Autumn 2023David Marshall Red Arrow engineer

A weapons technician with the Royal Air Force, Sergeant Dave Marshall tells Michelle Kight all about a once in a lifetime role with the Red Arrows.

Since joining the RAF in 2002, Dave, originally from Rochdale, has enjoyed a lucrative career which has seen him enjoy stunning scenery from all over the world.

A former student at Whitworth Community High School, he completed his A-levels at Hopwood Hall in Middleton and “would have” gone on to a business degree at the University of Huddersfield after a tough upbringing, but always had the RAF in the back of his mind after a suggestion from his cousin.

“I was quite good at maths, business and accounting. My cousin mentioned the RAF and it was always in the back of my head. I didn’t pay attention to it until I was older and I initially went for a regiment officer position. After three days, I decided it wasn’t quite for me, so asked for my aptitude test scores and what other positions I could consider,” he said.

Following his impressive test scores, Dave landed a role as a weapons technician, working on engines and aircrafts such as the Harrier, the Tornado and the Typhoon, travelling back to Rochdale on his days off to see his two children, aged 10 and 8.

Dave specialises in the maintenance of the aircraft assisted escape systems and has completed five tours of Afghanistan and two in Cyprus, where he was based when the opportunity arose to join the Red Arrows, the RAF’s aerobatic team. The Red Arrows are considered one of the best display teams in the world, known for their trademark Diamond Nine shape, and combination of close formations and precision flying.

“I was really low at that point; it was during lockdown and I wanted out. My sergeant put in a good word for me, but I still had to prove myself and complete the training. I’ve never looked back.”

Dave successfully landed the role of a lifetime as part of the ‘Circus’ – the team of aircraft engineer technicians who support and fly with the pilots onboard the distinctive red Hawk fast jets which are based in Lincoln.

As the Circus’ weapons trade senior non-commissioned officer for 2023, his role includes servicing the aircraft before and after every display when operating away from the team’s home base.

Preparing for the role included undergoing rigorous training which has included sea-drills and “being ejected off the coast of Cornwall, low-oxygen hypoxia training and centrifuge G-force training, as well as several weeks practising display performances in Greece, plus medical training, which he says was “the hardest part.”

The father-of-two flies alongside Flight Lieutenant Richard Walker in Red 2, part of the front section of the formation, which also has their names painted on the side.

Dave said: “The pilots each have their favourite jets because they all fly differently. We always fly with the same pilot; Rich and I are usually in Red 2. The engineers pick and choose the jet to fly in because we service them and are aware of their flying hours. If a jet needs maintenance, you can lose four to six weeks – you have to fly in a different jet then.”

The Red Arrows’ Circus team changes each year as it can prove very demanding and fatiguing – and there’s high demand for the role. Once the display season is over, they return to their normal team duties. Pilots typically change after three years.

“The main positive is you get to fly in a Red Arrow, and by changing up the team, it gives more people chance to do it,” Dave explained.

Each year the Reds have to go through a rigorous assessment to be granted Public Display Authority (PDA) ahead of the display season. The season takes place each year from 1 June to 1 October and sees the formation perform at 60 UK displays, as well as abroad, plus flypasts at 1,000 feet.

With the Blackpool Air Show in July, Dave requested flypasts over Rochdale Town Hall and his uncle’s house in Castleton due to Rochdale’s location between Lincoln and Blackpool.

“We didn’t think it would be possible due to the close proximity of Manchester Airport and conflicting flightpaths, but Paddy, our navigator who does the routes, had organised a flypast for Clitheroe and we were able to get a flypast in for Rochdale [over Castleton] on 13 August.”

He added: “They make people happy, which is what it’s all about.”

With 2023 being the year King Charles III was coronated, the Red Arrows – including Dave – conducted flypasts over Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle for the coronation and the King’s birthday.

Dave cites some of the best flights with the Reds as visiting Croatia, Greece, and a flight to Dublin: “We were over the Welsh coast and we could see the Irish coast and were there in seconds. Every flight is different, and sometimes I go quiet, just taking it all in.

“The worst flight was through a thunderstorm in Portugal; we were flying down near Lisbon from Nice in France. We couldn’t go around because we didn’t have enough fuel and we just had to go through. I didn’t realise how bad it was until the pilot said! You can really see everything because of the glass dome canopy around us.”

He concluded: “I was in the right place at the right time. The medical training is probably the hardest part. It does strain family life, but if I didn’t do it, I’d look back and think, ‘why didn’t I?’ It is worth it but I do miss Rochdale sometimes.

“I’ve ‘only’ got A-levels, but I hope this inspires people to join up and get off the street.

“I don’t want it to end, but I am down as a reserve for next year, so I might get a few more flights in.”