April 15, 2020 3.55 pm This story is over 46 months old

RAF Red Arrows resume training

The Red Arrows take flight once again

Following an operational pause in sorties since March 23, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team carried out flying today from RAF Scampton.

The activity was limited in nature, involving single aircraft flights, and aimed at allowing the Red Arrows to carry out essential training.

For safe flying proficiency, the team’s pilots are required to fly – as an absolute minimum – every 31 days.

As well as at the Red Arrows’ base of RAF Scampton, flying activity involving the team’s aircraft was in the vicinity of Doncaster, Humberside, Leeds/Bradford and Manchester airports.

The Reds out training at RAF Scampton today. Photo: SAC Hannah Smoker

This training ensures individuals maintain their highly-specialised competencies, qualifications and skills.

In addition, it ensures the Red Arrows are suitably prepared to support future national tasking.

Officials said the safety and wellbeing of the team’s personnel is paramount and, aligned with public health guidelines, a carefully-planned and assessed working routine was used.

Both physical and psychological elements have been considered, with new control and distancing measures in place, which were fully understood and rehearsed yesterday, before the jets were flown today.

The personnel footprint in working areas and the hangar has been kept to a minimum, while maintaining safety standards.

For those team members that can, remote working remains in place.

When the environment is safe to do so, the Red Arrows will transition from the essential flying they require now to more developed training activity.