The Red Arrows have a new leader. The Royal Air Force announced on October 21, 2026, that Squadron Leader James Turner has taken over as Red 1, and he is now designing the display the team will fly in 2027. He replaces Wing Commander Jon Bond, who flew his last display in 2026. Here is who the new Red 1 is, who else left the team, and what the change means if you plan to see the Red Arrows next season.
Who is the new Red 1
- Sqn Ldr Turner flew with the Red Arrows for four seasons, from 2020 to 2023. In 2023 he led the Synchro Pair, the two jets that fly the head-on crosses in the second half of the show.
- He joined the RAF in 2006, taught student pilots on the Hawk T1 at RAF Valley for three years, and flew the Typhoon FGR4 with 1(F) Squadron from 2013.
- After his first tour with the team he served in the Falkland Islands and then worked on Typhoon procurement.
- The RAF says he is the 25th leader of the Red Arrows since the team was formed in 1964. Only a former Red Arrows display pilot can become Team Leader.
Red 1 designs a new show every year, runs the training, leads the briefings and debriefs, and flies at the front of the formation, giving the radio calls the other pilots fly to. Sqn Ldr Turner told the RAF it is “too early to give away the detail” of the 2027 display, but that it will mix classic shapes with new additions.
Who left after the 2026 season
Three display pilots finished their tours on October 16, 2026: Wing Commander Jon Bond (Red 1), Squadron Leader Chris McCann (Red 4) and Flight Lieutenant Dustin Wales (Red 5). The RAF believes Wg Cdr Bond’s eight seasons are a record for a pilot in one of the display positions, Reds 1 to 9. His last season was flown with seven jets instead of nine and ended with a new finale called Cascade. Flt Lt Wales returns to the Typhoon force.
How the 2027 display comes together
According to the RAF, training for 2027 starts in earnest in November at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, the team’s home. The team builds the show in blocks: small groups of jets practise their parts over the winter, and the sections join up as the routine grows. Final training takes place abroad, where the weather is more settled, and the public season usually starts in late May.
The RAF’s description of this winter’s training refers to “the seven-aircraft formation”. That suggests the 2027 display will again be flown by seven jets, as in 2026, although the RAF has not published the 2027 display programme yet. Our story on why the Red Arrows fly seven jets explains the background.
What it means if you plan to see them in 2027
- No 2027 dates yet. The RAF has not published the 2027 display list. Dates appear on our Red Arrows team page once the RAF announces them, with the day we checked.
- Expect the first shows from late May. That is when the public season usually starts after training abroad.
- Big UK shows already have dates. The Royal International Air Tattoo moves to Boscombe Down from 2027 (our story). Whether the Red Arrows fly there is not confirmed.
- Winter practice is not a public display. Training around Lincolnshire happens at short notice and is not open to spectators.
Worth bringing
- Hearing protection Fast jets are very loud, especially for children. Ear defenders or foam plugs make the day much nicer.
- Binoculars To follow the solos and the formations far out over the display line.
- Rain poncho Shows often go ahead in light rain; umbrellas block other people’s view.
Sources
- Royal Air Force: New Team Leader "excited" to start work on 2027 display (October 21, 2026)
- Royal Air Force: Record-breaking Red 1 among 2026 pilots saying farewell (October 16, 2026)
- Forces News: He's back, and this time he's taken over as team leader of the Red Arrows
Written by Airshow Guide in our own words from the sources above. Checked November 8, 2026.