Publisher:AirShowsReviewLLC.

Graphicdesigner:LaszloNyary
ContributingfulltimeTeammembers:
NorthAmerica:SteveSwiperBigg,andNormanA.Graf
Europe:PeterThivessen,WolfgangJarisch,RayPace,andPatriceOlivier
Additionaloccasionalcontributorstothisissue:
BrianR.Veprek,RalfPeterWalter,andCliffordMartin.

The Aviation Magazine is published six times a year. Single issue

priceis$1.99US,startingwiththisspecialissue.Wearedevotedtocoverawide
rangeofaviationeventsrangingfromairshows,airbasevisits,militaryexercises,
civilian spotting, pilot and veteran interviews all with exceptional photography.
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enthusiastsdigitally.

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andtextualworksusedinthispublication,arethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.

The Aviation MagazinerecentlyhadachancetovisitthespringtraininggroundoftheSnow

birdsandoftheCF18DemoTeamastheyweregettingreadyfortheupcomingairshowseason,atCFB
Comox,locatedinbeautifulBritishColumbia,Canada.WefeaturedtheCF18inJuneJulysissue#35,that
alsoincludedtheunveilingofitsuniquepaintschemefor2015,celebratingthe75thAnniversaryofthe
BattleofBritain.

AstheEditor,IdecidedtoreleaseaspecialissuethatwouldexpandonourvisittoComoxandincludethe
Snowbirds,CanadasAmbassadorstotheworld,aswellasourrecentvisitwithRamexDelta,atIstresAB,in
France,whoweregettingreadyfortheairshowseasonaswell.Thus,theideawasborn,whynotaddsome
oftheotherwellknownaerobaticjetteamswhoalsorepresenttheircountriesasGoodwillAmbassadorsto
therestoftheworld.

In2008,QuebecCitycelebratedits400thanniversarywithaspecialairshow,unlikeanyotherinNorth
Americasince,whichfeaturedfourofthebestknownaerobaticmultijetteamsintheworld.Actuallyfive
wereinvited,butduetotechnicalissuesandothercommitmentsthePatrouilledeFrancecouldnotmake
it.Neverthelessthefourteams(SnowbirdsfromCanada,RedArrowsfromtheUK,USNBlueAngelsandthe
USAFThunderbirdsfromtheUS)madehistory.

InthisspecialeditionwefeaturetheSnowbirdsandtheCF18fromCanada,theRedArrowsfromtheUK,
RamexDelta,PatrouilledeFrance,andPatrouilleDorefromFrance,PatrouilleSuisse,PC7TEAMfromSwit
zerland,USAFThunderbirds,aswellourlongoverdueridearticleswithFatAlbertAirlinesoftheBlueAn
gels,andwiththeUSArmyGoldenKnightsParachuteTeam.

Aquicktriviathatyoucanaskyourfriends,whichistheoldestaerobaticteamintheworld?
(1)BlueAngels
(2)Thunderbirds
(3)RedArrows
(4) PatrouilledeFrance
(5) Snowbirds

Congratulationtoyouifyouknow.Ifyoudonotknowthenreadourissueandyouwillknow.

QuebecCitys400thanniversarysairshowwasaonceina
life time opportunity to see four of the very best multi jet
teamsperformingtogetherinoneairshowinNorthAmer
ica.Butdonotfretifyoumissedthembackin2008.Weare
featuringalloftheminthisissue!

2008CliffordMartin

2008USAFPublicdomain

Snowbirdsflytheirsignature9planeabreastformation
astheycompleteatrainingshowatComox,BC.

PacoSnowbird#1

Pacobriefshisteam
andCheechforthe
mediaphotoflight.

