Britain’s Royal Air Force display team, the Red Arrows, is currently on a summer tour to North America. This week, the Red Arrows are in Washington, D.C.

As the grandson of a U.S. Marine-Army veteran and an RAF veteran, I view the tour as a perfect illustration of the special relationship between our two countries. Fortunately, I had a chance to speak with one of the team pilots, Flight Lieutenant Toby Keeley. Call sign “Red Six,” Keeley is a 16-year veteran of the RAF and currently takes on the Red Arrows’ “synchro-lead” role. In that responsibility, Keeley conducts daring opposition flights in close proximity to another team member. Here’s how he answered a few of my questions: