On their bikes and raring to go (From Western Telegraph)

On their bikes and raring to go

The Flying Gunners are one of the premier military display organisations in the country.

At a time when other displays are disbanding due to military cutbacks, the team is still actively and successfully adapting to a new commercial environment.

Formed in 1961, the team consists of twenty-four riders and is based in Woolwich, London. All riders are fully trained and are regular serving soldiers drawn from Royal Artillery Regiments, based both in the UK and Germany.

All soldiers are volunteers and are selected each November and December in two team trials sessions. These include a week of motor cross and tests of motorcycling skills. The team spends February and March in training for the show season, incorporating the new members and honing the act to its professional standard. Each soldier spends between two to four years in the team before returning to his parent regiment.

The summer show season lasts from May to September, and during this time, the team gives approximately 120 shows at different locations, returning to its base only five or six times.

The Flying Gunners attract bookings from all types of shows, from the large spectaculars, like the Edinburgh Tattoo to local town shows.

The display combines breathtaking high speed double crossovers from the four corners of the arena, when closing speeds may reach a world record 90mph, a world record seventeen man pyramid built on the move, with shows of individual and combined skill, which includes amazing feats of balance and machine control. The team displays a great deal of fitness, concentration, teamwork and professionalism.

The members ride Kawasaki 300s, so there is little margin for error when reliability and performance are vital to the safety of the team. The speed, excitement and entertainment that the team provides are the hallmarks of this display team of the Royal Artillery.