Three new pilots join Red Arrows ahead of 2022 season
The new season is set to begin in May
(Left to right) Flight Lieutenant Stuart Roberts, Squadron Leader Graeme Muscat and Flight Lieutenant Patrick Kershaw will join the Red Arrows lineup for next season. | Photo: RAF Red Arrows
The Red Arrows will see three new pilots welcomed to the team for the 2022 season, succeeding those who left at the end of this campaign.
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team closed out the 2021 season in October, with a final display above the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier in Portsmouth.
It was the final sortie for Squadron Leaders Jon Bond and Steve Morris, who called time on their Red Arrows careers after a combined eleven years with the team.
Jon Bond (left) and Steve Morris (right) will be leaving the Red Arrows team after over a decade of combined experience. | Photo: Royal Air Force
Preparations have now begun at RAF Scampton for the team’s 58th display season, which traditionally starts in May to span the summer months and early-autumn, and there are three new pilots to join the Red Arrows lineup.
The new additions will be Flight Lieutenants Stuart Roberts and Patrick Kershaw, and Squadron Leader Graeme Muscat, flying Reds 2, 3 and 10 respectively.
The new additions also come ahead of the Red Arrows planned move from RAF Scampton to RAF Waddington in 2022.
Flt Lt Stuart Roberts will fly Red 2 for the 2022 season. | Photo: RAF Red Arrows
Flt Lt Stuart Roberts, 35, joined the RAF in 2009 after being born in Germany at RAF Wegberg and going on to study geography at Loughborough.
He has experience flying Typhoon aircraft, undertaking NATO air policing duties and even helping secure the UK skies by conducting quick reaction alerts.
He said: “I vividly remember seeing the team display as a young boy but, as I have spent more time in the Royal Air Force and had more insight into how the Red Arrows operate, I was drawn towards applying by its clear, common goal and the high levels of teamwork required from everyone involved to generate a consistent, world-leading display.”
Flying as Red 3 will be Flt Lt Patrick Kershaw. | Photo: RAF Red Arrows
Flt Lt Patrick Kershaw, 36, is Huddersfield-born and has a degree in business administration at Leicester De Montfort University. He joined the Royal Air Force service in 2006.
During his career he has been posted to the Tornado GR4 at RAF Marham, where he took part in operations over North Africa and the Middle East.
He said he was excited to join the force and be one of the Red Arrows’ nine display pilots.
“Innovation, precision, teamwork are all at the forefront of what we do in the team and these qualities are shared throughout numerous industries in the UK.
“Being able to represent this as an ambassador for the next three years will be a privilege and honour.”
Graeme Muscat will be the new Red 10, otherwise known as Supervisor. | Photo: RAF Red Arrows
The third new addition is the team supervisor, Squadron Leader Graeme Muscat, who will be replacing Sqn Ldr Adam Collins as Red 10.
Red 10 is the team’s safety supervisor for all practices and displays, maintaining and coordinating radio contact with Red 1 from the ground, as well as flying the team photographers and taking the spare aircraft between locations.
Graeme, 46, from Cheshire, joined the RAF in 1995 and has flown the Tornado GR4 on the frontline, as well as being a Flight Commander on the Hawk T2 at RAF Valley.
Sqn Ldr Muscat said: “I can remember being one of the crowd at airshows, both as a child and as young adult, watching not only the Red Arrows but any military flying and just being awestruck.
“As you can see from my career path, I didn’t join direct as a pilot and had to work up through the ranks because I never let go of my dream and aspirations.
“So, for me, providing a great show and meeting and inspiring the public will be a brilliant experience.”
This means the full pilot line-up for the Red Arrows 2022 season has been confirmed as:
Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – Wing Commander David Montenegro
Red 1 and Team Leader – Squadron Leader Tom Bould
Red 2 – Flight Lieutenant Stuart Roberts
Red 3 – Flight Lieutenant Patrick Kershaw
Red 4 – Flight Lieutenant Will Cambridge
Red 5 – Squadron Leader Nick Critchell
Red 6 and Synchro Leader – Squadron Leader Gregor Ogston
Red 7 and Synchro Two – Flight Lieutenant James Turner
Red 8 and Executive Officer – Flight Lieutenant Damo Green
Red 9 – Flight Lieutenant David Simmonds
Red 10 and Supervisor (from March 2022) – Squadron Leader Graeme Muscat
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Lincoln MP Karl McCartney was one of just 23 members of parliament to vote against new mask wearing rules and one of 36 to say ‘no’ to self-isolation regulations against COVID-19.
