SEPTEMBER

Sqn Ldr Spike Jepson has decided on the positions his pilots will fill in next year’s formation. They are:

The current Red 10, Sqn Ldr Andy Evans, will leave at the end of the season; his successor has yet to be announced.

26 September 2001

Sorry for the headline; I know it’s a bit cheesy but I just could not resist the temptation! The first lady to wear the coveted red suit is Sqn Ldr Lyn Johnson who has recently taken over from Ginge Paige as the Team Manager.

Lyn was born and educated in Cambridge where her family still live.

She left school to join the Royal Air Force in 1978 as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller. After serving as an airwoman at RAF Binbrook and RAF Gutersloh in Germany she was commissioned as an Air Traffic Control Officer. She subsequently went to RAF Wattisham and RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus where she first encountered the Red Arrows during their annual spring training. A tour at RAF Marham was followed by the Area Radar Training Course at RAF Shawbury and time at the London Air Traffic Control Centre at West Drayton before returning to terminal controlling with Bristol University Air Squadron at Colerne. Promoted to Squadron Leader in 1998, Lyn went to RAF Valley as the Deputy Senior Air Traffic Control Officer before being short-toured to take up the post of Equerry to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh; this 2 year appointment immediately preceded her move to the Red Arrows.

Lyn has a variety of interests outside of the working environment, but one of her top priorities is her dog Molly, which being a fast, lean and manoeuvrable red/tan whippet is a most appropriate addition to the Team’s supporters!

26 September 2001

The Red Arrows took off this morning (Tuesday) 1101 hrs for Turkey. The famous nine ship – lead by Red 1 Wing Commander Andy Offer – will display at Ankara tomorrow, Thursday and Friday. The deployment is the first leg of the Team’s Winter Tour – the rest of which is currently being reviewed because of circumstances in the USA.

The 2001 pilots were joined by the new guys for 2002 who are currently in training. They include Squadron Leader Spike Jepson, 35, who will be the new Leader and Flt Lts John Green, 34, and David Thomas, 33. Other rear seats in the Hawks were taken by members of the Circus, the flying technicians. The Blues and new manager Squadron Leader Lyn Johnson flew out in a C130 Hercules at 1230hrs.

Watch this space for updates.

21 September 2001

The Red Arrows have given a cash injection to airborne lifesavers the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance service. Four other Lincolnshire charities and one national organisation for terminally ill children have also received donations. The money – totalling £6,000 – was raised by sales at The Red Arrows’ Shop in Hangar 4, the home of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. All profit from sales is donated to worthy causes. Lincolnshire Air Ambulance flew in – between emergencies – to collect a cheque for £1,750.

Other recipients included St Barnabas Hospice of Lincoln and Scampton Village Church Fabric Fund who each received £1,000. STRUT – a charity for the handicapped, The Playhouse Creche, Scampton and Cherished Memories – a national organisation for terminally ill children – each accepted cheques for £750.

Officer Commanding The Red Arrows Wing Commander Andy Offer said: "We are absolutely delighted to be able to help charities. We are particularly pleased to be able to make a donation to Lincolnshire Air Ambulance which does such an excellent job". Senior Engineering Officer, Squadron Leader Mark Northover said: "The Blues, who are the technicians that ensure the Red Arrows’ Hawks are well maintained, run a shop as a secondary duty. They put a lot of hard work into making it a success and a bonus is that all the profit helps charities". Sergeant Gary Holt, who runs the shop on a day-to-day basis said: "Visitors to The Red Arrows often wish to take away a memento – business has been quite brisk!"

25 September 2001

As Ian Hewitt mentioned in his article on our last two display weekends, this has been a very successful season for the Reds. For those of you who are interested, the following figures sum up the 2001 Red Arrows display season.

92 displays this year, which brings our overall total up to 3570.

