Red Arrows go Cosmic as RAF pilot selected for Virgin Orbit

Pictured is the Virgin Orbit 'Cosmic Girl' launch aircraft flying in formation alongside the Red Arrows Hawk jets. (© Crown Copyright 2019)
Pictured is the Virgin Orbit 'Cosmic Girl' launch aircraft flying in formation alongside the Red Arrows Hawk jets. (© Crown Copyright 2019)
04/10/2019 Military aviation news, News, Space News 2 minute read
Written by: UK Aviation News

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT), The Red Arrows, have gone Cosmic in the USA as they flew with the former Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747, “Cosmic Girl”.

Virgin Orbit's Cosmic Girl (Image: Virgin Orbit/Defence Imaging)
Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl (Image: Virgin Orbit/Defence Imaging)

The 747 recently left the Virgin Atlantic fleet to start her new life as the launch platform for Virgin Orbit‘s LauncherOne system.

Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne (Image: Virgin Orbit/Defence Imagery)
Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne (Image: Virgin Orbit/Defence Imagery)

LauncherOne is designed to launch small satellites into orbit and is a horizontally launched rocket system.

Flight Lieutenant Mathew ‘Stanny’ Stannard (©Crown Copyright 2019)
Flight Lieutenant Mathew ‘Stanny’ Stannard (©Crown Copyright 2019)

The Royal Air Force and Virgin Orbit announced a partnership back in July and Air Vice-Marshal Simon ‘Rocky’ Rochelle and Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart recently announced that Flight Lieutenant Mathew ‘Stanny’ Stannard had been selected to join the team for a three-year secondment.

The Red Arrows iconic Red Hawks fly in formation with Virgin Orbit's Boeing 747 Cosmic Girl (©Crown Copyright 2019)
The Red Arrows iconic Red Hawks fly in formation with Virgin Orbit’s Boeing 747 Cosmic Girl (©Crown Copyright 2019)

The Red Arrows flew with Cosmic Girl as part of their North American tour.

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