Red Arrows pilot first to land UK military jet in China
David Montenegro, aka Red 1, squadron leader of RAF Aerobatic Team, is thrilled to perform at the Zhuhai Airshow and amazed how many Red Arrows fans there are in China
A BUMPY LANDING I was seven years old when I first became fascinated by flying. It was on a trip from London to South America with my parents. The sense of buzz in the airport, the smell of kerosene and the perceived glamour of flying – everything to do with aviation just captured my imagination. We were flying to Colombia but on the small internal fight from Bogota to Pasto, we had a very bumpy landing and I thought, this is the most exciting thing I have ever done in my life. I remember my mother gripping my hand for dear life.
It was the first time I had ever seen either of my parents scared, so I thought this must be really thrilling. That sowed the seed. I was taken to the Biggin Hill air show in England when I was about 11 and watched the Harrier, the Tornado and the Red Arrows and that was the final deal for me. I just wanted to do that.
THEORY OF FLYING I had a diverse education. I grew up in Beckenham, in south London, and went to school in nearby Dulwich. I joined the Combined Cadet Force but I was also interested in politics, history and theology. I had a key piece of advice from a career adviser, just to study something I enjoyed and found interesting.
A Royal Air Force career officer assured me the service wanted broad-minded officers and not just mathematicians and physicists, so I was awarded a flying scholarship and studied politics and theology at Manchester University. While enjoying all the culture and diversity of Manchester as a student in the 1990s, I also joined the University Air Squadron. I fell in love with the adventurous training and the squadron camaraderie. So I joined the Royal Air Force after university.
