Royal Aeronautical Society Prestwick Branch: Maintaining Legacy with the Red Arrows

This in-person lecture, hosted by the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Prestwick Branch, explores the operational support behind the RAF Red Arrows. Squadron Leader Andy King RAF will give an insight into how the team is organised and sustained behind the scenes, from day-to-day engineering to the wider systems that keep the aircraft ready for display flying.

The talk will focus on maintaining legacy aircraft to very high levels of availability, preserving global agility, and the Red Arrows’ transition towards sustainable fuels. It will also highlight the teamwork involved in supporting one of the world’s best-known aerobatic display teams, bringing together pilots, engineers and specialist support staff.

Set at Ayr Campus, University of the West of Scotland, the event is of interest to anyone curious about aviation, engineering, RAF operations and STEM careers. It offers a practical look at how advanced aircraft are maintained and how innovation is being applied to a historic fleet.