Not a lot of people could tell you who the Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF) 431
Squadronisevenifthey'veseenthemperform.Evenso,after45yearsontheCana
dianandAmericanairshowcircuitstheyarestilloneofthemostsoughtafterper
formersavailabletoairshoworganizersandit'snostretchtosaythey'refamousto
airshowfans.Theirfullsquadrontitleof431AirDemonstrationSquadronwasgiven
tothemwhenthesquadronwasofficiallyformedin1975,butsincetheirfirstseason
45 years ago in 1971 they've been best known not as 431 Squadron but simply as;
The Snowbirds. And even though most people don't know them by their official
squadrontitle,you'dbehardpressedtofindanairshowfanwhodoesn'tknowand
lovetoseethemcometotheirlocalshow.

For their 45th anniversary season the Snowbird's theme has been chosen to com
memorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain (BoB). Over 400 Canadians
fleworservedasgroundcrewduringtheBoBandtheteamwillflythe2015show
seasontohonourtheeffortandsacrificestheygavetoaidinwinningthefirstmajor
defeatofGermanyduringWWII.

Leading the teams flying performances again this year is Major Patrick "Paco"
Gobeil;Snowbird1.Pacoledtheteamduringthe2014seasonandisaveteranofthe
airshowcircuithavingalsobeentheRCAFCF18HornetDemonstrationTeampilot
forthe2012season.TheSnowbirdsandtheCF18DemoTeamsharethesamepri
mary purpose when performing at shows. Their job is to demonstrate the level of
skill,professionalismandteamworkthatmembersofspecificallyRCAFandtheCana
dianArmedForcesasawholearecapableof.Certainlythepreciseformationflyingof
theSnowbirdspilotsgoesalongwaytowardsaccomplishingthatgoal.Butanyoneof
theteamspilotswouldbequicktopointoutthatalltheworkthatgoesonbehind
thescenesbytherestoftheteamiswhatenablesthemtobethestarsoftheshow.

The roughly 80 members of 431 Air Demonstration Squadron spend 6 days a week
overa6monthperiodtraining,practising,maintainingandorganizingfortheseason.
Theprocessofgettingreadytohittheroadculminateswiththe24membersof"the
roadteam"deployingto19Wing,ComoxonBritishColumbia'sVancouverIslandfor
2weekstocompletetheirfinalworkupsbeforetheirfirstofficialairshow.Inaddition
tothefinalpracticeflightstoperfecttheroutine,thetimeinComoxgivesboththe
pilots,teamcoordinatorsandthemaintenancecrewtheopportunitytogetusedto
operations on the road. It's also an opportunity for the team to begin to bond as
groupawayfromthefamiliarfacilitiesoftheirhomebaseinMooseJaw,Saskatche
wan.Thisbondingisaveryimportantsteptobeingsuccessfulontheroad.Ittakesan
incredible amount of team work to be sure everything is ready logistically and the
jetsareallworkingwhiletheteamcrisscrossesalloverCanadaandAmericatoper
formmorethan60fullshows,displaysandflypasts.Theteamhavetorelyheavilyon
eachotherwhileontheroadtomakesureeverythingisright.

2009LaszloNyary

ThatjobisnotmadeanyeasiergiventheCT114TutorjetsflownbytheSnowbirdshavecelebratedtheir
own significant anniversary lastyear. 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the Tutor being in service.
ReplacedbytheBeechcraftHarvardII(T6TexanII)asaprimaryflighttrainerfortheRCAF,theTutoris
nowflownexclusivelybytheSnowbirdswiththeexceptionofoneplaneassignedtotheAerospaceEngi
neeringTestEstablishmentat4WinginColdLakeAlberta.Maintainingateamof50yearoldaircraftis
challengingenough.Todoitontheroadandwithoutanadditionalsupportaircrafttocarrytools,parts
andequipmentisatestamenttotheskillsandingenuityoftheteamsmaintainers.

TheTutorwasfirstusedtoforman8planejetaerobaticteamin1967whentheGoldenCentennaires
flewtocelebrateCanadasCentennialanniversary.

