A day with...
WING COMMANDER DAVID MONTENEGRO The Team Leader of the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s much-loved aerobatic flying squad, takes us skyward
BRITAIN: When did you discover your passion for flying? DM: When I was seven, I travelled with my parents to see family in Colombia. On a twin-engine propellor flight from Bogotá to Pasto, we were buffeted by turbulence and I remember watching the pilot grapple with the controls to land the aircraft safely. It was the first time I’d seen fear in my parents; however, I found it exhilarating and thought ‘this is the job for me’! I was further inspired by demonstrations at the Biggin Hill Airshow, near my family home – by the age of 11, I was hooked on aviation. B: When did you join the Red Arrows, and how did you become Red 1 [the team leader who flies in the front position]? DM: When I joined the RAF in 1999, I was selected for the fast-jet training stream. It all began at age 18, upon securing an RAF flying scholarship at Manchester University, completing elementary training at the Manchester and Salford University Air Squadron – largely thanks to my instructor, Squadron Leader Rod Newman. On graduating, I joined the RAF, went to officer training at RAF College Cranwell, was selected as a pilot and did fast-jet training at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, followed by advanced jet-training on Hawks at RAF Valley. Then I had frontline, operational tours as a fighter pilot. I was selected for the Red Arrows in 2009, becoming Synchro Leader after three years. After tours, including as a special projects officer within the US Marine Corps, I was made Red 1 in 2015. I became Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows in 2020. B: What do the Red Arrows stand for? DM: At home and overseas, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team brings people together with a demonstration of precision and professionalism. Watching fast-jets looping and flying in close formation is a thrilling proposition, regardless of age, background
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