Some 434 MPs voted in favour of the new mask wearing rules on November 30, which made it mandatory to wear face coverings in shops and on public transport in England.
The rules were brought in amid fears of the increased infection rates of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, but 23 Conservative MPs voted against their party to try to reject the proposal.
Among those 23 MPs was Lincoln’s Karl McCartney, who has often rebelled against his party’s COVID-19 regulations, having also been the only Lincolnshire MP to go against extending the Coronavirus Act in March this year.
There were plenty of members of parliament who did not record a vote in this, including the Health Secretary Sajid Javid and the Prime Minister himself Boris Johnson.
As well as this, both Javid and Johnson did not vote on the self-isolation regulations, which will see all travellers returning to the UK taking a PCR test and self-isolating until they receive a negative result, as well as all contacts of suspected Omicron cases, regardless of vaccination status.
Mr McCartney was again the only Lincolnshire MP, and one of just 36 members in the House of Commons, to vote no to the new self-isolation rules, but were outdone by 431 to 36 in the vote.
The Lincolnite approached Karl McCartney for a statement on this, but were once again greeted with no response.
We are asking for help to find Andrej who has been missing for 33 days. We are getting increasingly concerned for him and ask anyone who may have seen or heard from him to get in touch.
If you have seen him or know where he is, please get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 306 of 2nd November.
By emailing [email protected] – don’t forget to quote incident 306 of 2nd November in the subject line.
Through the independent charity missing people. You can call or text 116 000 or email [email protected]
Original post – 4 November 2021
We are continuing to appeal for information to find missing man Andrej.
The 43-year-old was reported missing from his home in Boston.
Andrej is described as a white male who is 6ft tall with short, dark brown hair. He is of a slim build and has green eyes with a scar near his left eye. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black or grey trousers.
If you have seen him or know where he is, please get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 306 of 2nd November.
By emailing [email protected] – don’t forget to quote incident 306 of 2nd November in the subject line.
Through the independent charity missing people. You can call or text 116 000 or email [email protected]
The old police station on West Parade in Lincoln is now on the market and the future sale will raise money for investment in new equipment for the force.
It was the end of an era when the affectionally-termed ‘Ryvita Building’, which belongs to the office of the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner, closed to the public on November 17, 2019. More services were wound down in the weeks that followed before completing a move into the Blue Light Hub on South Park.
Initially Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones had hoped to find a use for the building, which could have a positive economic or social impact on the city.
Unfortunately, after months working with Investors in Lincoln to examine a host of different projects, it became clear the impact of lockdown in the economy had scuppered plans to develop the site which police had been using since the mid 1970s, with partners.
Mr Jones has now pushed forward with plans to sell the building, but no indication of price has been publicly disclosed. The revenue gained will come in capital receipts, so can only be spent on equipment such as new vehicles, drones, and radios, or on other police buildings.
Inside Lincoln Police Station. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
He said: “I had really hoped we could find an innovative way forward for the building and working with private and public sector partners we investigated a range of possibilities from low cost housing for front line workers to business start up space.
“But the Covid pandemic not only delayed things it also started to impact the cost of potential options and I was becoming increasingly concerned that the building would lay empty for too long.
“I’ve done my best to explore every possible option but it looks as if the best route is to sell the building on the open market.
“That does mean we can raise valuable funds and invest them in our work to keep communities and residents safe.”
The custody suite at Lincoln Police Station on West Parade. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
When the West Parade station closed in 2019, The Lincolnite went to meet up with one local family who shared more than 50 years of policing memories. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Myers joined Lincolnshire Police in 1990 before retiring in 2020, while his dad Walter worked in CID after joining the force in 1961.
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