Theteamflewover100showsacrossCanadaaswellasseveralabroadbeforebeingdisbandedaftertheir
lastshow.TheleaderoftheGoldenCentennairescontinuedtopushforanddevelopajetaerobaticteam
until his instructor pilot advanced formation training program led to the official creation of the Snow
birdsandshortlyafterthereactivationof431SquadronastheCanadianForcesAirDemonstrationSquad
ron.TheteamhasflowntheTutoreversincebutatpresenttheTutorisscheduledtoberetiredbytheend
of 2020. The Canadian Forces website lists a Snowbird Aircraft Replacement Project with an anticipated
timelinefordeliveryofnewaircraftin2021butitwon'tbeuntil2017thataRequestforProposalsisex
pected.

Thoughts of new aircraft for the team are far from the minds of the Snowbirds and their fans presently
thoughastherearemanyshowstobeperformedbeforeanewaircraftfortheteamisneededandde
cidedon.In2015theteamhasshowsasfarsouthasDallas,Georgia,asfarnorthasFortJohn,BritishCo
lumbia,allthewayeasttoSummerside,PrinceEdwardsIslandandasfarwestasSantaRosa,California.A
lotofgroundtocoverbetweentheirMay1stopenerandtheirlastshowonOctober4thbutitsallinsea
sonsworkfor431AirDemonstrationSquadron.

TheAviationMagazinewouldliketothanktheSnowbirdsandtheCF18Demoteam,inparticularLt.Mat
Strong,Lt.PatriciaBrunelleaswellas442SearchandRescueSquadronfortheirsignificanthelpincovering
theRCAF's2015demonstrationteams.

2015CplAndreMaillet,4WingRCAF

Lefttoright:#8CaptainShamusAllen,#6CaptainMaciejHatta,#4CaptainPhilippeRoy,#2CaptainAvertPyne,

#1MajorPatrickGobeil,#3CaptainBartPostma#5CaptainMatthewHart,#7CaptainSteveReed,
#9CaptainMorganStrachan,PAOLieutenantPatriciaBrunelle,atAndersonRegionalAirshow,SC

2015BrianVeprek

2015CliffordMartin

Squadronphotofor2015ofthe431AirDemonstrationSquadron:theSnowbirds,15WingMooseJaw,Saskatchewan,
above,andaflockofSnowbirdsinactionatWestoverARB,Massachusetts,inMay2015,below.

2015SteveBigg

The 2015 CF18 Hornet Demonstration Team aircraft, AC# 188761, is the
same aircraft used by the 2014 team and is actually a very unique aircraft,
possiblyoneofakindintheworld.761carriesthedistinctionofhavinghad
twodifferentpilotsejectfromit.Quitethehistoryforasingleseataircraft!
Bothejections,oneatRAFStationAlconburyinEnglandin1987andtheother
in Yellowknife in Canadas Northwest Territories took place on the ground.
The incident in Yellowknife caused little damage but the accident at Alcon
burynearlydestroyedtheaircraftleavingitin2separatepieces.Aftertheac
quisitionofapairofHornetwingsfromAustraliaandaCmodelF/A18nose
sectionthatwasbuiltforaSpanishAirForcesjet,severalyearsofworkwent
intorebuildingtheaircraftand761wasputbackintoRCAFservice.Inaddi
tiontobeingusedasthedemojetforthelasttwoyearstheaircraftalsohad
a special paint scheme on the outside of both tails to celebrate the re
activationof409TacticalFighterSquadroninJulyof2006.

2015SteveBigg
2015CaptAdamManikRunge

2015CF18HornetDemoTeamMembers
Rearrow,lefttoright:
MasterCorporalFrancoisCyr(410Squadron),technician,WesternMaintenanceTeam
MasterCorporalEricFleming(410Squadron),deputycrewchief,WesternMaintenanceTeam
MasterCorporalMartinRobert,(425Squadron),technician,EasternMaintenanceTeam
MasterCorporalPatriceGirard,(425Squadron),deputycrewchief,EasternMaintenanceTeam
LtMatStrong,TeamPublicAffairsOfficer
MajEricMartinat,Coordinatorandsafetypilot
MichelSpikeTremblay,Coordinatorandsafetypilot
CorporalJonathanSguin,(425Squadron),technician,EasternMaintenanceTeam
CorporalAlexDumitrasGeli(409Squadron),technician,WesternMaintenanceTeam
Frontrow,lefttoright:
SergeantJanetEkstrom(410Squadron),crewchief,WesternMaintenanceTeam
CaptainDenis"Cheech"Beaulieu,(425Squadron),DemoTeampilot
SergeantRneLanteigne,(425Squadron),crewchief,EasternMaintenanceTeam

CheechcruisesabovetheRockyMountainson
Canada'sWestCoastinthe2015CF18Demojet.

