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DIAMOND NINE
Of all the formations flown by
the Red Arrows, Diamond Nine is the most recognisable, and indeed has
become the team's signature formation, which means that it features in
the display every year. When watching the Red Arrows in
Diamond Nine formation, look for symmetry between the left- and
right-hand sides, and for the formation to be of good length.
Diamond is almost exclusively flown in a bend, although in 2003, the
team completed the "Double Diamond roll", which involved Gypo chasing
Enid during a formation barrel roll.
An innovative display will include Diamond as a logical step between
other formations, for example between a line-abreast formation and a
long one. The best use of Diamond Nine in a Red Arrows display was in 2000,
when it followed an Eagle
quarter clover, and both sides of the
formation moved forwards from that formation into Diamond.
By contrast, I was personally very disappointed to see the 2005 display
start with a Diamond Nine bend; one advantage of this was
that the rest of the Red Arrows display did not have to be choreographed
around including it.
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