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Red Arrows Hawks in history

2004 marks the twenty-fifth year of the Hawk bearing the markings of the Red Arrows, although the first official display season was not until 1980. Much can be found on the official website regarding the pilots, but here we look at the mounts in which they fly and place their trust when formating just a few feet apart.

Since 1979, some twenty-three red-painted airframes have served with the team, together with others drawn from the fleet that have not been painted but used for training. XX156, the third production airframe, flew briefly with the team during 1999 - 2002. Eight have been lost in incidents, but only two have occurred during a public display. Thirteen Hawks are currently assigned to the fleet, being rotated through the slots as maintenance requirements demand. It is envisaged that at current usage levels it will be 2010 before a replacement is considered, although with the recent contract with BAE Systems for new Hawk fuselages the team could be flying the type for another twenty-five years yet!

Current aircraft are highlighted in bold, a picture can be found if underlined

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