2015SteveBigg

CheechflyingdirtyoverbeautifulBritishColumbiawhileposingforthecamera,above
PractisingtheairshowstyletakeoffatCFBComox,leftbelow
TaxiingbytheSnowbirds,rightbottom.

2015DNDMDNCANADA

2015DNDMDNCANADA

2015BrianVeprek
2015CliffordMartin

HighspeedpassbyCheechatWestoverARB,above
SalutingtheairshowcrowdsatSaluteAmericaAirShow,Atlanta,below.

Oneoftheworldspremieraerobaticdisplayteams,theRedArrowsarethepublicfaceoftheServiceand
representtheUnitedKingdombothathomeandoverseas.Withatrademarkcombinationofcloseformation
flyinganddynamicloopsandrolls,theteamhasbeendisplayingsince1965.

For2015,theBAESystemsHawkT1jetsfeatureanewtailfindesignaflowingUnionflaginspiredlivery
thathighlightstheteamsremitasnationalambassadors.Inadditiontothisrole,theRedArrowsalsoassist
recruitmentintotheArmedForces,promotetheexcellenceoftheRoyalAirForce,supportBritishindustry
andassistdefencediplomacy.

Fortheteams51stseason,theRedArrowsSquadroniscommandedbyWingCommanderMartinHiggins.
WingCommanderMartinHiggins,whoisaformerteampilot,hasresponsibilityfortheSquadronanden
suresproceduresarefollowedbytheteamforsafeandefficientflying.ThereisalsoanewRed1,Squadron
LeaderDavidMontenegrooneofninedisplaypilots.SquadronLeaderDavidMontenegro,wasateampilot
between2009and2011.Now,asTeamLeader,heisresponsibleforallaspectsofthedisplay,fromrunning
thetrainingprogrammetocreatingtheroutinesandleadingtheteamonthegroundandintheair.

AmongtheothereightdisplaypilotsthatmakeupthefamousDiamondNineoftheRedArrows,threeare
brandnewtotheteamfor2015.Typically,aircrewspendthreeyearsasaRedArrowspilot.Eachofthepi
lotshasfastjetoperationalexperienceflyingtheTornadoortheTyphoon,enablingtheRoyalAirForceto
securetheskiesandprotectthenationanditsinterests,365daysayear.

Ensuringtheteamandaircraftarereadyforeachseasoninvolvesalotofteamworkontheground.Known
as the Blues because of the colour of their display coveralls, the teams 110strong ground crew include
skilledengineers,drivers,suppliersandotherpersonnelwitheitherexistingfrontlineexperienceorwhowill
goontocompleteoperationsafterleavingtheRedArrows.

Each year ten engineers are specially selectedfrom the Blues. Known as the Circus, the engineers are as
signedtoonepiloteachandflytoandfromdisplaydestinationsinthebackoftheHawks,butnotindisplays.
MembersoftheCircusareresponsibleforservicingtheaircraftateachlandingandtakeoffsite.Theythen
preparethejetsforthenexteventorforreturningtotheirhomebaseatRAFScampton,whereotherengi
neersalsomaintainthejets.Often,duringatypicalsummerweekend,theteamwillcrisscrossthecountry
anddisplayattwoeventsinaday,aswellasperformingnumerousflypastsontransitsbetweenairfieldsand
meetingthepublicwhenonthegroundbetweenflights.

About80displayswillbecarriedoutin2015andtheseasonrunsfromMayuntilSeptember.However,the
teamisactiveyearroundwithmonthsofpreparationduringtheautumn,winterandspringperiodstoper
fectashowthatwillbeseenbymillionsofpeople.BasedatRAFScamptoninLincolnshire,theRedArrows
hadcompleted4,660displays,in56countries,bythestartofthisseason.

