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1. Red Gnat 1 – The Leading Aircraft when the team is in formation
2. Red Gnat 2 – the Second Aircraft when the team is in formation
3. Erect Flight – the aircraft is flying the “correct” way up
4. Inverted Flight – the aircraft is flying “upside down”
5. Echelon Right – the two aircraft are in close formation (around 10 feet apart) with the second aircraft to the RIGHT and slightly BEHIND the first
6. Echelon Left - the two aircraft are in close formation (around 10 feet apart) with the second aircraft to the LEFT and slightly BEHIND the first
7. Line Astern – the second aircraft is in close formation (around 10 feet apart) and directly BEHIND and BELOW the first
8. Crowd Centre – the central “aiming” point of the crowd for display pilots. It is sometimes actually at the centre of the display site, or may be offset for logistical reasons.
9. Display Line – an imaginary line which the display pilot uses as a reference along which to fly
10. 230 metre line – a specific DISPLAY LINE that marks a distance of 230 metres from the crowd. This line must NEVER be crossed by aircraft operating at more than 330 mph during the display
11. 430 metre line - a specific DISPLAY LINE that marks a distance of 430 metres from the crowd.
12. “A” Axis – the specific name for the DISPLAY LINE, it runs from CROWD LEFT to RIGHT
13. “B” Axis – the specific name for an imaginary line the runs at 90 degrees to the “A” Axis and crosses it at CROWD CENTRE
14. The 45 degree axis – an imaginary line which starts at the DISPLAY LINE and runs AWAY from the crowd at 45 degrees
15. Full Aileron Deflection – Provides the maximum roll rate for the aircraft in its longitudinal axis
16. ““G” (i.e. 3 g) – The gravitational force on the aircraft expressed in units of the Earth’s gravitational pull.
17. to “Smoke – The aircraft smoke system which produces brilliant white smoke emanating from the aircraft jet pipe. This is produced by diesel fuel coming into contact with the aircraft jet pipe exhaust.”
Entry – 330 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 330 mph at 300 feet
Flying in ECHELON RIGHT, the Team arrives from
CROWD LEFT and when it reaches CROWD CENTRE both aircraft roll into a banked
turn to the left.
The manoeuvre starts at 300 feet and describes
a FULL 360 degree circle in the sky. The aircraft climb to 1000 feet when
furthest away from the crowd and return once again to CROWD CENTRE to complete
the manoeuvre. The
aircraft are between 6 and 10 feet apart, flying at 330 mph and during the manoeuvre pull a maximum of 4 g.
Entry – 330 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 360 mph at 300 feet
Flying in ECHELON RIGHT, the team
depart to CROWD RIGHT on the 45 degree axis away from the DISPLAY LINE.
The formation then pitches 60 degrees nose up and
both aircraft roll to the right and continues to turn until they are heading
back along the DISPLAY LINE from CROWD RIGHT. During the turn, Red Gnat 2 smoothly
changes formation to prepare for the next pass.
By the time the formation returns towards CROWD
CENTRE from CROWD RIGHT, Red Gnat 2 is in LINE ASTERN and positioned around two
to three aircraft lengths BEHIND Red Gnat 1.
Mirror Pass
Entry - 360 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 360 mph and 300 feet
Flying in LINE ASTERN with Red Gnat 2 about two to
three aircraft lengths BEHIND Red Gnat 1, the Team arrives from CROWD RIGHT.
At the START of the DISPLAY LINE, Red Gnat 1 rolls
INVERTED and flies through CROWD CENTRE level and upside down.
Approximately 15 feet above Red Gnat 2 and pushing
the stick forward, the aircraft is subjected to -1g in order to maintain level inverted flight.
With Red Gnat 1 INVERTED and Red Gnat 2 ERRECT, the
Team maintain this “mirrored” appearance whilst it
passes through CROWD CENTRE and departs to CROWD LEFT.
At the end of the DISPLAY LINE, Red Gnat 1 rolls
ERECT to complete the MIRROR PASS.
Entry – 330 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 330 mph at 300 feet
The Team departs to CROWD LEFT in LINE ASTERN on
the 45 degree axis away from the DISPLAY LINE.
The formation then pitches 60 degrees nose up and
both aircraft roll to the left and continues to turn until they are heading
back along the DISPLAY LINE from CROWD LEFT. During the turn, Red Gnat 2
smoothly changes formation to prepare for the next pass.
By the time the formation returns towards CROWD
CENTRE from CROWD LEFT, Red Gnat 2 is in ECHELON RIGHT and ready for the next
pass.
Entry – 330 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 330 mph at 300 feet
Flying in ECHELON RIGHT, the Team arrives from
slightly behind the display area to CROWD LEFT.
At the start of the DISPLAY LINE the formation
rolls smoothly to the RIGHT about 50 degrees presenting the crowd with a top
side “canopy up” view of both aircraft.
The Team climbs gently to 600 feet at CROWD CENTRE
to allow for that perfect photographic opportunity and then descends back down
to 300 as it departs to CROWD RIGHT.
On reaching the end of the DISPLAY LINE, the
formation rolls left to depart the DISPLAY AREA and complete the manoeuvre.
Entry – 370 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 300 mph climbing to 2500 feet
The Team positions itself so that it is running
toward CROWD CENTRE along the “B” Axis, straight towards the crowd.
The formation run in down the b-axis in echelon
left at 300knots and upon reaching the 450m line, Red Gnat 1 calls “Break,
break GO!” and rolls HARD to the left. At the same moment Red Gnat 2 rolls to
the right behind the Leader, splitting the formation at CROWD CENTRE.
