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We Have Followed The Red Arrows As They Performed In The Washington DC Region

The Washington D.C. area was treated to a rare appearance by the Royal Air Force Acrobatic Team lately.

As you probably already know by now, the Royal Air Force Red Arrows are currently on their first North American tour in over a decade. As part of their eleven week deployment across Canada and the United States, after taking part in a rare NYC flyover along with the Thunderbirds, two F-35As Lightning II jets of the F-35 Demo Team and two F-22s of the Raptor Demo Team ahead of the New York International Air Show, the Red Arrows spent a few days in the Washington D.C. region on Aug. 26-27, 2019.

The team flies the BAE Systems Hawk T.1., which is an advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft with over 900 airframes produced. The Red Arrows operate some of the oldest Hawks in the RAF: this is the norm for most aerial demonstration teams, who tend to receive their aircraft which are cascaded down from operational units.

Originally developed by Hawker Siddeley, the Hawk was first developed as a tandem seat advanced pilot trainer. Soon afterward it was further developed as a light ground attack aircraft with some air to air capability. Demonstrating the soundness of the design, the United States Navy selected a beefed up version of the plane, the Goshawk T-45C in 1981. Fully carrier qualified, the T-45C is the standard jet trainer of the U.S. Navy.

The Red Arrows flew 12 Hawks across the Atlantic over a three day period. This was due in part that the aircraft is a trainer with relatively short range and lacks air-to-air refueling capability. Departing their home base of RAF Scampton, they made refueling and rest stops in Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, and finally Canada. Throughout their tour, they are being logistically supported by a RAF Atlas A400M transport.

Their first Washington flyover was a nine ship formation with a tenth Hawk (Red 10, piloted by Sqn Leader Adam Collins) serving as a photography platform. The Red Arrows overflew Washington’s monumental core in the “Big Battle” formation. The formation approached from the southeast over the Jefferson Memorial, banked left and exited the Capital to the west.

Their next appearance was to be a three aircraft flyover of the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate as the cloud cover was too low. Thus the three ship flyover was scrubbed and the Hawks landed individually and taxied to the museum’s ramp.

This offered a rare opportunity for museum visitors to gather outside the north end of the building and observe the Hawks as they arrived.

Following engine shutdown and media availability to photograph the planes and interview the crew, the public was allowed to wonder around the aircraft and observe them close hand. The crew members then proceeded indoors for a panel discussion about the Red Arrows and their North American tour.

Later that same day, the Red Arrows once again flew their nine aircraft “Big Battle” formation over the Washington Nationals baseball stadium.

Absolutely honored to have had @rafredarrows decorate the sky above #Nats Park with today’s flyover. #RedArrowsTour // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/UQhZWkvoOW — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 28, 2019

As we Americans are more used to the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force’s Thunderbirds performing with their standard six aircraft display, it was most impressive to watch the Red Arrows flyover in their nine Hawk formation. It is too bad there was no air show in the D.C. area, for them to perform their full aerial demonstration.

After Washington DC, the Red Arrows headed northwest to fly over the Niagara Falls and then went to Toronto where they were joined by the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds display team.

This one’s an absolute corker. #RedArrowsTour https://t.co/vemUnGVDMS — Red 10 (@RAFRed10) August 29, 2019

Paired up with our International friends @CFSnowbirds over #Toronto for an iconic photo sortie. Spectacular lines captured by Sgt Ashley Keates from @RAFRed10 ‘s backseat. #RedArrowsTour . Looking forward to @CIASToronto for Labor Day weekend! pic.twitter.com/lR9AR2FYe6 — Martin Pert – Red 1 (@RAFRed1) August 30, 2019

The Red Arrows tour continues across the Western half of the United States and concludes on Oct. 8, 2019.

• Red Arrows North American Tour 2019
• Royal Air Force

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United Arrows and TaylorMade Partner For Third Collaborative Collection

Under the creative vision of yosuke sasagawa..

United Arrows , a Japanese clothing brand known for its urban utilitarian style collaborations with brands like New Balance , The North Face and more, has recently revealed its third collaborative effort with golf brand TaylorMade .

The collection touches on themes of street, urban and outdoor wear, featuring an almost military-like uniformity equipped with versatile utility. Colors found in the collection are primarily made up of various shades of khaki and black, with a few white and high visibility items in the mix as well.

