I live not too far from Norwich Airport and in the last 2 days, have had them fly over my house in waves of 3 on their way to Clacton Airshow. I've always marvelled at their displays and will always remember seeing photos of them with Concorde!!! Certainly makes me feel proud to be British. http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/in_pictures_red_arrows_return_to_norwich_s_skies_1_4212117
You may feel differently if one comes down in your back yard. When I was a Councillor we put on the Lowestoft Air Show. The insurance premium was £40,000 which I thought illustrated that there was significant risk to the public. If it is people viewing the display I have no problem with that, you accept that risk. What I find less acceptable is unconnected third parties being exposed to risk without their consent.
I imagine it's not that it's likely it's just how devastating the effects can be if one did crash. As we've seen recently. I too have lived close to Norwich airport and have seen them when they base themselves there. From Norwich they've been known to go as far as Portsmouth. They tend to be good sports for those watching on the a140.
While I was living in Lincoln and they were based at Scampton, one came down on a house in Welton, there were no injuries amazingly, one of the home-owner's neighbour told him it was his own fault for leaving the landing light on! True story!
Funny I wondered if they weren't flying this year as they weren't at Cromer Carnival. As for airshows I've thought lately (before Shoreham) that maybe stunts should be banned on vintage aircraft because every year pretty much one comes down somewhere. Great spectacle but like everything there is a risk like having fireworks I guess. As for coming down over your house there's more likelihood of a commercial jet coming down just because of how many there are? I thought at Lowestoft the stunts were largely performed over the sea? My brother in law was part of raf investigation into the plane that ended up in the sea few years back.
They are still based at Scampton Dave. Used to see them frequently when I lived in Lincolnshire, did a lot of practice over the empty spaces of rural England.
Last saw the Red Arrows at Global Gathering in about '88, we were about 2 miles away from Long Marston airfield and listening to the event on Radio 1 when the DJ said that the Red Arrows were then arriving, at that moment two of them passed over our car at what seemed just slightly higher than treetop level, awesome stuff! I'm not really one for air displays, but the Red Arrows are special.
I suppose it's a generational thing. The Red Arrows don't do a lot for me. Now a Spitfire is different thing altogether.
Was at a GT race day at Silverstone about 12 years ago when there was a flyover consisting of two Spitfires and (if I remember correctly) a Lancaster bomber, that was impressive, a lot of the old boys were looking up at them with genuine tears in their eyes.
Only one spitfire Welly, the other was a Hurricane! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_Memorial_Flight
I lived in Lincoln for 21 years and often saw them on their way to some show or other, no matter how many times you see them they always send a tingle down the spine, mainly the sound of those Merlin engines!
Yeah, I was obviously far too young to hear it in its day, but the sound of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in the sky sounds like nothing else.
At RAF Conningsby the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has a Spit, Hurricane, Lancaster, and a few other planes, including Yanks, that still give displays. My daughter was associated with them in her early RAF career.
