Editing Red Arrows (section)

==The 'Blues'==
The engineering and support team that supports the Red Arrows is known as "The Blues" and consists of more than 90 members drawn from a wide-variety of technical and support trades in the RAF.<ref name="Support Team"/> The vast majority of this team is commanded by the Senior Engineering Officer, who is responsible for all engineering and logistics delivery of the aircraft and display support; including the Red Arrow's famous red, white and blue smoke trails. Other display support areas are led by a Chief of Staff, PR Manager and Operations Officer. 

The diverse constitution of the Blues team includes aircraft technicians, survival equipment specialists, drivers, logisticians, photographers and operations specialists. Each season up to eleven members of the Blues are selected to be members of the 'Circus'. The position of "Circus 1" (the engineer who accompanies Red 1) is normally occupied by the Junior Engineering Officer. Similarly, the position of Circus Leader (Red 9) is occupied by a technician of sergeant rank; the other slots being filled by technicians holding corporal or senior aircraftman rank, with a photographer in the "Circus 10" position and, typically, the Senior Engineering Officer as "Circus 11", when the Officer Commanding flies. Each member of the Circus works with the same pilot for the duration of the season and is responsible for servicing and refuelling their aircraft and preparing their flying kit prior to each display. Circus members fly in the back seats of the jets during transit flight to ensure ground support at any location where the team lands. Two specialist engineering "Dye" Teams also support the Red Arrows when moving around the UK, or overseas, deploying with a 'smoke rig' to strategic locations in order to replenish the smoke pod.