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To the ties that bind our strings to our bows and our hearts to each other.

Trad tour exclusives.

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Upcoming Events

Trad Tour Archery specializes in equipment for the 30-45 lb competitive archery including light GPI arrows.

Check out our full line of bows, arrows, apparel and archery gear in our online shop and at events!

Trad Tour Archery is an offical USA Archery Club. To join and be eligible to wear the Trad Tour signature, personalized jersey, Just click on the USA Archery Club Sign Up button above, register and name Trad Tour as your club affiliation. 

Stay tuned to the calendar of events on this page to see where we will pop up next and for upcoming competitions.

If you would like your archery event listed on calendar, please contact us at [email protected] or through the Contact Us page here. 

© 2023 by Kris Johnston

Moscow Metro Underground Small-Group Tour - With Reviews & Ratings

Moscow metro underground small-group tour.

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Tour Information

Key Details

• Mobile Voucher Accepted
• Free Cancellation
• Duration: 3 Hrs
• Language: English
• Departure Time : 10:00 AM
• Departure Details : Karl Marks Monument on Revolution Square, metro stop: Square of Revolution
• Return Details : Metro Smolenskaya
• If you cancel at least 4 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
• If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
• Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Go beneath the streets on this tour of the spectacular, mind-bending Moscow Metro! Be awed by architecture and spot the Propaganda , then hear soviet stories from a local in the know. Finish it all up above ground, looking up to Stalins skyscrapers, and get the inside scoop on whats gone on behind those walls.

Know More about this tour

We begin our Moscow tour beneath the city, exploring the underground palace of the Moscow Metro. From the Square of Revolution station, famous for its huge statues of soviet people (an armed soldier, a farmer with a rooster, a warrior, and more), we’ll move onto some of the most significant stations, where impressive mosaics, columns, and chandeliers will boggle your eyes! Moreover, these stations reveal a big part of soviet reality — the walls depict plenty of Propaganda , with party leaders looking down from images on the walls. Your local guide will share personal stories of his/her family from USSR times, giving you insight into Russia’s complicated past and present. Then we’re coming back up to street level, where we’ll take a break and refuel with some Russian fast food: traditional pancakes, called bliny. And then, stomachs satiated, we are ready to move forward! We’ll take the eco-friendly electric trolleybus, with a route along the Moscow Garden Ring. Used mainly by Russian babushkas(grannies) during the day, the trolleybus hits peak hours in the mornings and evenings, when many locals use it going to and from their days. Our first stop will be the Aviator’s House, one of Stalin’s Seven Sisters, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — and you’ll hear the legends of what has gone on inside the walls. Throughout your Moscow tour, you’ll learn curious facts from soviet history while seeing how Russia exists now, 25 years after the USSR.

Local English-speaking guide

Pancake snack and drink

Additional food and drinks

Tickets for public transport

Souvenirs and items of a personal nature

Tips and gratuities for the guide

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Dress standard: Please wear comfortable shoes for walking. For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people

Traveler Reviews

This tour exceeded our expectations. Nikolai (Nick), our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, thorough, and has a great personality. He didn't take shortcuts and really covered everything that was on the agenda in great detail. We saw beautiful metro stations and learned the history behind them, including many of the murals and designs.

We did the tour with Anna her knowledge and understanding of the History surrounding the metro brought the tour alive. Well done Anna!

This tour was amazing!

Anna was a great tour guide. She gave us heaps of interesting information, was very friendly, and very kindly showed us how to get to our next tour.

Amazing beauty and history.

An excellent tour helped by an absolutely amazing guide. Anna gave a great insight into the history of the metro helped by additional material she had prepared.

great tour and guide - thanks again

great will do it again, Miriam ke was very good as a guide she has lived here all here life so knew every interesting detail.a good day

Listen Live

Red Arrows soar into 60th anniversary air show displays with special Diamond Season

The iconic Red Arrows are celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2024 with a special Diamond Season of aerial displays.

A new nine-aircraft show will mark the milestone season, featuring manoeuvres not seen for a generation in the Red Arrows' display routine, which changes every year.

And as a further part of their anniversary campaign, the Royal Air Force aerobatic team have unveiled special artwork that will be featured on each of the Hawk jets.

