The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team is not made up of nine pilots but of a single team, the flyers themselves emphasized at an Airshow China 2016 news conference on Nov 2. Moreover, that team includes supporting engineers who provide emergency response, photography, and weapons and engine maintenance for each performance.

Popularly presented as the Red Arrows, the team was formed in late 1964 by the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. It performed spectacularly on opening day of Airshow China in Zhuhai, just as it has worldwide almost five thousand times before.

Three pilots and two engineers of the “Éclat” (French for brilliance or excellence, and the team’s motto) unit answered questions from media from around the world in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Red Arrows team meets press [Photo by Hu Jieting / Zhuhai Daily]

After an introductory video, Red 2 Flight Lt Matt Masters said that the team flew over 9,000 miles from the UK to China, transiting 15 countries en route and stopping more than 20 times. 

Before arriving at Zhuhai, they sustained harsh weather. Fortunately though, Zhuhai cheered them up with a blue sky and reinforced their desire to perform at the air show. 

According to an engineer, the Hawk T1 jet trainer is normally used to train new pilots, but those used in aerobatic performances are refitted with a pod loaded with dye to release plumes of colorful smoke. 

Diesel oil and liquefied gas can produce white smoke that changes to red or blue when coloring is added. A performance of the Red Arrows often lasts 24 minutes whereas the smoke trails can only last seven minutes. Therefore, Red 1 Squadron Leader David Montenegro has the right to decide when and where the smoke should be released, the engineer explained.