The Red Arrows

[ArthurbellaScott]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67287479

Another bunch of fuckers.

Aw noooo

Shit, isn't it?

As a soon to be ex wife of a serving RAF pilot this does not surprise in the slightest.

Literally any and every place that's male dominated. There's no changing it, I don't think. It's so normalised that it's endemic.

Indeed. Colour me shocked.

I moved in adjacent circles in the '70s. They've always been the same.

Yes it's shit ☹️

Couldn’t be less surprised.

I would really love to find an institution that wasn’t a misogynistic pile of shit.

I was so disappointed to read it, it's never been my experience in those sorts of circles but it's so upsetting that it's what others are being subjected to - just really undermines the good they do!

So so fked off with them.

The times article
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b81c3170-78cb-11ee-b861-bff63f5f7486?shareToken=d05ec4aeed8a942dbb666003fb325345

It's just relentless, isn't it.

Can you let us know if you ever do! Rocking horse shit might be easier to find!

Yep. The one that disappointed me the most was their former Officer Commanding, David Montenegro, who got a junior colleague pregnant and then told her to get an abortion. He had seemed so nice. We just can’t trust any of them, especially in a macho environment where they seem to revert to being an uncivilised tribe that treats women like livestock.

Ach. That's disappointing. I used to get a lump in my throat seeing them fly over. All very Biggles.

Makes a cynic of you.

Is there woman's red arrows team? Because that's the answer.

Can't find one, Datun.

'The Royal Air Force has been named one of the most inclusive employers in Britain by lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality charity Stonewall in its Top 100 Employers list for 2019.'

Shocked.

Brother met them once, 20 years ago. Came away shocked by what absolute arrogant assholes they were. They invited him to go on for a drink but he said no as couldn’t stand their company anymore.

I’m amazed the fuss people make over seeing them fly.

Bloody hell. It's so predictable.

🙄. Submariners "hold my beer"

I think of Giles in Buffy often "Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons."

There isn't an equivalent all-women team, but there has been at least one female member of the Reds in the past.
The Reds are selected from serving fighter pilots and they do a 2 or 3 year secondment into the team. To be picked for the team, pilots need to have a certain number of flying hours and to have flown operationally. Many are instructors. There are still not that many women in the RAF flying fast jets, so it's extremely unlikely there'd ever be 9 of them in the position to be in a display team.

Incidentally there was a (civilian) parachute display team at a flying club I belonged to. Some of the female parachutists were fed up of never being asked to join, and formed their own team. Pretty soon they were getting more bookings than the men 😁 who were absolutely furious!

Was a senior officers wife in the 70s and 80s and this sort of behaviour was endemic. Had you spoken up you would have been accused of being a man hater or a lesbian. We had one senior officer who would be avoided because of his wandering hands! All fun though eh lads! She doesn’t know how to take a joke!!

Incidentally does anyone have any experience in the fire service? Wondering how typical my friend's experience was.

Terrible sad sunlight. We need to support women's groups for everything.

I think it’s pretty commonplace in any organisation that is predominantly male, so it doesn’t surprise me at all, sadly.
I’ve seen it in the local county council, fire brigade, police force, army etc over many years, nothing changes and I very much doubt that there’s going to be any changes in the future.
Get a group of men together and often they turn into misogynistic, showing off, and arrogant idiots, egging each other on.
It’s entrenched and utterly sickening.

My experience with military men.
Individually they are nice (well most of them)
In large groups they can be awful.

They are doing better in their acceptance of minorities than their attitude towards women generally.