• RAF scraps its strict no hand tattoo policy for potential recruits and serving personnel
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• How the King learned to fly in a Chipmunk with a 'Royal warning light'

Today, we’re setting out plans for the #RedArrows ’ 60th Diamond Season including: 🔴 Unveiling special artwork on our Hawks ⚪️ Announcing a Canada tour for the @RCAF_ARC centennial 🔵 A new show to celebrate our heritage and inspire the future Read more: https://t.co/iQg3ENrTPb pic.twitter.com/YLyWubSERI — Red Arrows (@rafredarrows) February 9, 2024

The Red Arrows took off in 1964, blending previous RAF teams into one. Their first public show at Little Rissington in May 1965 kicked off their inaugural display season.

Since then, they've wowed audiences with nearly 5,000 performances in 57 countries.

From small country fairs to big air shows and even state occasions, they have left their mark on aviation history.

The anniversary artwork, adorning both sides of the fuselage and tail of the team’s aircraft, commemorates the Diamond Season with finesse.

Featuring the sleek outlines of two Red Arrows Hawk jets, the design elegantly trails patriotic colours, symbolising the team's proud heritage and remarkable journey.

"The logos are a subtle yet stylish nod towards the team’s heritage, but are also a reminder that our aim is very much to inspire for the future," said Squadron Leader Bond, the Red Arrows' Team Leader this season.

"For example, many of the events we’ll be part of this year will bring people together to encourage individuals to look at the importance of the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths and the role they play in powering the work of the RAF."

The first public show of their 2024 campaign is expected to take place at the end of May.

UK and mainland European displays are expected to be staged in May, June, July, the first half of August and early October, with the dates to be released shortly.

A tour to Canada, named Maple Hawk, will not take place until the second half of August and follows an invitation made by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

 "The Red Arrows are excited and honoured to return to Canada in 2024 to help celebrate the centennial of the Royal Canadian Air Force," said Wing Commander Adam Collins, the Officer Commanding of the aerobatic team.

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Emirates A380 and Red Arrows ‘score an Ace’ and kick off the DP World Tour Championship with a spectacular flypast

DUBAI, UAE, 17 November 2022:  Emirates and the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, took to the skies this afternoon to celebrate the start of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai with a spectacular flypast over Jumeirah Golf Estates, along the Sheikh Zayed Road skyline and near the iconic Burj Khalifa. 

The aerial formation involved an Emirates A380 and seven of the Red Arrows’ Hawk jets flying in a “V” formation.

Taking off from Dubai International Airport, the Emirates A380 made its approach over Jumeirah Golf Estates, joined by the RAF Red Arrows as World Number One golfer Rory McIlroy and three-time DP World Tour winner Ryan Fox, teed off at 1240hrs Dubai time. As the group of aircraft flew at an altitude of just 1,000 feet over the skies of Jumeirah Golf Estates, the seven Red Arrows aircraft released red smoke trails to signal the start of the action at the DP World Tour Championship.

The aerial grouping then continued along Sheikh Zayed Road, stepping up its altitude to 3,000 feet, at a speed of 250 knots, to finally reach and pass the iconic Burj Khalifa before heading west towards the Dubai coastline where all aircraft broke formation and continued on to their respective airports for landing.

Proudly commanding the Emirates A380 were two UAE National Captains Rashed Murshed and Mubarak Al Mheiri, supported by Captain Ricky Garala and Captain Philippe Lombet. The Red Arrows team was led by Squadron Leader Tom Bould, flying as Red 1.

Today’s flypast underscores the airline’s long-standing commitment to golf, its fans around the globe, and bringing prestigious, high-caliber events to its home base of Dubai . The airline’s partnership with the season-ending DP World Tour Championship stretches all the way back to 2009. For over 13 years, the airline has carried more than 600 professional golfers to Dubai to play in the DP World Tour Championship, attracting more than 200,000 golf enthusiasts to the exciting tournament.  

Emirates is the Official Tournament Partner at 14 events on the DP World Tour calendar each season, with a strong brand presence on course boards across 21 DP World Tour tournaments and on the Tour’s media and digital platforms. The airline is also a partner of the Tour’s Virtual Eye , delivered through live television broadcasts which provide real-time positioning and information about player performance and statistics. 

In Dubai, Emirates also has year-around branding rights at the Emirates Golf Club, one of the city’s 18 world-class golf courses which establish Dubai’s status as one of the world’s leading golf tourism destinations.