21 September 2001

On Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of September, the Reds displayed at Duxford and Southport in what was to be a very busy weekend for the Team. The Reds departed Brize Norton on the Saturday lunchtime and headed east to Duxford to display at their two-day Airshow. The Reds opened the Airshow on the Saturday to a great response from the crowd. Even though it was a mixed bag of weather, the Reds still flew a rolling show and then returned to Scampton to refuel. After the refuel, the Reds transited to a very busy Blackpool to meet up with the Blues who had come up from Brize Norton. The weather had now improved greatly and we had patches of blue sky, but high winds. As many people watched, the Reds arrived with the traditional ‘Spaghetti Break’, much to the amazement of the crowd there to watch the multitude of aircraft operating out of the airport. As the Reds climbed out of their jets, the Blues got to work to get them full of fuel and dye before the next show at Southport.

The Reds took off again at 1704 and headed off to a windy Southport. The skies had cleared nicely and huge crowd had turned out to watch the show. The Reds performed a full show with the crowd applauding each formation change and gasps as the Synchro Pair performed their close passes. The Team finished with the Vixen break and then could be seen across the Ribble Estuary arriving back at Blackpool.

Sunday saw Red 10 arrive in the Squirrel Helicopter, to a rather damp beach at Southport. After many of you saw Red 10 scramble through the mud, Sqn Ldr Evans managed to reach the commentary position. Even though the beach was muddy, it didn’t deter another huge crowd arriving to watch the Reds display 1315. Another full show, and another great response from the crowd. The Reds arrived back at Blackpool and refuelled before heading off back to Scampton to close the show at Duxford at 1740.

The Team at Southport and Leuchars Air Shows captured by Dan Parkes on the Canon EOS D30

Click on each image to view the bigger picture.

The Reds headed off to Jersey on Monday 10th to prepare for the shows at Jersey and Guernsey on the Thursday. The C-130J of 24 Squadron RAF Lyneham, arrived at Scampton on the Tuesday to carry the Blues and all of the support equipment out to Jersey. The Team had an unusual day off on the Wednesday before a busy day on Thursday. The Reds displayed at Guernsey on the Thursday before returning to Jersey to refuel and then display in the afternoon at Jersey.

The Reds and Circus headed up to RAF Leuchars near Dundee on the Saturday morning for their airshow. This is always a big event and a show that the Reds always enjoy flying, due to the spectacular surroundings that Leuchars lie in. Another great show and then the land, refuel and transit back to Blackpool for the Morecambe show the day after. The Reds arrived at Blackpool to weather somewhat different from the week before. Twenty minutes before the arrival time, the heavens opened and a torrential downpour ensued. This didn’t deter some of you who had turned out to watch the jets taxi in and there were some very soggy spectators along with a very damp Officer Cadet Hewitt who had arrived to greet the Reds.

The Team awoke to a different picture altogether on the Sunday morning as the rain had gone and the skies were blue. A choppy sea created a very dramatic picture across Morecambe Bay to the view of the Lake District. Red 10, Cpl Ian Wright and Officer Cadet Hewitt left Blackpool and headed up to Morecambe in the Squirrel to prepare for the show. A fantastic crowd had turned out to watch the last UK show by the Reds but were first treated to displays by the single Hawk from RAF Valley, flown by Flt Lt Pete Sharpe, and the Harrier of 20 Squadron, flown by Flt Lt Dave Bradshaw.

The Reds arrived at 1600 and pulled up into the arrival and the smoke came on, to rapturous applause from the crowd. The blue sky added to the effect with the backdrop of the hills of the Lake District and the expanse of Morecambe Bay. The 5-4 cross had the crowd cheering for more, and the Reds duly obliged. A perfect Heart by the Synchro Pair and spear by Red 9 had the crowd wondering what was next, and they weren’t disappointed. As the Main Section performed the Vertical Split, cameras could be heard clicking away right across Morecambe!! A perfect Gypo Break and Gypo Pass stunned the audience as to how close the jets were and they continued to enjoy the show until the Reds disappeared over the horizon back to Blackpool. The jets were then refueled and then headed back to Scampton to be put to bed. A great end to a great season.

21 September 2001

Promotion seems to be catching on the Red Arrows. The latest advancement to be announced is that for Flight Sergeant Steve Artley who is to be promoted to Warrant Officer and posted to RAF St Athan, in Wales, in November of this year. Steve is the senior engineering airman on the Team and has been with the Red Arrows for more years than he cares to remember. Steve will leave the Team with our best wishes and thanks for a difficult job extremely well done.

21 September 2001

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