal way by the way they conduct themselves and do everything. Watching them land in sequence and even be seen in, at a specific pace and time was quite impressive.

 

[Mad_Jay]

Very interesting Jay. I'm sure there are a lot of huge ego's to deal with though.

If your on about the pilots this isn't the case, they are all down to earth, relaxed people who have no sign of an ego problem.

There was a right **** on the team last year though. Who just looked down on groundcrew with his snobby attitude.

 

[zooankski]

Who just looked down on groundcrew with his snobby attitude.

Sounds like a normal day on the EasyJet ramp to me