Formoreinformationabouttheteam,visitwww.raf.mod.uk/reds


Thelineuplefttorightisasfollows:SquadronLeaderMikeLing(Red10),FightLieutenantJoeHourston(Red9),FlightLieutenantOllyParr(Red8),SquadronLeaderDavidMontenegro(Red1,TeamLeader),Flight
LieutenantSteveMorris(Red7),FlightLieutenantMarkLawson(Red6),FlightLieutenantTomBould(Red5),FlightLieutenantStewCampbell(Red4),FlightLieutenantEmmetCox(Red3),FlightLieutenantMike
Bowden(Red2).

RIAT2010,topleft2010LaszloNyary
RIAT2013,midleft2013PeterThivessen
QuebecCity2008,bottomleft2010LaszloNyary
Malta2014,topright2014ChristopherMifsud
Malta2014,bottomright2014ChristopherMifsud

2014PatriceOlivier

2010LaszloNyary
2013LaszloNyary
2013LaszloNyary

2013LaszloNyary

2013LaszloNyary

2013LaszloNyary

dorstotheworld.ThepilotscurrentlyflytheDassault/DornierAlphaJet,operatingoutofBasearienne
701SalondeProvence.

Thisworldfamousprecisionaerobaticdemonstrationteamcantracetheirhistoryallthewaybackto1931,
thusmakingtheteamtheworld'soldestandoneofthemostskilleddemonstrationteams.

France'sfirstaerobaticdemonstrationwasonMay10,1931overtampesMondsir.Itwasperformedby
theinstructorsfromthelocalflyingschoolwithMoraneSaulnierMS230aircraft(frame#9onfilmstrip).
TheirfirstdisplayabroadwasthatAugustinBelgium.In1934,theteamtransitionedtoMoraneSaulnier
225 aircraft. The Patrouille d'tampes team commanded of Captain Pierre Fleurquin from 193239, was
chosen to represent France at international events. From 1936 until 1939, the team employed Spad 510
aircraft(frame#10).

In 1937, Patrouille d'tampes team relocated to SalondeProvence, and they became known as the Pa
trouilledel'coledel'air"FlyingschoolPatrol".TheSecondWorldWarinterruptedtheoperations.

AfterWWII,in1946aformerPatrouilled'tampesteammember,CaptainPerrie,reestablishedanaero
baticteamattheschoolforairinstructorsinTours.Thenewteamagainwasnamedafteritsbaselocation
anditwasknownasthe"PatrouilleTours".In1947thisteamreturnedtotampes.TheDepartmentof
AerialNavigationgavetheteamofficialstatusasa"squadron"intheFrenchAirForceanditwasequipped
withtwelveStampeSV4aircraft(frame#11).

The first French Air Force aerobatic team with jet aircraft was established in 1950 in Dijon by the com
manderofthe2ndsquadron,CaptainMarias.ThisteamwasequippedwithfourDeHavillandVampirejet
fighters(frame#12).In1951,CaptainMariaswentontofoundanotherdisplayteamdrawnfromthe4th
squadronbasedinFriedrichschaffen. In1952,CommandantDelachenal,Commanderof3rdsquadronair
baseatReimsChampagne,establishedyetanotheraerobaticteamemployingfourRepublicF84GThun
derjet(frame#13).In1953,duringanaerialeventatMaisonBlancheinAlgeria,theshow'scommentator,
carried away by the spectacle he had just witnessed, gave the team the name "Patrouille de France". In
1954theUSmadeF84aircraftwasreplacedbytheFrenchDassaultOuragan(frame#14),andtheteam
flewituntil1957,whenitwasreplacedbyDassaultMD.454MystreIV(frame#16)thefirsttransonicair
crafttoenterservicewiththeFrenchAirForce. Duetobudgetcutsin1964theDassaultMystreIVteam
wasdisbanded,butshortlytheMinistryofDefencedecidedtocreateanofficial"Patrouilledel'colede
l'air",consistingofsixFougaMagisteraircraft(frame#17)stationedonceagainatSalonde
Provence.IntimethesixFougaMagistergrowtonineaircraft.Theirlastperformancewas

September16,1980attheirhomebaseofSalondeProvence.TheywerereplacedbysevenAlphaJet,with
anadditionalaircraftaddedin1982tomakeatotalofnine.

