SAC Rose Buchanan / Royal Air Force
- The Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows flew over the Hudson River on August 22, passing landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. "You see on a map with New York on there, and you’re about to fly down the Hudson… We’ve been talking about it for months," Flight Lieutenant Damon Green told Insider.
- The Red Arrows have flown the BAE Systems T1 Hawk since 1979. "I think the pilots see them as almost like flying a classic sports car," Operations Officer Doug Smith said.
- Four F-35 Lightning II aircraft flew in formation with the Red Arrows, and the US Air Force Thunderbirds joined, too.
- Visit Business Insider’s home page for more stories.
The Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows streaked red, white, and blue down the Hudson River on Thursday as they flew a demonstration flight alongside the US Air Force Thunderbirds, the F-22 Raptor demonstration team, and four US Air Force F-35s.
It’s the first US tour for the Red Arrows since 2008. Read on for stunning images from their flight.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) demonstration took place August 22, alongside the US Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team and four US Air Force F-35s. The entire crew for the Red Arrows’ North American tour comprises 108 people, PR Manager Andrew Morton told Insider.
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
The Red Arrows fly the BAE Systems T1 Hawk, as they have done since 1979. While the system is 40 years old, the Hawk is a dependable aircraft and "a testament to the British engineering behind them," Red Arrow engineering team member Ben Ireland told Insider. "I think the pilots see them as almost like flying a classic sports car," Operations Officer Doug Smith said.
Mike Segar / REUTERS
The Red Arrows are on their largest North American tour in 11 years, visiting 26 cities in the US and Canada over 11 weeks. The tour is representative of the strong relationship between the US and the UK — "No nations work more closely together," Morton said.
Cpl Graham Taylor RAF / Ministry of Defence
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Source: Business Insider – eioanes@businessinsider.com (Ellen Ioanes)