The Red Arrows are one of the world’s premier aerobatic display teams, having performed 5,000 times to tens of millions of people, across 57 countries, since their opening 1965 season.

The team has been visiting the United Arab Emirates as part of a five-week tour of the Gulf region, with thrilling displays and inspiring ground events aimed at promoting a range of UK interests spanning trade, business, education and the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.

More Information

About emirates.

The Emirates story started in 1985 when we launched operations with just two aircraft. Today, we fly the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, offering our customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies.

We inspire travelers around the world with our growing network of worldwide destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine, and world-class service.

Find out more

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Disclaimer: Information contained in the press releases published on our media centre is accurate at the time of publication.

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

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‘Bass on one shoulder, bow and arrows on the other’: life with Fela Kuti on history’s most dangerous tour

In 1979, my father Roy Ayers went on an extraordinary three-week tour with the Afrobeat pioneer amid extreme violence in Nigeria. Three band members recount the unforgettable trip

I n 1977, after Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti criticised the military regime in his native Nigeria, 1,000 government soldiers raided his compound, Kalakuta Republic. They beat and raped its inhabitants and threw Kuti’s 78-year-old mother from a second-storey window, ultimately killing her. Despite the attack, Kuti continued to use his music as a way to speak out.

Meanwhile, Roy Ayers – my father, with whom I have never had a relationship – was riding high on his 1976 hit song Everybody Loves the Sunshine . While he wasn’t especially political, he and Kuti had common ground in their pan-African beliefs. Ayers’s lawyer, who was Nigerian, convinced him that he and Kuti should link up. “You should go to Africa,” he said, “because there’s a musician I want you to meet.”

Ayers agreed and his lawyer arranged the logistics. Ayers duly travelled to Nigeria in 1979 to tour with Kuti. A resulting album, Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti and Roy Ayers : Music of Many Colours, was released in 1980 and drew widespread acclaim. But little is known about the tour that spawned it. Taking place when Nigeria was in a state of chaos, with government corruption prompting frequent unrest and subsequent violent crackdowns, it turned out to be a death-defying struggle.

Writing my memoir My Life in the Sunshine brought out dozens of new paternal connections including Chi’cas Reid, 73, a vocalist in Roy Ayers Ubiquity from 1975 to 1979 – the female voice you hear on Everybody Loves the Sunshine – and Henry Root, 71, Ayers’s road manager during the same period. In a video call along with 84-year-old drummer Bernard Purdie, I asked them to tell me everything about their time touring Nigeria.

Chi’cas Reid Roy’s lawyer set the tour up. I thought it was a chance – the beginning of a big career for me. Even though I’d played in different states and South America, going to Africa was a big thing. But once we got to Nigeria , we were thrown to the wolves. They took our passports.

Henry Root We were staying at the Holiday Inn – the best hotel in Lagos. The night we got there you could hear gunshots from our hotel. They were tying people to sand-filled oil drums and executing them on the beach nearby.

Bernard Purdie None of us knew what was going on – and we couldn’t leave the hotel because there were guards keeping us there.

Reid Some days we had electricity, some days we didn’t. It was like stepping back in time: people were living with mud floors, anthills were as tall as trees. Things that I’d never seen before or even seen in National Geographic.

Root On the second night, Fela had all of us out to his compound, Kalakuta. That was a crazy scene. Complete chaos.

Reid Fela was performing when we showed up. His dancers were hanging from the ceiling in cages. It was like Studio 54 but in a smaller setting.

Root He then took 28 of his 31 wives on tour with him. And they were all under 21, if not under 18.

Reid The wives were in their costumes all the time. And they dressed me up and gave me makeup. It was wild. People were smoking weed as big as cigars, man. Everyone was smoking all day all night, all the time, out in the open.

Root I was the only white guy on the tour. The night we met him, Fela told Roy to send me home because I’d get killed. And Roy gave me a choice to stay or go home. I was like, I just got here. Of course I’m staying. I had to get the equipment out of customs. A big newspaper sponsored the tour, and every day a guy from the newspaper would pick me up at the hotel and we’d go to the airport and meet with this beefy guy who wouldn’t give us the equipment. Finally on the third day, the newspaper man told me to give the man $500. I said, “Why didn’t you tell me that three days ago?!”

Reid Once it started, the tour unravelled. We felt like we were confined in a country where we didn’t have any say.