Both aircraft and pilots are subject to 4g as they
continue the turn onto the 45 degree line away from the DISPLAY LINE.
Now split up and heading away from the crowd at 330
mph, both aircraft simultaneously pitch 60 degrees nose up and then roll
through 270 degrees to head back towards the DISPLAY AREA from both CROWD LEFT
and RIGHT.
Entry – 370 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 370 mph at 300 feet
Red Gnat runs in from CROWD RIGHT and Red Gnat 2
from crowd left. With a closing speed of 750 mph the aircraft cross at CROWD
CENTRE.
Red Gnat 1 adjusts speed and direction to ensure
that the aircraft cross at CROWD CENTRE with a vertical and lateral separation
of no more then 10 feet.
Entry – 360 mph at 300 feet
Exit – minimum 160 mph at 4500 feet at the top
of the manoeuvre and 1000
feet to complete.
Red Gnat 2 runs towards CROWD CENTRE along the “B”
Axis, straight towards the crowd.
When it reaches the 450 meter line, at a speed of
370 mph,
Red Gnat 2 pitches up through 60 degrees and holds
a steady 4g until it completes the first half of loop.
The aircraft reaches 4500 feet and has slowed down
to 160 mph. It continues the manoeuvre until pointing 60 degrees nose down, but still INVERTED.
With the aircraft now pointing at the ground, the
speed quickly builds to 330 mph, when the pilot rolls the aircraft through 180
degrees so that it is once again the “correct” way up. Now ERECT , Red Gnat 2 flies away from the crowd once again along the
“B” Axis to complete the manoeuvre.
Entry – 360 mph and 300 to 500 feet
Exit – 360 mph and 300 to 500 feet
The Folland Gnat rolls extremely well and at more
than 360 degrees per second.
From either CROWD LEFT or RIGHT and at 360 mph, the
pilot pitches nose up an imperceptible but crucial few degrees.
A definite “check forward” on the control column to
arrest any pitching moment ensures that when FULL AILERON DEFLECTION is
applied, a sparkling roll at more than 360 degrees per second is the result.
The aircraft recovers to ERECT flight at the same height
and speed to complete the manoeuvre.
LOOP
Entry – 360 mph at 300 feet
Exit – the top of the manoeuvre extends to 4500 at 160
mph
From either CROWD LEFT or RIGHT and at a speed of
370 mph, the aircraft pitches up through 60 degrees and holds a steady 4g until
it completes the first half of loop.
At the top of the manoeuvre the aircraft reaches 4500 feet and speed reduces to 160 mph before heading once
again towards the ground to complete the loop at the same height and speed which
it began, describing a vertical circle in the sky.
Inverted Pass
Entry – 360 mph and 300 to 500 feet
Exit – 360 mph and 300 to 500 feet
From either CROWD LEFT or RIGHT and at 360 mph, the
pilot pitches nose up an imperceptible but crucial few degrees.
A definite “check forward” on the control column to
arrest any pitching moment ensures that when FULL AILERON DEFLECTION is
applied, the aircraft rolls quickly through 180 degrees to INVERTED flight.
The roll to INVERTED flight is started at the
beginning of the DISPLAY LINE so that the aircraft passes CROWD CENTRE in a
stable INVERTED attitude before rolling erect once again as it departs the
DISPLAY AREA.
Canadian Break
Entry – 400 mph and 300 feet
Exit – 300 mph at 300 feet
Red Gnat 1 runs towards CROWD CENTRE along the “B”
Axis, straight towards the crowd. At 400 mph and upon reaching the 450m line,
the aircraft begins a FULL AILERON DEFLECTION roll to the LEFT, BUT stops the manoeuvre after 270 degrees with
the aircraft on its side.
A pull to 5g means that the aircraft completes a
flat turn through 90 degrees onto the display line.
Paradoxically, the pilot has rolled the aircraft to
the LEFT but ended up changing direction to the RIGHT.
Derry Turnaround
Entry – 360 mph and a minimum 300 feet
Exit – 300 mph and 2500 feet
At 360 mph, the pilot pitches the aircraft to 60
degrees nose up and then pauses to gain some height. As the speed reduces
though 330 mph the pilot begins a FULL AILERON DEFLECTION roll BUT stops the manoeuvre after 270 degrees with
the aircraft on its side.
A pull to 3g through 180 degrees means that the
aircraft completes a “turnaround” back in the direction from which it came.
It is a classic turnaround manoeuvre used to reposition
display aircraft back for a run-in to the display line.
The Signature Heart
Entry – 400 mph at 300 feet
Exit – 280 mph climbing to 4500 feet
The Team positions itself so that it is running
toward CROWD CENTRE in ECHELON RIGHT along the “B” Axis, straight towards the
crowd.
When the aircraft reaches the 450 meter line, at a
speed of nearly 400 mph, Red Gnat 1 pitches the formation gently to 70 degrees
nose up and into a rapid climb.
At 4000 feet and 330 mph, Red Gnat 1 calls “Break,
break GO!” at which point both aircraft turn their smoke ON.
At the break, the jets describe identical but
symmetrical manoeuvres. Red Gnat 1 breaks hard LEFT and Red
Gnat 2 hard RIGHT.
Both jets OVER BANK to a minimum of 120 degrees and
pull simultaneously to 4g. This is maintained until both display pilots have
the nose of their jets pointing directly at a pre-agreed feature on the ground,
when the pilots release the “g loading” and aim for the point.
Red Gnat 2 is responsible for getting close to but
avoiding Red Gnat 1 at the back of the “Heart” when both aircraft select smoke
OFF and the manoeuvre is
complete.
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