Red Arrows fly in to conquer hearts in China
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Program Code: 0909346161005013 Source: Shanghai Daily
AS a small boy, Mike Ling would watch the Red Arrows, eyes bulging, perform every year near his home at London’s Biggin Hill. His biggest dream was to one day fly as part of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team in those heart-stopping flying displays. His dream has come true, and next week he will be in Zhuhai, where the Red Arrows will fly for the first time in China.
It wasn’t an easy path, however. In order to join the prestigious band of flyers, one has to meet a gruelling list of requirements.
“We’re all frontline military pilots from the Royal Air Force … we have to have at least 1,500 hours of fast jet flying,” the 37-year-old says.
“We have to be assessed as ‘above average,’ and must complete at least one frontline operation or tour.”
It’s a very stringent process that’s worked well for 50-plus years.
So Ling set out, at a very young age, to achieve his childhood dream as quickly as possible.
“I joined the Royal Air Force straight from school as an 18-year-old,” he recalls. “From there I went to the frontline to fly the Tornado F3.” He finally joined the Red Arrows in 2007.
Most Red Arrows pilots fly with the team for around three years. Ling’s been lucky, having already been a member for eight years.
The Red Arrows have performed more than 4,700 aerobatic displays at airshows across 56 countries since its inception in 1965. Next week they’ll perform in China for the first time — their 57th country — as part of Airshow China in Guangdong Province.
Ling says the Red Arrows’ performances in Zhuhai will be “a constant visual spectacle for the crowd,” which will feature 25 awe-inspiring maneuvers with the jets sometimes only two meters apart, and flying at 750 kilometers per hour.
“It’s a very dynamic performance.”
The Red Arrows took nearly four weeks to arrive in China due to the short range of the Hawk T1 jets that feature in their shows. The jets are forced to land every 1,100 kilometers — about one hour and 45 minutes of flying — to refuel, before taking off and continuing again.
In total, the team has brought 12 aircraft to China, including two C130 Hercules which carry spare parts and other equipment.
The planes fly everywhere in close formation, Ling says, to put as little stress as possible on air traffic control. This includes flying at around 27,000 feet (8,100 meters), at about 800 kilometers per hour.
This is both the Red Arrows and Ling’s first trip to China. The team landed in Hong Kong before making its way to Shanghai on Monday.
“It’s fantastic!” he gushes when asked about Shanghai. “I’m amazed at how everything flows brilliantly … Shanghai is just a beautiful, peaceful city, and this is such a fantastic opportunity, so we’re very, very grateful to be here.”
One of the main goals of the visit is to demonstrate the excellence of the Royal Air Force and British industry, Ling says.
“We fly British aircraft … lots of British institutions come together for the aircraft we’re flying.”
But Ling says, perhaps more importantly, the Red Arrows hope to “inspire the next generation.”
At every air show he performs as part of the Red Arrows, Ling’s sure there is a young version of himself in the crowd, dreaming of one day taking to the skies.
“I hope to meet him or her in Zhuhai,” he says. “I will tell them to work hard and to follow their dream, just like I was so lucky to be able to do.”
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