Red Arrow Kirsty Moore blazing a trail to Leuchars Airshow
Most people will have watched the Red Arrows and marvelled at their death-defying stunts — but something has changed. Last September, for the first time, a female joined what is arguably the most skilled team of pilots in the world. Susan Anderson talks to Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore ahead of her performance at the RAF Leuchars Airshow.
- By Susan Anderson
- Published in the Courier : 07.09.10
- Published online : 08.09.10 @ 06.51pm
Kirsty Moore joined the Royal Air Force in 1998 and has since completed two operational tours in Iraq as part of Operation TELIC where she provided air support to the British, American and Iraqi ground forces.
Formally based at RAF Marham, last year she was delighted to receive the news that she'd made the grade for the Red Arrows team following the notoriously tough selection process which includes a gruelling flying test and a formal interview.
"To even be considered for the team, a pilot needs to have completed 1500 hours of flying which takes roughly about six or seven years to build up," explains Kirsty. "We also need to have completed an operational frontline tour and be graded as above average in our flying abilities."
On hearing the news that she'd made the team there was one important person she couldn't wait to share the news with.
"My dad was one of the main reasons I joined the RAF in the first place. He was a navigator on Tornados and during the school holidays I used to spend a lot of time with him at RAF Marham where he was based with the rest of his squadron. I loved the atmosphere — they were like a family, really close knit and I knew that, one day, I wanted to be part of all that.
"Phoning my dad to tell him I'd made the Red Arrows team was one of my best moments. My mum was super-excited at the news, too, but, because of his job, dad knows a lot more about what exactly was involved so he was extra proud!"
Kirsty loves being part of the squadron — and has certainly found the family atmosphere she'd been looking for ever since spending time with her father's squadron as a child.
"It's like having eight brothers!" she laughs. "This is a small squadron, too, compared to most, and we spend a lot of time together so we're all really close."
There was a lot of media attention last year when Kirsty was announced as the first female to make the team — but she's reluctant to be singled out as anything special because of her sex.
"Well, I've been a girl all my life and I've been a pilot for 12 years now so it doesn't seem odd to me that I'm here doing this. Within the air force it's not really been a big deal because there are girls doing everything nowadays so it was only a matter of time before it happened. The reaction from the general public has been great — everyone's been really supportive and I get lots of letters and cards, which is really nice. The support has been incredible actually and when we go to the air shows everyone always comes up to say hello."
When they completed training in Cyprus earlier in the year the squadron embarked on a busy season of flying displays and by the end of this month will have completed an incredible 94 shows.
"Following a pretty gentle start to the season in June we've been incredibly busy. At the moment we're away six days a week, but it's all good fun."
Kirsty is just glad to be up in the air performing after months of intense training to hone her precision flying skills.
"You go from doing really basic loops and turns and gradually build up to more complicated manoeuvres that will be included in the display. It feels really scary initially but then you realise at the start that you can make as many mistakes as you want because it's not affecting anyone outside of you.
"However, when they feel that you've got the hang of doing the basic moves they put someone else on, too, to fly alongside you and my first thought was 'Oh my God, I can't do this!' but then you calm down and just fly as you've been flying."
Used to flying faster than the speed of sound in a Tornado, Kirsty is enjoying the new challenges of precision flying.
"When I was on the Tornado I was generally flying for almost two hours at a time but Red Arrows flights are much shorter — generally about half an hour. However, these 30 minutes in the air require 150% concentration because of the degree of precision that's involved. Frontline flying was no less challenging, but this offers the chance to develop a whole new set of skills."
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