'No in-flight entertainment' as Red Arrows set off for US
Getty ImagesAhead of a month of displays in the US to mark 250 years since the War of Independence, the RAF's aerobatics team, The Red Arrows, have set off on a gruelling trek to get their iconic red aircraft across the Atlantic.
"A busy day ahead, lots of water to cross," Wing Cdr Jon Bond tells me on the phone from Stornoway, Scotland - the first of six refuelling stops.
They will then head to Iceland for stop two, before flying to Greenland and then Canada.
It is an understatement to say the three-day journey has taken forensic planning as the team, including support staff, set of from their home at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, for Martin State Airport, north east of Washington DC.
The leapfrogging, Wing Cdr Bond explains, is necessary on a number of fronts.
"Unfortunately, we don't have any air-to-air refuelling capability and our aircraft can only carry about an hour-and-a-half to an hour-45 worth of fuel.
"These cockpits, that are 40 or 50 years old, can be quite cramped.
"It's a little bit lonely on these transits. I've done these a couple of times now in the T1 and the two hours goes quite slowly.
"No in-flight entertainment either."
MODSupporting the 11 aircraft from the Red Arrows' team are an Atlas C.1 (A400M) transport plane, a P-8A Poseidon and the Envoy IV CC Mk1.
"Our aeroplanes don't have the appropriate radio equipment or navigation aids," Wg Cdr Bond adds.
"We need them, essentially, to be the eyes and ears for us as we transit across.
"We go out of radio communication range quite quickly in that part of the world but they have high frequency radios and all the latest GPS solutions that enable us to safely cross the Atlantic."
MODAs part of the US anniversary celebrations, the Red Arrows will join other aircraft from around the world for a special flypast.
Wing Cdr Bond adds: "We've got a massive flypast over New York on the 4th of July, with an incredible amount of aeroplanes.
"It's all to be finalised over the next week or so, but I've been told there'll be in excess of 140 or 150 aeroplanes, with many nations taking part.
"It's going to be a really big event."
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