Lessons in Teamwork from Elite Stunt Pilots

When you are flying at nine miles per minute in close proximity to eight other aircraft, performing intricate loops and manoeuvres, it is important that you have absolute trust in the people around you. With tiny margins for error, you want to know that you can rely fully on your colleagues, including when new pilots join the team.

The fact that trust in each other is not called into question within the British Royal Air Force’s (RAF) world-famous elite aerobatics team, the Red Arrows, a unit that rotates its pilots on a regular basis, speaks volumes about the processes that get them to that point.

Former Red Arrows pilot and Executive Officer Dan Lowes shared the three key stages that help them develop a strong base of trust in each other, one that holds in place seamlessly as new pilots come on board.

Read the interview