In2009,thePatrouilledeFrancemadehistorywiththeappointmentofCommandantVirginieGuyot,the
firstwomantoleadanationaldemonstrationteamintheworld,belowatMaltaInternationalAirshow.

2014LaszloNyary

PatrouilledeFrance,(PAF)theFrenchaerobaticteamoftheArmelairistheFrenchAirForcesAmbassa

Image courtesy of Officier Relations Publiques, quipes de prsentation de l'arme de l'air 20.300

Lefttorightbackrow:m8CapitaineBenjaminMICHEL,m6CapitaineBenjaminCHANAT,m1CommandantRomainBETHOUX,TeamLeader,m5CapitaineOlivierBLANCTAILLEUR,m7CApitaineHervAUBERT
Frontrow:m2CapitainePhilippeCASTAGNET,m4CommandantChristopheDUBOIS,m3CapitaineBertrandTARDIF,m9CapitaineWilliamLEROY

2014PatriceOlivier
Image courtesy of Officier Relations Publiques, quipes de prsentation de l'arme de l'air 20.300

Lefttoright:m8CapitaineBenjaminMICHEL,m2CapitainePhilippeCASTAGNET,m4CommandantChristopheDUBOIS,m6CapitaineBenjaminCHANAT,m1CommandantRomainBETHOUXTeamLeader,
m3CapitaineBertrandTARDIF,m5CapitaineOlivierBLANCTAILLEUR,m7CapitaineHervAUBERT,m9CapitaineWilliamLEROY

2014PatriceOlivier
2014PatriceOlivier

Since 1931, the teams under different names have flown at least
nine different aircraft types, as highlighted on pages 3435. The
French Post Office over the years issued several stamps that fea
turedtheseaircraft,severalofthesestampshadcaughtmyatten
tiononeissuedin2008andaparticularsetfrom2013.

In2013,PatrouilledeFrancetheteamsofficialnamesince1953,
became 60 years old. To commemorate their 60th Anniversary a
specialsetofstampwasissuedwhichillustratedthejetstheyflew
sincetheadoptionofthisname.

The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet and advanced

traineraircraftcomanufacturedbyDassaultAviationofFranceand
DornierofGermany.TheAlphaJetperformeditsfirstflightatIstres
on26October1973.Theaircraftmanoeuvredwellandhadnodiffi
cultiesattransonicspeeds.Thiscapablesmalltwinjetwhichtakes
offin700metresandreachesMach0.86at15,000m,isperfectly
adaptedtocombatflighttrainingandisoperatedbyseveralforeign
air forces. The Alpha Jet, thanks to its performance and safety, in
1981, has successfully replaced the Fouga Magister for the Pa
trouilledeFrance.Theaircraftisonlyslightlymodifiedfortheaero
batic team,these modifications include; the removal of the Head
Up Display, the change of the landing gear light location to the
nose, a special blue, white and red livery, and a container added
beneath the fuselage housing the pyrotechnical instantaneous
smoke elements which produce a plume of blue, white and red
smokeinthesky.

8 ship formation of the Pa

trouilledeFrance,above,and
a crew getting the Alpha Jet
ready before a performance,
totheleft.

Withoutadoubt,oneofmyfavouritejetteamsthatisactivelyflyingistheRamexDelta,fromtheIstresLe
TubAirBase,BA125,locatednearIstres,northwestofMarseille,France.

