Red Arrows pilots, engineers and support staff are running, walking, swimming and cycling an equivalent distance of the UK to Greece and back in aid of two children’s hospital wards.

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team is presently overseas carrying out pre-season training, known as Exercise Springhawk.

During the month-long deployment, personnel are covering 4,182 miles as part of a fundraising initiative.

This is equivalent to the return distance between the Red Arrows’ home base of RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, and the location of the exercise – the Hellenic Air Force base of Tanagra, Greece.

As part of their daily fitness regime, team members are running, walking, swimming or cycling to collectively contribute to the target mileage.

It is hoped people will back the fundraising through donations and sponsorship, generating £2,000 in aid of Rainforest and Safari children’s wards at Lincoln County Hospital.

Sergeant Ben Pearson, one of the Red Arrows’ senior mechanical engineers and an organiser of the charity challenge, said: “The team’s had a long association with the wards, with members of the ground crew visiting in previous years to meet young people, their families and staff at Christmas.

“The whole team is very focussed on maintaining fitness levels and using the pre-season training period to prepare in all aspects for the busy summer of displays and events.

“This initiative combines that opportunity, while in Greece, to help raise money for an important good cause located close to our home base back in the UK.”