Red 1, Squadron Leader Andy Offer

Leading the Red Arrows into 2000 and beyond is Squadron Leader Andy Offer, 34. He was born in Hertfordshire and educated at St Edmund’s College Ware from where he was awarded an RAF Flying Scholarship. He joined the RAF in 1984 after completing his A Level GCSEs. After flying training at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire and Valley in North Wales, he was selected to become a first-tourist flying instructor back at Linton-on-Ouse teaching students barely younger than himself.

Andy’s aerobatic career began when he was the solo Jet Provost Display Pilot for 1989. He later completed weapons training at Chivenor, in north Devon. Later still he was posted to No 3(F) Squadron then flying Harrier GR7 aircraft at Gutersloh and Laarbruch in Germany. He participated in operational sorties policing northern Iraq following the 1991 Gulf conflict.

On returning to the UK Andy was posted to the Harrier conversion unit at Wittering where, in between his instructional duties, he was the Harrier Display Pilot in 1995. The Harrier has always been one of the publics favourite display aircraft and Andy flew 50 displays. At the end of that successful solo career, Andy was selected to join the Red Arrows and he was a team member for the 1996, 1997 and 1998 seasons. He returns after only one year’s absence of staff duties to become the youngest officer ever to command the Red Arrows. He accompanied the 1999 Team on the autumn tour of the Middle and Far East, understudying Simon Meade, flying one of the spare aircraft from time to time, and taking every available opportunity to start working up with his new pilots Reds 2, 3 and 4.

Andy is married to Amanda and they have three boys, Harry (Sep 90), George (Jun 92) and Ralph (Oct 95). His interests include most sports, especially golf and motor-biking.

Red 2, Flight Lieutenant Jason Hawker

Flight Lieutenant Jason Hawker, 28, joins the Team this year in the Red 2 position. He was educated at the Castle School, Thornbury near Bristol and was a member of the local Air Training Corps Squadron, No 2392, from where he was awarded an RAF Flying Scholarship.

Jason was commissioned into the RAF in 1989 and after completing flying training was posted to fly the Tornado GR1, first with 27 Squadron based at Marham in Norfolk and then with 12 Squadron at Lossiemouth in the north of Scotland. After that he was posted to Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire to be a flying instructor on the Tucano. During his tour at Linton-on-Ouse, Jason was the solo Tucano display pilot for the 1997 season.

He then returned to the Tornado and flew with 9 Squadron based at Bruggen in Germany; there he flew the Tornado GR4, the latest version of the aircraft. Whilst based in Germany he flew many operational missions over southern Iraq.

Flight Lieutenant Hawker is married to Cath and they have two daughters: Jessica (Jan 97) and Molly (Jul 98). Jasons interests include most sports, especially squash and, of course, golf.

Red 3, Flight Lieutenant Justin Hughes

Red 3, Flight Lieutenant Justin Hughes, 32, grew up in Southport and was educated at Merchant Taylors School, Liverpool and King George V College Southport. After leaving school, he joined the Army on a Short Service Limited Commission with the Royal Engineers. He served for a year with 32 Armoured Regiment, based in Germany, before returning to full-time education to complete a BSc in physics at the University of Bristol. Whilst at university he learned to fly with the University Air Squadron.

After leaving Bristol, Justin spent a year back-packing through Nepal, other parts of Asia and Australia and then returned to the UK to spend six months doing scientific research whilst waiting to join the RAF.

He was commissioned in February 1990 and, after training, joined the Tornado F3 force, serving on both 43 and 111 Squadrons at Leuchars in Scotland. He took part in a large number of exercises and deployments in Bosnia, the Falklands, USA, Canada, Malaysia and Europe.

Justin’s’ interests are mainly sporting, particularly skiing, squash, tennis and wind-surfing. He is also learning to play the guitar.

Red 4, Flight Lieutenant Chris Carder

Red 4, Flight Lieutenant Chris Carder, a youthful-looking 36, born and bred in Saffron Walden, was educated at Saffron Walden County High School and served with No 1824 (Saffron Walden) Squadron of the Air Training Corps, reaching the highest possible rank, Cadet Warrant Officer. Whilst at school Chris was awarded an RAF Flying Scholarship and he learned to fly at Southend Airport. He joined the RAF in 1983.

‘When I was young I often went to Duxford to watch the air shows and other flying and that really decided me that I wanted to be a pilot,’ said Chris. ‘I was watching at Duxford when they were making the film The Battle of Britain.’

Chris is no stranger either to the British Aerospace Hawk aircraft which the Red Arrows use, or to displaying his skills in public. Earlier in his RAF career Chris was a Hawk flying instructor and he flew 42 solo displays in the Hawk. He joins the Team at the end of a tour as the solo Jaguar Display Pilot operating from No 16 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland. He flew 36 displays in the Jaguar in between teaching other pilots to fly the Jaguar. Operationally he has flown the Jaguar in North America, northern Iraq and former Yugoslavia, as well as around Europe.

Chris is keen on skiing and aims to improve his expertise at golf. ‘There is a joke in the Red Arrows that you have to be good at golf to join the Team,’ said Chris. ‘I don’t think a low handicap is really essential but the pilots get many invitations to play matches and I’m certainly looking forward to playing on some of the best courses in this country and beyond.’

Red 5, Flight Lieutenant Mark Cutmore

Mark Cutmore, 30, joined the Red Arrows for the 1999 Season after two years on the Air Show circuit as the solo Jaguar Display Pilot. Cutty, as he is always known, was born and brought up in Dartmouth, Devon, where the Red Arrows have displayed every year since 1978, except for 1992 when the weather was too bad. Cutty joined the RAF in 1988 and initially trained as an Air Traffic Control officer. He was posted for a tour of duty at Honington in Suffolk but, after 18 months as a Controller, he changed branches to become a pilot. He trained on Chipmunks, Tucanos and Hawks before eventually joining No 54(F) Jaguar Squadron at Coltishall in Norfolk. Next Mark was posted as a weapons instructor to the Jaguar conversion unit at Lossiemouth in the north of Scotland.

Mark was interested in aircraft from an early age although he never joined either the Air Training Corps or the Combined Cadet Force. It was not until he was 17 that he decided to join the RAF. ‘There were many highs in a really challenging first year but without a doubt I enjoyed most displaying just before the start of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and then being helicoptered back to the course to watch the race itself.’

Mark has been married to Emma for five years and they have two girls, Daisy (Sep 96) and Polly (May 98). ‘In my spare time, and when I’m not harassed by the girls, I’m working hard to lower my golf handicap. I enjoy running with Otto, my mad Weimaraner, and I am a keen Formula 1 and horse racing fan.’