AIRFORCES MONTHLY 16-pAGE SUPPLEMENT JUNE 2013 Military DisplayEdited by Mark Broadbent Teamsof the World 2013 IR FORCES operate display teams Ato showcase the raw skills of airmanship, precision and teamwork that underpin military flying and to promote awareness and recruitment. They also have an ambassadorial role, promoting an air force and country overseas. Many covered in this supplement display overseas each year and, in some cases, frequently undertake international tours. Teams are also used to promote a country’s aerospace industry, playing informal roles in sales campaigns. As financial constraints continue to affect air force budgets globally, it will be interesting to see if aerobatic teams can maintain their military, political and industrial value. FRECCE TRICOLORI - AMI Military display teams of the world 2013 Australia Roulettes ARGENTINACruz del Sur Brazil Esquadrilha Brunei Alap-Alap ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE da Fumaça Formation Official designation: ROYAL BRUNEI AIR FORCE Royal Australian Air BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE (Angkatan Tentera Udara Force Aerobatic Team (Força Aérea Brasileira) DiRaja Brunei - ATUDB) Aircraft: 6 x Pilatus PC-9 English translation: English translation: Base: RAAF Base East Sale Smoke Squadron Eagle Formation History: The Roulettes team Official designation: Official designation: Royal was established in 1970 for the Brazilian Air Force Air Brunei Air Force Aerobatic Team RAAF’s Golden Jubilee using Demonstration Squadron Aircraft: 3 x Pilatus PC-7II the Vampire’s replacement, the Aircraft: 7 x Embraer Base: Rimba AB Macchi MB326. It grew from T-27 Super Tucano History: Alap-Alap Formation its initial four aircraft to seven Base: Pirassununga AB was established in February 2011 in 1981, but a year later was History: The team was to mark the 50th anniversary reduced to five. The Roulettes established at the Air Force of the founding of military transitioned onto six PC-9s in Academy in 1952 using four aviation in Brunei and the 20th 1989. The team uses standard North American T-6s. The BRAZIL - Esquadrilha da Fumaça FAB anniversary of an independent CFS PC-9s, the colour scheme Argentina - Cruz del sur ‘Smoke Squadron’ name FAA Royal Brunei Air Force. The team’s for the fleet having been was an informal moniker aircraft and pilots come from the designed so that aircraft can ARGENTINE AIR FORCE History: The Cruz del Sur examples in August 2012. As derived from the T-6’s smoke 3rd Squadron of the air force’s be switched between training (Fuerza Aérea Argentina) team was established in 1997 it is still receiving new aircraft, system. It was officially training wing. Alap-Alap has duties and the Roulettes. English translation: with seven Sukhoi Su-29As no displays will take place until recognised as the Brazilian only flown a handful of displays Display: The Roulettes perform Southern Cross painted in Argentina’s national later in the year, probably during AF Demonstration Squadron at Brunei’s National Day and the various six-ship formations Official designation: La Escuadrilla colours, although only four or the South American summer in 1954 and began operating 2010 BRIDEX defence exhibition. before splitting into a four- Acrobática Cruz del Sur (Southern five were used for displays. between November and February. T-24s (Fouga Magisters) in 1968, Display: The PC-7s perform ship and a pair, the latter Cross Aerobatic Squadron) Status: The team has begun Pilots 2013: Information but the hot-and-high climate close formation aerobatics including opposition and Aircraft: 5x IA-63 Pampa II transitioning onto the FMA IA-63 unavailable at the time didn’t suit the aircraft and with twin-trail smoke from synchronised manoeuvres. Base: Mendoza AB Pampa II, receiving its first of six of going to press. it reverted to the T-6 in 1972 electrically-powered generators Trivia: The Roulettes rarely before disbanding in 1977. It in the wings before a final break. perform outside Australia – the was re-formed in 1983 with Pilots 2013: Information only overseas displays in recent Belgium T-27s (Tucanos) but overseas Red Devils Brunei - Alap-Alap Formation unavailable at time of press. years having taken place at appearances have been ATUB BELGIAN AIR COMPONENT European countries – the re-naming its ‘Hardship Red’ team the Singapore Airshow. limited – the USAF’s Golden Air (Composante Aérienne - COMOPSAIR) cost of using front-line of four SF260s formed in 2009. Tattoo at Nellis AFB (1997), a Official designation: Belgian fighters for aerobatic teams Display: The four SF260s perform Canada Pilots 2013 brief 2005 tour of Portugal and The Snowbirds Air Force Display Team was becoming prohibitive, close formation aerobatics in Roulette 1 Sqn Ldr Stephen Baker France, and RIAT 2008 at RAF ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE officially recognised and named the first aerobatic team to perform Aircraft: 4 x SIAI so in 1965 it re-equipped ‘box’ and ‘swan’ patterns before Roulette 2 Flt Lt Andreas Jacobs Fairford. In 2012 the EdF began Official designation: 431 Air the Snowbirds. It flew in the 1988 inside the Arctic Circle, flying at Marchetti SF260M with the Fouga Magister. splitting into three aircraft receiving new Super Tucanos. Demonstration Squadron Winter Olympics opening ceremony midnight – in daylight – at Inuvik. It Roulette 3 Flt Lt Andrew Lynch Base: Beauvechain AB Displays continued around and a solo. These elements Display: Following an opening Aircraft: 9 x Canadair CT-114 Tutor and in 2001 became the first jet has only performed outside North Roulette 4 Flt Lt Jay Tuffley History: The Red Devils (also Europe until budget cuts led to then carry out basic formation seven-ship loop and break, Base: CB Moose Jaw display team to have a woman America once (Mexico in 1994). Roulette 5 Flt Lt Colin Burrows known as Diables Rouges) its disbandment in late 1977. and solo manoeuvres. there follows a varied series History: The Snowbirds’ origins pilot, Lt Maryse Carmichael, who was formed in 1957 with four To mark its 65th anniversary Pilots 2013: Information Roulette 6 Flt Lt Steve English of manoeuvres mixing lie in the CT-114-equipped Golden returned in 2010 as its commander. Pilots 2013 Hunter F4s. By the 1960s – as in 2011, the Belgian air force unavailable at the time Roulette 7 (r) Flt Lt Shaun Rajzbaum formations, synchronised Centennaires, formed in 1967 Display: All nine Tutors spend Snowbird 1 Maj Wayne Mott was happening in many other resurrected the ‘Red Devils’ by of going to press. flying and breaks by different to mark Canada’s centenary. the first half of the display Snowbird 2 Capt Padruig MacIntosh numbers of aircraft including The Centennaires’ leader was together before breaking into Snowbird 3 Capt Iain Cummings pairs, four-ships and a solo. determined to keep an aerobatic a group of seven – which itself Snowbird 4 Capt Gregg Wiebe Trivia: Set a Guinness World team going, and under his splits into smaller groups for Snowbird 5 Capt Trevor Shawaga Record in October 2009 by leadership in 1970-71 Tutors certain manoeuvres – and a flying eleven aircraft (the from 2 Canadian Forces Flying pair. Signature manoeuvres Snowbird 6 Capt Denis Bandet seven display examples plus Training Squadron unofficially include the display opener, a Snowbird 7 Capt Regan Wickett four spares) inverted in close Snowbird 8/ performed flypasts at various nine-Tutor line-abreast pass and Capt Guillaume Paquet formation for 30 seconds. events. The formation grew in size the Maple formation to represent Opposing Solo Snowbird 9/ to seven as a display was gradually Canada’s national symbol. Capt Brent Handy Pilots 2013 formulated. In 1975 the team was Trivia: In 1974 The Snowbirds was Lead Solo Lt Col Marcelo Gobett Leader Cardoso Capt Marcelo Oliveira Right da Silva/Capt Eduardo Wing Maia Arantes Exterior Maj Álvaro Escobar Right Wing Verissimo Capt Murillo Nagib de Left Wing Oliveira Boery/Capt André Fabiano da Silva Capt João Igor Silva Exterior Pivovar/Capt Fabricio Left Wing Carvalho Maj Imaro Reno Faria/ ‘Ferrolho’/ Capt Marcos Mendes Bolt Conrado Veiga Capt Marcelo Franklin Solo Rodrigues/Capt Nelson Australia - Roulettes Belgium - Red Devils de Araujo Silva Canada - The Snowbirds RAAF BAF DND 2 Military Display Teams of the World - 2013 www.airforcesmonthly.com www.airforcesdaily.com 2013 - Military Display Teams of the World 3 Military display teams of the world 2013 Chile Los Halcones CHina Tianzhiyi denmarkBaby Blue ROYAL DANISH AIR FORCE (Danske Flyvevåbnet) Official designation: Royal Danish Air Force Aerobatic Team Aircraft: 4 x Saab T-17 Supporter Base: Karup AB History: Baby Blue’s origins date back to when instructors from the RDAF Flying School performed flypasts with four aircraft over war cemeteries to mark the date of Denmark’s liberation at the end of the Second World War. During the 1980s this evolved into a full display Chile - Los Halcones using T-17 Supporters. The team FACh mainly appears at events in CHILEAN AIR FOrcE History: The Chilean AF established Los Halcones primarily appear at and formation manoeuvres, China - Tianzhiyi Denmark and Scandinavia, but (Fuerza Aérea de Chile) Los Halcones in September 1981, Chilean events, it is the most widely alternating with more gyroscopic Chinese Internet occasionally performs in other Nickname: Los Halcones the aim being to use advanced travelled South American military aerobatics from the solo. Western European countries. English translation: The Hawks aerobatics to showcase the Chilean display team, having appeared Trivia: The team’s signature English translation: Sky Wing team established in 2011. Like and orange smoke. The first Display: The four T-17s perform Official designation: Escuadrilla AF and promote air-mindedness in the UK, France, Belgium, manoeuvre involves the Official designation: PLAAF Sky Red Falcon, the Sky Wing’s public demonstration of the passes in various four-ship de Alta Acrobacia Halcones in the country.