Root There was not really an itinerary. The newspaper would print where the tour was. So I’d tear a page out of the paper to find out where we were supposed to be. But I still had no idea where the cities were.

Reid A lot of the townships we visited were very strict and didn’t want us playing the music we played. They also didn’t like that Fela had all those wives.

Purdie One night on the bus, someone jumped up and told the bus driver to stop, stop! We stopped about six inches from a hole in the road from a bomb that blew the road away. It was in the middle of the night, so we couldn’t travel at night after that.

Reid We couldn’t travel in the day because people would see us, and Fela was wanted. So we had to travel very early in the morning. And the little buses they had for us, we all had to pack in, and just hold on to what we had. There were no roads. We would look down and see the trucks that had fallen off the cliff below us.

Root I only rode in the bus a couple of times when the villages we were going to were too dangerous. [On one occasion] people said there were robbers up the road who would kill anyone who stopped. But some people said this is a dangerous village, if you stop to sleep here, they’re going to come on the bus and rob you and kill you. So we have 25 adults having a serious conversation about whether we wanted to get killed on the road ahead or killed in this village. I remember saying I’d rather be moving than sitting here, so we continued driving and never saw any robbers. Those were the kinds of decisions we were making almost every day.

Purdie Every day. Every day.

Root At Kalakuta that first night, Roy and Fela had a conversation about who would headline. Fela said: “You’re my distinguished American guest, you headline.” And Roy said, “No, you drive the music market here, you headline.” They went back and forth and finally to be polite, Roy agreed to headline. Fela did a four-to-six hour show before Roy could go on and that was the last time we headlined.

Reid He played one beat all night long. All night. Like until four or five in the morning.

Purdie He’d play his horn, get tired, go sit down, and then the percussionists started playing, then he comes back a half hour later, goes at it again. I mean, it was amazing. When we finally got to another city, we realised that we could go eat or do something else instead of wait for Fela to finish his six-hour set.

Reid Once I got up on the stage I did my thing, I was good to go. They treated me like a queen. I had a good time once I was outside of the fear.

Root Every opportunity he had, Fela would go lecture at a school and I would listen to him talk about freedom and independence and how the country had been oppressed by the white people.

Reid I remember when some of the kids or the women would touch Henry’s skin or his hair. They just couldn’t believe there was a white man in their village.

Root At an outdoor amphitheatre in Kano or Kaduna, there was a riot and they turned over Fela’s bus and set it on fire the first night. And we were stupid enough to go back and play that venue a second night. Fela’s bass player comes in for sound check, and he’s got his bass guitar over one shoulder, and a bow and arrows over his other shoulder. I’m this white-bread guy, a sociology major in college, and I’m looking at these arrows. I asked what he was doing and he explained that last night people threw rocks from trees, and that if they did it again, he’d be ready.

Reid I toured Latin America with Joe Cocker, with Keith Richards in the band. That was laid back compared with this.

Root We played this huge soccer stadium that must have held 25,000 people. The stage was plywood nailed to planks set up on oil drums. The lights were fluorescent tube lamps nailed to the side of the stage. And the power was an extension cord running to the locker room across the field. The walls were three storeys high, and there was a riot outside the stadium, and the cops came and teargassed the audience. So Roy’s band is on the stage performing, and all the tear gas is coming over the wall and they’re all choking and crying.

Reid People were running everywhere, it was terrible.

Purdie I’m so glad that I didn’t know what was going on at the time. I probably would not have played if I’d known.

Root It was all crazy, single, drunk guys with no women. That was the audience.

Reid It was all men drinking beer inside the stadium, and all women selling food out on the street. And you guys protected me!

Root This big muscular guy Patrick was one of Fela’s lieutenants. He wore a black beret. One night around 4am, a bunch of military police pulled the equipment truck over. They pointed Uzis at me and the crew, and they made us take all the equipment off the truck and open all the cases. Then Patrick and his crew came screaming to a stop. Patrick jumps out of the car and runs up to the military police and he starts taking their Uzis out of their arms and throwing them on the ground and stomping on them and yelling at them for holding me up. I thought I was gonna get shot that night. We were supposed to come home for Thanksgiving.