Thetacticalteammembersarerelativelynewtotheairshowcircuit,theywerecreatedin2009,byNanar
andwasflownbyMiragecrewsfromthe3M2000Nsquadron.In2011,theStrategicAirCommand(SAC)
decidedthatonlyoneteambysquadronisgrantedtoflyanairshowseason.AtthattimeJonah,fromthe
EscadrilleLaFayette,askedtheSAC,toapproveittodoitwithhissquadronwithGaby,thecurrentteam
leader. Their first air show was in Saint Dizier, in June 2011. At that time, there was the team of Luxeuil
(RequinIndia),andJonahsRamexDelta.Thenextyear,RamexDeltawastheonlyoneteamintheairforce
toperformatacticalshow.

WeatTheAviationMagazine,hadthepleasureofmeetingthematairshows,andacoupleofluckymembers
ofourstaffincludingmyself,attheirhomebase.

WhatmakestheRamexDeltauniqueamongotherjetteams,isthattheynotonlyflycombatreadyaircraft
theDassaultMirage2000Nwithoutanymodificationfortheairshowdisplays,thepilotsserveconcurrently
asregularpilotsofStrategicAirForces(FAS,ForcesAriennesStratgiques)theairbornenucleardeterrent
oftheFrenchAirForce(Larmedelair).Additionallytheirdisplayroutineiscloselyrelatedtoactualtactical
deploymentversusaerobaticroutinesdesignedforairshowdisplays.

WehadanextensivearticleabouttheRamexDeltateam,aswellabouttheirsquadrontheEscadrilleLaFay
etteinour#23rdissue,2013JuneJuly,coveringourfirstbasevisit.Additionally,theyhaveappearedonour
covertocelebratethe80thAnniversaryoftheLarmedelairinour#27thissue,2014AprilMay,andonce
againonourcover#29thissue,participatinginoneofthelargestairshowsinFranceduring2014atCazaux
AB,fortheairforces80thanniversarycelebration.(clickonissuesforafreedownload)

AdayinthelifeofpilotsoftheRamexDeltaTeam,narrativebyPatrice,representing
TheAviationMagazine.
Beforetheairshowseasonbegins,everyyeartheteamhasto gothroughacertificationprocessandap
proval,inwhichtheyarescrutinizedthoroughlytoensurethattheymeetthehighstandards,safetyandex
pectationsbythePublicDisplayAuthorityoftheAirForce,workingtowardsthefinalvalidationofthedis
playbyGeneralDenisMercier,ChiefofStaffoftheAirForceatSalondeProvenceAirBase.
Inordertoachievevalidation,theteampracticesweatherdependentoneortwosortiesaday,andthreeor
fourtimesaweek.Thesepracticesessionslastforseveralhours.Usuallybeforethescheduledflighttime
they start about one and half hour earlier. The Aviation Magazine had the rare privilege to attend one of
thesepreflightpreparationswhichstartsattheirbriefingroom.Tohonourus,theyworeandflewwiththe
AviationMagazinespatches,thatcanbeclearlyseenontheirrightshoulders.
For2015theflyingmembersoftheteamare:

Ramex1:GabiTeamleader,andPPWSO
Ramex2:Pierrotpilot,andCamilleWSO

Tminus1:30:00intheBriefingRoomTheMusic
The four members in silence and intensely concentrate on all of
their flying moves, mimic with their hands their flight, as well as
theirstickandthrottlemovementsoftheir12minuteroutine.Toa
outsiderthiskindoflookslikeaconductorconductinganorches
tra,thusnameTheMusic.

Tminus1:00:00
Thepilotsgetreadybygoingtotheflightequipmentlockerroom,put
onGsuitsandgrabbingtheirhelmets,ittakesafewminutestoput
ontheGsuitsproperly.
Tminus0:45:00
Fromtheflightlockerroomtotheofficialdispatchdesk,tosignout
the aircrafts, the flight plan details, and to learn about any repairs
performedbythemechanicstobeawareof.

Tminus0:35:00
WalkingtowardstheaircraftwithBoqthemechanicforthe2/4LaFayettesquadron.Gabiwearingthe2013
TheMagazinepatch,whiletheothersarewearingourlatestFlyingMooseTourpatchofTheAviationMagazine.

