European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Britain s crack red arrows Are on target red Arrow i ots practice formations with different smoke mixtures. Story and photos by Dave Diehl . Bureau this year As with years past millions will squint skyward hand Over brow to see them. Nine men mainly who Fly jets Nice red ones. But they do it very Well and much to the Delight of those millions. Young boys girls too for a time after seeing them will want to be pilots Jet pilots. And when they become Jet pilots they la want to be red arrows. More than 21 seasons and More than 2,000 displays All Over the world have made the red arrows the most recognizable asset of the Royal air Force. They exist to be admired and to make Little boys and girls want to be if not a red Arrow at least a part of the Royal air Force. Their ooh and Ash shows Are the ones that leave people with tingling toes and sweaty Palms. Mile High loops Wing tip to Wing tip manbevers and lightning fast aerobatics is their method. They Are the boy wonders of the sky. They Are Good at what they do. The Best Many reckon. Practice As in anything makes one Good. The red arrows Are no exception. By the time they re seen in Public they la have practice three sometimes up to six times a Day for six months. Formations like the Vixen concorde big nine and nine Arrow become second nature to the team and flying the Hawk Jet trainers gets to be like driving a car a 570-Mph car. Flight it. Dan Findlay is this year one of the three new arrivals to the red arrows team. Findlay 30, counts his time in fast jets at about 2,100 hours since 1975. He s flown the Raf s Buckanneer and Hunter and he was an instructor Pilot in the Hawk. He had to apply twice before being accepted to the team. Most people do Findlay said. There Are a lot of people who would like the Job he says. Findlay like the rest of his aerobatic Brethren has an honest humility about him. He does t boast but tends to talk about All the fun he has doing his new Job. We re in show business but we just consider ourselves another Squadron,".Findlay says As if a Veteran. We re part of the Raf the Public  As a Rookie with the team Findlay looks Forward to three years with the red arrows. Although he and the other eight red arrows Are reluctant to admit it he was picked from among the Best of the Best. And for that hell be rewarded with a lot of flying in a lot of places in front of a lot of people. After their first six months of practice the red arrows travel to their first overseas venue Cyprus to polish the show. There s Good flying weather there that s not necessarily at their Home base at Raf Scampton in Britain. From then on it s up to three Aerial 6 stripes Magazine March 20,1986