Red Arrows aerobatics team offered new home in Yorkshire by MP
A BID to bring the home of the world famous Red Arrows to Yorkshire has been launched by a Conservative MP.
Richmond MP Rishi Sunak said RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire would be an “ideal fit” for the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team of pilots, engineers and support staff.
The RAF is currently in the process of selecting a new base for the Red Arrows following a decision announced in the summer to close their current home – RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.
Mr Sunak said the Yorkshire base had several advantages over its rivals with a “rich heritage” of hosting the RAF, including several Bomber Command bases during the Second World War.
In a letter to Scarborough-born Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, Mr Sunak said the presence at RAF Leeming of the 100 Squadron flying Hawk T1 fast jets – the same aircraft used by the Red Arrows – also gave the Yorkshire base an edge.
RAF Leeming has the capacity to accommodate the team, having benefited from “substantial investment” in the past when it was home to two squadrons of Tornado fighter bombers.
Mr Sunak also highlighted recent infrastructure investment like the £400m upgrade of the A1.
“I can assure the Ministry that the Red Arrows team and their families would be given the warmest of welcomes,” he added.