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The Red Checkers

Television (Full Length) – 1985

Normal flying formation for the Air Force is around 70 feet apart; for some pilots that’s not enough. For them that special skill, and thrill, of flying with wing-tips just a metre apart is something to aim for.
– Narrator John Gordon
The essence of a good display pilot? There's the panache, the spirit ... it does take a certain breed of chap, particularly when you're looking at the solo slot, or a person who can fly an aircraft competently in front of thousands of people. He's got to have confidence in himself, his abilities and to be a wee bit of a showman.
– Red Checkers leader Bruce Ferguson
You‘re a lot closer to the big green apple than you are at 2,000 feet.
– Pilot Radar O'Reilly on practising low passes
It's part of their in-built defense mechanisms to understate sticky situations, but you cannot get closer than this.
– Narrator John Gordon on a near miss during training