We were treated to a fabulous experience today when The City of Edinburgh Council Press Office and the MOD organised for us to attend Edinburgh airport to see The Red Arrows landing just before their air display tonight over Edinburgh, the first visit for 23 years.This is all part of the celebrations this weekend for Armed Forces Day.
Each plane landed carrying two aircrew, one is the pilot and they are named Red 1 to Red 10, the other is the technician or Circus 1 to Circus 10.
Senior Aircraftman Geraldine Beaton is Circus 2 and Mechanical Technician with Red 2, Flight Lieutenant Chris Lyndon-Smith. She attended Selkirk High School and Borders College of Further Education. The other woman member of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team is Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore who studied for a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London before joining the Royal Air Force. There are only two women in the flying team, but Squadron Leader Liz Parker is the Team Manager.
We took a few snaps…..too many really, but The Reporter was a little overawed by the opportunity to snap all these planes without netting spoiling the view! We have put some up as a gallery below, and will upload more to our Flickr photostream as soon as can.
After the airport we went over to Cramond where there were many people watching from the foreshore, all desperate to witness the skills and wizardry which are almost unbelievable to see firsthand. As one little girl said:-“Oh look they are doing a hoop the loop!” They flew over the city for just under half an hour, and are on hand over the weekend to do the fly-pasts planned for them and The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We watched them land at Edinburgh too.
