Red Arrows 1998 - Diaries

The Red Arrows landed on runway 07 left at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Jakarta (CGK) exactly on time at 12 noon local time on Wednesday 19th June, 10 years almost to the day since their last appearance in Jakarta. On the let down and approach for a low level run and break the Red Arrows had to dodge around several international airliners in the hold: at NOTAM had been issued stating that the airport would be closed to all traffic during the Reds’ arrival but it seems not all pilots read NOTAMS!!

The Reds Loop over Jakarta, on their recent tour
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The Red Arrows were met by Miss Jakarta, a Gamelan Band and National Dancers together with senior officers of the Indonesian Air Force. After a splendid buffet lunch in the airport they went off to meet Prof Dr Habibie, Minister of State for Research and Technology, the man responsible for the Red Arrows’ invitation to Indonesia. The Red Arrows’ support Hercules arrived from Kuala Lumpur 40 minutes later – also on schedule – and parked alongside the Hawks outside the international passenger terminal. For the remainder of the stay at Jakarta, the cavernous hold of the Hercules became the mobile workroom and storage area for the Red Arrows’ technicians.

The Red Arrows flew a practice display at Soekarno-Hatta on 21st June and full displays on 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29 and 30th June. The VIP Grand Opening Ceremony was on 22nd June; the President of Indonesia was the Guest of Honour. Also present and representing the British Chief of Defence Staff was an old friend and former Commander-in-Chief of the Red Arrows, now Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Willis. The British Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo, watched the display on 24th June and then went to the flight line to talk to all the pilots and ground crew. Over 600,000 people attended the first public display on 28th June and it is estimated that over 1,500,000 people in total saw the Red Arrows during their stay in Jakarta.

After a busy and very tiring programme of displays, appearances in Exhibition Halls and numerous cocktail parties and receptions, the Red Arrows left Indonesia on 1st July. Staging through Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Thailand), Calcutta, Delhi, Karachi, Dubai, Riyadh, Hurghada (Egypt), Iraklion, Brindisi and Villafranca, the Red Arrows landed back at their home base, Cranwell, at 0950 UTC (1050 BST) on Wednesday 10th July to be met by wives and children and the inevitable Customs and Excise officers. The faithful Hercules arrived 30 minutes later to disgorge the weary but happy passengers. Another Red Arrows spectacular had been professionally executed.

An interesting study of the Twizzle in the skies over Jakarta
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The tour to Indonesia, like the Winter tours to South Africa, Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei and Australia, was funded almost entirely by 16 British defence-related companies, the first time the Red Arrows’ tours have been funded in this way.

The Red Arrows’ Next scheduled public performance in the UK was at 1312 BST, before the start of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday 14th July, but before that, at 0900 BST that same morning, the Team had to fly a practice display at Cranwell. This practice was an obligatory requirement for currency but a film crew from British Airways was on hand to record material for an upcoming in-flight passenger video about the Red Arrows. Just another day in the life of the world’s premier aerobatic display team.