▁joined ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ; ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁his ▁boy hood ▁dream ▁to ▁fly ▁with ▁the ▁Red ▁Ar rows , ▁the ▁R AF ' s ▁aer ob atic ▁display ▁team . ▁He ▁had ▁flow n ▁with ▁No . ▁ 6 1 7 ▁Squadron ▁and ▁No . ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Squadron ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁before ▁being ▁selected ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Red ▁Ar rows ▁as ▁' RED ▁ 5 ' ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Acc ident ▁On ▁ 8 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁C unning ham ▁( who ▁was ▁to ▁fly ▁as ▁R ED ▁ 5 ), ▁was ▁cre wing - in ▁to ▁his ▁aircraft , ▁a ▁Haw k ▁T 1 , ▁call sign ▁( XX 1 7 7 ), ▁to ▁undert ake ▁a ▁training ▁flight ▁and ▁a ▁trans it ▁to ▁R AF ▁Valley ▁in ▁North ▁Wales . ▁As ▁the ▁team ▁were ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁display ▁season ▁( which ▁normally ▁ends ▁in ▁September ), ▁they ▁fle w ▁up ▁to ▁three ▁times ▁a ▁day , ▁five ▁days ▁a ▁week ▁for ▁contin ual ▁professional ▁training . ▁During ▁C unning ham ' s ▁aircraft ' s ▁pre - fl ight ▁checks ▁the ▁e jection ▁seat ▁initi ated ▁at ▁ 1 1 : 0 6   am , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁can opy ▁being ▁sh atter ed ▁and ▁the ▁seat ▁with ▁C unning ham ▁stra pped ▁into ▁it ▁being ▁j ett ison ed ▁into ▁the ▁air . ▁After ▁reaching ▁a