Two Red Arrow jets collided mid-air off the coast of Crete today, the Ministry of Defence said.
One pilot ejected and has been taken to hospital, the second landed safely. The state of the two aircraft is not yet known.
Story at Times Online.
My wings are like a shield of steel.
The perils of being in such a service i guess, hope that the pilot who had to go to hospital is okay!
I Wonder what the insurance premiium is like to be a Red Arrows pilot?
AirSpace - more than just hot air
Some pictures of the Red Arrows in better times
The MOD can confirm that, at 1150hrs today, two Hawk aircraft from the Royal Air Force Red Arrows Aerobatic Team collided whilst undertaking pre-season training at Hellenic Air Force Base Kastelli in Crete.
The aircraft were being flown by Flight Lieutenant Mike Ling and Flight Lieutenant Dave Montenegro. Flt Lt Ling ejected from his aircraft sustaining a dislocated shoulder and minor injuries associated with an ejection. His aircraft was severely damaged on impact with the runway. Flt Lt Montenegro managed to land his aircraft safely with no injuries. An investigation into the cause of the incident will shortly be underway and the 2010 season training will continue as soon as possible.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/PilotsSafeAfterRedArrowsCollision.htm
The insurance cover for the Armed Forces is usually provided by Sterling Life, in conjunction with the MOD, but that may have changed. I have been unable to find out the cost, it must be a hell of a lot of 000000000000s !
I am lucky if I remember to turn the camera on and remove the lens cap!!!!, but I have a go.
The last fatal accident was in 1971, sadly four pilots lost their lives. The accident happened at RAF Kemble, which you probably knew.
Greetings from New Zealand. One of the pilots who died in the 1971 Kemble accident was a close friend of mine, Euan Perreaux. We grew up just a few streets from each other in Hamilton, NZ. We were both keen members of No.7 Squadron, Air Training Corps; under CO Alan Lissette who flew Spitfires and was shot down during the Italian campaign. Alan lived just a few doors away from us. I recall when Euan had his first dual lesson at our Waikato Aero Club with CFI, Ken Fenwick, who flew Catalinas with the RNZAF during WWII operations in the South-West Pacific. Ken is still with us and enjoys an ale at the aero club with us on a Sunday afternoon.
Just a few weeks ago, I got my brother-in-law, who lives in the Cotswolds, to photograph Euan's grave at Little Rissington. I was pleased to be able to get these images to Euan's sister Kim, who lives in Masterton, NZ. Kim is involved with the aviation airshow activity at Masterton's Hood aerodrome which is near Wellington. I recall the last time I saw Euan was when he came back to NZ on leave from his Lightning Squadron (or was it Hunters?) in 1963. He stayed with me and came out on aerial topdressing operations in the DHC-2 Beaver I was operating. He joked that the airstrips I was using were just a tad different to those he was ued to. I was working off a steep sloping airstrip just 230 yards long. What a great chum he was. Am thinking of writing an item about Euan as part of my series "Gone but not Forgotten". Some of you might wish to visit the Little Rissington church some time.
With great affection and respect from dakota67 who misses Euan still.........
Compare military aircrafts and future aircrafts side by side ..will all specs and details
Militay
http://www.aircraftcompare.com/subcategory/Military_Jets/11
Future aircrafts
http://www.aircraftcompare.com/category/Future_aircrafts/4
dakota67 I was on the three day selection board at Wigram with Euan in 1957. It was to select one person(from about twelve of us) to go to Cranwell. It would have been about June. At the time I was in the seventh form(called 6A in those days) and just over the minimum age of 16 1/2. Nobody was sent that year, due to lack of money by Airforce I believe, but Euan went next year I'm pretty sure. I remembered Euan because he was so modest(he described himself as a "grease monkey") and I don't believe he even mentioned, at least in my prescence, his membership in ATC. Would have noted that as I was in No. 1 ATC at Auckland. Maybe I'm wrong about Euan going to Cranwell for RNZAF(you would know ), maybe he went directly to the RAF. I'd always thought that he was in RNZAF and then "on loan" to RAF.
Funny small aviation world; I did my first commercial flight(aerial photography) off Hood aerodrome on 28th december 1960.
Hello dakota67, Euan was my parents best man in 1963. I was only 6 when he died but my mother often talks of him (my father '***' Coutts was in the RAF & that is how they met, sadly he died in 1998. Euan gave me a soft toy (squirral) when I was born & I still look after it ! I didnt know he had a sister but my mother often wonders what happened to his wife & children. Best Wishes from England Alison Willis nee Coutts.
i hope he makes a speedy recoverey cant fault the red arrows for there displays that they do it must be so intense, we love them.
Engineered wood floors