Yeah, but I think that the rule is "don't fly over the crowd". Obviously this is easy enough to ensure at an airfield as the runway becomes the flight line.
With seaside displays, they need to check the expected tide and have alternative markers available so that the flight line can be in closer to the crowd. The prob with a boat as a marker is that it will float out with the tide.
The Reds clearly were not using the boat for their flight line after the initial first few formations.
Perhaps it isn`t widely know,but the Red Arrows have special permission to adapt their display line at the team leaders discretion at non airfield based displays,and this may sometimes involve over flying the crowd to some extent.
I think it`s important to remember that Newcastle is a unique venue with a curved beach and a mountain at one end,so it`s always going to be a little tricky not to overfly the crowd at some point.
It must be very difficult for the faster aircraft to try and keep in a reasonable distance to enable the crowd a decent view,and still have time to avoid the mountain.
I think this is a problem for the Typhoon,either stay in close with no burner or head further out and use the burner;finding a happy medium can`t be easy-I suppose it`s like trying to demo a F1 car in a supermarket carpark.
Some display acts will follow the CAA guidelines very strictly,and some will use their own discretion to put on a safe,yet enjoyable display for the spectators.