Reid We told Roy we were leaving, but by then he’d connected with Fela to record this album together. We were all at the end of our rope. Everybody was ready to quit and fly home. Bernard and I finally decided we were getting out of there. They had taken our passports when we arrived, but I met a guy that worked at the airport. There were no sexual favours or anything, he was just so humble, and he got us our passports back. We played at a big concert hall, and we told Roy that we were leaving at 11pm. He didn’t believe us. I walked off the stage, Bernard walked off the stage, the band kept playing without us, and we went straight to the airport. When I got off the plane in New York, I kissed the ground. I weighed 40kg (90lb). I was so skinny, when my mom finally saw me she just cried because she couldn’t believe it. I never told her what we went through. Bernard had more clout than I did because he was already an established musician, so he played with Roy again. But Roy got another lady to come in and finish the recording I was working on. It was the song You Send Me. After I walked off that stage in Nigeria, I didn’t see Roy until 2017.

Root I stayed for the recording [of Music of Many Colours] at the Phonodisk studio in the middle of the jungle behind a walled compound. I knock on the door and I meet Chas Gerber, a guy from Philadelphia I’d toured with before who, it turns out, ran the studio. He told me not to leave the compound – that it was dangerous in the village because they’d burned a lady at the stake the night before for being a witch.

Reid I mean, the whole country was breathtaking. The people. The traffic. The beaches were beautiful. It was a lifetime experience and I’m grateful that I got to see the other side of the world. Now I can understand why everybody’s trying to come this way.

Root When I got back, it was probably two weeks before I could talk to my family or my girlfriend about what we’d been through. There just weren’t words to describe the feelings and emotions.

Reid It was so traumatic that I needed a break. Eventually I started doing little gigs around town. Then I hooked up with Gil Scott-Heron . But once I really, really wanted to get back into it, I wasn’t able to. I’m in a place now at peace. I have to remember that I made history, and I’m an icon. Because I put myself down for a long time after the traumatic experience I went through. But I’m grateful for people like Purdie and Henry who kept me grounded.

Root You guys were the adults in the room. Everybody else was smoking pot and crazy, and you guys were intelligent and grounded and made articulate decisions.

Purdie When you stop and think about it, we enjoyed ourselves because we were doing the music. We looked after each other throughout the whole trip, no matter what.

Reid We saved each other’s lives.

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The Red, White and Blue Arrows

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, better known as the Red Arrows, are one of the world’s premier display teams, having performed over 5,000 displays in over 50 countries. We look at the importance of their current North America tour and the history of the iconic display squadron.

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On any usual year the display season the Red Arrows would be the headliners of the display season along the length and breadth of Britain. This year however fans of the Royal Air Force display team have had to turn their attention to the skies above North America to get a glimpse of the display team.

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Formed in 1964 the Red Arrows have risen to prominence as a flying symbol of the UK and the RAF. Starting in August of this year the Red Arrows North America Tour saw the iconic red jets travelling across the continent over 11 weeks flying shows in Chicago, Ottawa, New York and a host of other cities in between.  “The tour aims to promote the best of British and deepen partnerships with close friends and allies,” the RAF said before the start of the tour.

The best of British

“The aim of this North American tour is to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds through a world-class display of the best of British,” said Red Arrows Officer Commanding, Wing Commander Andrew Keith, before the squadron’s trademark Hawk T-1As set out from RAF Scampton in the UK to Halifax in Canada. The three-day journey saw the Red Arrows trailed by an RAF Atlas A400M transporter carrying equipment and support staff across the pond. As the Hawks are primarily used for training they are not designed for aerial refuelling, necessitating the need for stops in Iceland and Greenland during their transatlantic trek.

On the ground and in the air

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As well as performing their trademark aerial displays, the Red Arrows took part in the ground engagement, championing the Royal Air Force and promoting British trade. In the air across North America, they have graced the skies of 21 cities in the form of full displays or flypasts, performing alongside their US Navy counterparts, the Blue Angels. This visit marked the first time the Red Arrows have touched down in North America for 11 years.

Battle of the birds

After an initial stop in Canada, the Red Arrows made their way down to Chicago for the Chicago Air and Water Show, the largest free air show in the US. Onlookers braved thunderstorms to see the Red Arrows perform classic aerial acrobatics manoeuvres like the ‘twisting tornado’ where two jets twist around the rest of the formation at speed. The air show saw the Red Arrows sharing the skies with the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet, the Boeing V-22 Osprey vertical take-off landing aircraft and the US Air Force Thunderbirds.

