On a more sombre note, Flt Lt Matt Jarvis (an RAF Harrier mate), who joined the Reds in 2004, but was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the start of the '04 airshow season, passed away on Sunday. He was only just 30...
Sorry to hear that Charlie.
As for the "best of the best", this usually depends where you hail from. People naturally think their national team is the best. The point is that they have to be good to represent their country or service.
I've seen most of them in my time, except for the Blue Angels or the Snowbirds. I find the slower, more agile types the best for a good display. One of the finest private displays I've ever seen was with the piston-engined Yak 50 & 52 & I imagine keeping close formation in these types can be far more difficult than in a military jet. The big fast jets are impressive but often disappear from sight for a considerable part of the display which spoils it for me. I've never done any formation flying but understand that the leader is the only one looking where he's going. The others are too busy formating on him to admire the scenery. This was one reason the RAF lost out in the early stages of the BoB as they never saw the enemy coming.
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