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Many air forces from around the world, along with some navy and army aviators, and even a few private organisations, have established air display teams to perform at domestic and international air shows, major sporting occasions, and even corporate events. Some display teams perform aerobatics, while others give displays of formation flying or their professional operations such as air-sea rescue.
Team | Country | Operator | Current aircraft | When formed | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Victors | Belgium | civilian | Piper PA-28 Cherokee series | 2004 | [23] |
Team | Country | Operator | Final aircraft | When formed | Disbanded | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Four Horsemen | United States | 774th Troop Carrier Squadron | Lockheed C-130A Hercules | 1957 | 1960 | [39] |
An air show is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground.
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment, and sport. Additionally, some helicopters, such as the MBB Bo 105, are capable of limited aerobatic manoeuvres. An example of a fully aerobatic helicopter, capable of performing loops and rolls, is the Westland Lynx.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world's largest military air show, held annually in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. The show typically attracts a total of 150,000 to 200,000 spectators over the weekend.
The Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 is a two-seat aerobatic monoplane capable of Unlimited category competition. It was designed in 1987 by Walter Extra, a German aerobatic pilot, and built by Extra Flugzeugbau.
The Canadian International Air Show (CIAS) is an annual air show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show is an aeronautical display of military, government and civilian aircraft, primarily from Canada and the United States. The show takes place along Toronto's waterfront for three days during the Canadian Labour Day weekend. The show began in 1946 and has been held at Exhibition Place since 1949.
The Ukrainian Falcons were the aerobatic demonstration team of the Ukrainian Air Force. It was established in 1995 as a team of 6 MiG-29 aircraft and disbanded in 2002.
The Blue Eagles were the helicopter aerobatic team of the British Army Air Corps. It was one of only eight professional helicopter teams in the world, along with the Royal Navy Black Cats, Sarang of the Indian Air Force, the Scorpion aerobatic team of the Polish Air Force, Rotores de Portugal, the Patrulla Aspa of the Spanish Air Force, the Grasshoppers of the RNLAF and the US Army Silver Eagles. They were formed in the spring of 1968 by Air Corps instructors, and were established in the following years with five helicopters. In 2001, the team included the first British female military display pilot. In 2010, it was disbanded due to an ageing Westland Lynx fleet and financial cutbacks.
Warbirds over Wanaka is a biennial air show in Wānaka, held on the Easter weekend of even-numbered years since 1988. It is held at Wānaka Airport, 10 km south-east of Wānaka, in the southern South Island of New Zealand. Initially conceived by New Zealand live deer recovery pioneer, Sir Tim Wallis, as a show for him to display his collection of World War II aircraft, the event has grown into a major institution. Roads are closed and traffic is detoured around the area during the weekend. Hotels, motels and backpackers around Wānaka are usually booked well in advance. Accommodation is impossible to find if one does not have a booking.
The August 1st or Ba Yi Aerobatics Team is the aerobatic demonstration team of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). It was founded in 1962 and named after the date of founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), August 1, 1927.
Escuadrilla de Alta Acrobacia Halcones, known simply as the 'Hawks' (Halcones), is an active group of nine officers of the Chilean Air Force who are trained specifically for aerobatics. One of the Halcones' signature moves is recreating the Chilean star in the air using smoke. The team may be likened to the British Royal Air Force's Red Arrows for their affinity for complex, high-risk, aviation-based manoeuvers.
The French Connection was a famous husband-wife aerobatic pair that performed in countless airshows throughout North America for almost 30 years. The pair consisted of Daniel Héligoin, a former French Air Force fighter pilot and aerobatic champion, and Montaine Mallet, an aeronautical engineer and his assistant who later became his wife. Both Daniel and Montaine were French-born; they came to the U.S. from France in 1973 to promote and sell their aerobatic plane, the CAP-10, manufactured by Avions Mudry in France. They operated an aerobatics school at Sky Acres Airport, NY, Dutchess County Airport, NY, then at Flagler County Airport, FL. They regularly performed at airshows around the U.S. and Canada until their death in a training accident on May 27, 2000. Their favorite and signature 'French Connection' aerobatic routine was unique: Montaine and Daniel would fly their CAP-10 planes in an extremely tight canopy-to-canopy formation, literally inches apart, through various hair-raising aerobatic maneuvers. Daniel and Montaine loved to teach, and they devoted much of their careers to aerobatic instruction. The "French Connection Scholarship" fund was established in their name via the International Council of Air Shows Foundation.
Thunder Over the Boardwalk is an annual airshow held over the Atlantic City boardwalk every summer. It has occurred since 2003 and is currently one of the largest airshows in North America. What sets it apart, aside from being a beach show, is the fact that it usually occurs on a Wednesday. It takes place along the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, in front of the boardwalk, with the casinos in the background. Flybys and demonstrations as high as 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and as low as 50 feet (15 m) over the water in front of the Atlantic City skyline.
Sagar Pawan is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Indian Navy's Aviation Arm. It is one of the only two naval aerobatic teams in the world, the other being the Blue Angels of the US Navy.
China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, also known as the Airshow China or Zhuhai Airshow, is the largest airshow and aerospace trade expo in China. It has been held in even years in Zhuhai, Guangdong since 1996.
Sean Doherty Tucker is an American world champion aerobatic aviator. He was previously sponsored by the Oracle Corporation for many years, performing in air shows worldwide as "Team Oracle". Tucker has won numerous air show championship competitions throughout his career, was named one of the 25 "Living Legends of Flight" by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in 2003, and was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008. He has led several efforts to assist youth in learning to fly or becoming involved in general aviation, and currently serves as co-chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'s Young Eagles program, a role he has held since 2013.
The 53rd Air Demonstration Group, nicknamed the Black Eagles, is the flight display team of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) based at Wonju, Gangwon Province.
The Black Knights is the official aerobatics team of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) featuring six F-16Cs Fighting Falcon in formation flight. The Black Knights' emblem is sported on the red vertical tail of each of the team's aircraft and the team's name is emblazoned on both sides of the aircraft which are painted in red and white—the national colours of Singapore.
The Saudi Falcons are a BAE Hawk-equipped Royal Saudi Air Force aerobatic team.
The Tauranga City Airshow is a biennial show held in Tauranga, New Zealand. It features displays of classic, private, and military aircraft.
The Alap-Alap Formation is the official aerobatic display team of Brunei Darussalam, operated by the Royal Brunei Air Force. The Alap-Alap Formation display team was formed on 7 February 2011.
They are the world's only formation aerobatic team. They perform death-defying stunts to 6 million spectators every year. They are all women… and they are looking for a new recruit. Have you got what it takes?