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Depends if one of the wings was hit, then the aircraft would roll and it would be a case of timing it. For example, a Hawk crashed at RAF Valley in 1996 where on take-off it rolled uncontrollably (the aileron was left disconnected!). The pilot pulled the handle, but the aircraft had rolled around by the time the seat fired, so he went straight into the ground! :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucelles
Red 10 is the guy on the microphone, and does a lot of the ground co-ordination, and he (in this case) is still one of the best pilots in the RAF :)
aha:
He (Red 10) is a qualified Hawk pilot who flies the spare aircraft to displays for use in case one of the display aircraft becomes unserviceable. He never flies in public displays but he takes part in flypasts flown on transit sorties. Most of the air-to-air photography and video of the Team is shot from Red 10’s aircraft and so he must be skilled at positioning his aircraft for the perfect shot. Red 10 has two important jobs on the ground at every display: he is the Team’s flight safety officer, maintaining 2-way radio contact with the Team Leader throughout the display, and he is the Team Commentator.
On what they do if they're a pilot down:
The Synchro Leader (Red 6) is a third year pilot and he is allowed to choose his own Number 2. Thus, Synchro 2 in 2010, Flight Lieutenant David Montenegro, will become Synchro Leader for 2011 and he will be able to choose his Number 2 for 2011 from any of the first year pilots in 2010 who want the job.
What happens if one of the pilots is unable to fly?
If one of the pilots goes sick during the display season, or for any other reason is not able to fly, the Team is able to fly an eight-ship formation. There are no reserve pilots for safety reasons; one spare pilot could not possibly learn all nine positions to the standard required. The pilots always fly in the same position within the formation and it takes an intensive six-month training programme for each pilot to become thoroughly proficient at flying in his position. If the Team fly with one aircraft missing, the Team Leader will adjust the positions of the other pilots to achieve the most pleasing visual effect. Various ‘missing men’ formations are routinely practised during the winter training season.
What happens if the Leader is unable to fly?
If the Leader is unable to fly then the Red Arrows do not fly. There is no reserve Leader for flying displays.
Why are there no reserve pilots?
The Team spends the six months from October through to April practising for the upcoming Display Season. The pilots always fly in the same position within the formation and it takes all those months for each pilot to become thoroughly proficient at flying in his own position. It is simply not practicable to ask a spare pilot, or even two, to learn all nine positions.