Not just skill

Red Arrows displays change yearly but many of the manoeuvres that have made the team famous have stayed the same. The nine jets are supported in the air by Red 10, which communicates with the team leader and supervises the shows. Red 10 also provides commentary of the manoeuvres. The arrows continue training between display seasons. Over winter, pilots fly three sorties a day, five days a week to ensure they remain on the top of their game. After March the arrows usually jet overseas to continue training before the summer display season.

Hawks above the Hudson

A prominent stop on the tour for the Red Arrows was a flyover in New York City, where the Hawk T1-A jets flew in formation with the F-35 and the US Air Force Thunderbirds. Red Arrows team leader, Squadron Leader Martin Pert said about the experience of flying past the iconic skyscrapers: “To have the opportunity to fly along the Hudson in a fast-jet, with Manhattan’s skyscrapers lining part of the route and so many famous landmarks as a backdrop, was a fantastic, rewarding experience”.

From bug to bird

The Hawk T-1A has become synonymous with the aerial acrobatics squad but it hasn’t always been this way. The display team was formed through the merging of the RAF Black Arrows and Yellowjacks, adopting the latter’s Folland Gnat aircraft. The Gnat was popular among pilots and students due to its size and manoeuvrability, until it was retired in 1979. The Gnat saw the Red Arrows though 1,292 displays before giving way to the now iconic Hawk. Since then the Hawk has seen the Red Arrows through a 1995-96 world tour, the Queen’s golden jubilee in 2002, and a 2018 flypast over the UK’s capital marking the centenary of the RAF.

Trading airspace to promote trade

Speaking before the North America tour kicked off, then Trade Secretary Liam Fox said: “It will include an integrated programme of trade missions and business engagement, involving both the display team and ground crew, and build on the experience of previous tours to provide even stronger support for our business objectives”.

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Erik on Tour: We'll take strongest squad

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Erik ten Hag is fully focused on ensuring Manchester United have a positive finish to the 2023/24 season, but planning for next term is already well under way.

The manager has shed some light on that preparation, explaining how he will use the strongest possible squad across the club’s pre-season friendlies.

There will be one main group, as opposed to last year’s split selections and, although international tournaments will have an impact, Erik wanted to emphasise that all those who are fit and available would be making the various trips.

“We have a strong first-team squad there with players that can present themselves to the fans, but especially to us. They have the levels to play in our team for next season,” the boss told us recently, when asked who would represent the club in the summer.

“There will be a mix, with experienced players together with some young players.

“[The squad will be] as strong as possible, but of course the players who go far in the Copa America and the Euros will not be involved.” 

Erik’s update on Tour preparations

Tour 2024 | Erik ten Hag says United’s approach to the US portion of pre-season will be slightly different…

Five pre-season fixtures have been announced so far to help the squad get ready for the 2024/25 campaign.

The Reds take on Rosenborg in Trondheim , the day after the Euros and Copa America conclude, before facing Rangers in Edinburgh .

We will then travel to the United States for a second consecutive year, for a tour that involves two games on the west coast, against Arsenal in Los Angeles and Real Betis in San Diego , plus a meeting with arch-rivals Liverpool in South Carolina .

The Reds have tweaked the approach in America this summer, with travel reduced as California will be the main base, Erik explained:

“We had a good time there [in the US last year]. [This time] we will do things slightly different. We will stay longer in the base camp and not so much travelling any more. We will play again against strong opponents.

“Pre-season is about preparing for the season and we have to make that our next step.

“It is one of the only times when you have the team together, and you can work in training on structures, the way of play, but also on certain standards around the team and that’s very important to take this period and use it effectively.”

Ten Hag also pointed out how pre-season is often the best chance for supporters to be introduced to summer arrivals, like Mason Mount and Andre Onana in 2023, or the stars of tomorrow.

Kobbie Mainoo stood out last year, before his breakthrough season, while Omari Forson and Willy Kambwala were also involved. There could be an opportunity for others to follow in their footsteps this time around.

“I think that is, for the fans overseas, really exciting,” Erik said. “We will bring players like Kobbie - who was very unknown by that time, and now everyone knows him.

“So if you want to have the first glimpse of players - maybe new players or young players who are coming up through the Academy, then this is your opportunity.”

Tickets are still available for Tour 2024 and you can get more information on each of the five games here .

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