Tminus0:25:00

Afterathoroughwalkaroundtheaircraftbythepilot,checkingandtalkingtothemechanic,theflightcrew
makesfinaladjustmentstotheirGsuitsandarereadytositinsidethecockpit.

Tminus0:00:01Timetotakeoffandstartthedisplay...

Tminus0:10:00
Onceseatedtheengineisstartedtheinstrumentpanelischeckedfortheproperfunctioningoftheengine,hy
draulicsandallnecessarysupportsystems,oncealltheoperationsystemsindicatenormal,thecanopiesare
closedandarereadytotaxiouttotherunway.

RamexDeltaincloseformation,theleaderRamex#1alwaysaheadofRamex#2

Tplus0:12:01TimetolandafterthetacticaldisplaybytheRamexDeltaTeam...

Tplus0:20:00
After parking and disembarking the two pilots discuss their
flight, and the team poses quickly by one of the aircraft and
continueforcompletedebriefinginside.

Tplus0:30:00
Backintheofficetheteamisdebriefedandtheir
performance is analyzed by the Gabi, the Team
Leader as well as their coach Jonah, their former
TeamLeaderfromthe20112013season.Thiscan
take some time as video is reviewed, taken from
thegroundaswellasfromthecockpit
Oncethereviewsaredone,itistimetorelaxabit,
inthiscasevisitingtheairbasesaviary,wherefal
consarekepttoscarebirdsofftherunway,Inthis
case it was possible to bring them to the actual
apron where the aircraft are parked to pose with
thebirdsofprey.Andwiththis,ourvisitended.
The Aviation Magazine would like to thank all the
members of Ramex Delta Team; Gabi, PP, Pierrot,
Camille,Jonah;RicardopilotfromStrikesquad
ron 2/4 La Fayette; Squadron Commander 2/4 La
Fayette; ADC Alain Courtillat Chief of Photo
graphic Service, and his crew SGT Anas, SGT Pi
erre, all the ground crew, all the base personnel
involved,andSIRPAAIR.YouaretheBEST!

Patrol Cartouche Dor (Golden Cartridge Patrol) is one of the aerobatic teams of the
FrenchAirForce.TheyarebasedattheBA709CognacChteaubernardsinceitsinception
of1989.Thebaseishometothel'coledepilotagedel'armedel'air(EPAA)flightschool
oftheairforce.
Theteamconsistsoffivepilots;oneleader,andtworightwingandtwoleftwingmembers.
Duringanairshowonlythreeflyinatightformation,lessthan2metresapart,ledbythe
leaderandoneofthetworightandleftwingmemberswhoalternateateachdemonstra
tions. These other two remain on the ground to watch, learn and comment on the per
formance.Therearethreephotographersfilmingalltheflights,whichareusedforeduca
tionalpurposesbytheflightschoolaswell.Inanaverageyeartheyperformatthirtyavia
tionevents.
CartoucheDorflytheFrenchmadeEADSSocata"TB30Epsilon"poweredbya6cylinder
AvcoLycomingO540pistonengineproducing300hp,drivingatwobladepropeller,and
is fitted with a retractable undercarriage. This nimble aircraft is ideal for student pilots
learningtofly.Maximumspeedis378km/h(204knots,236mph)atsealevel.TheEpsi
lonisalowwingedcantilevermonoplaneofallmetalconstruction.Thepilotandinstructor
sitintandemunderaslidingPlexiglascanopy,withcockpitlayoutdesignedtoaidtransi
tiontotheDassault/DornierAlphaJetforthestudentsaftergraduation.

R.NicolasNelsonEPAASAPACartoucheDor

During a typical display CartoucheDor fly at speeds between 80 and 180 knots, or 150
360kmh,reachingamaximumaltitudeof2000ftor700m.

2015SergentChefPrioreschilsonEPAASAPACartoucheDor

2014AllimagesPatriceOlivier

Displayimagesfrom2014attheRoanneairshow,France,inSeptember.

VBS/TokunagaKatsuhiko

ThePatrouilleSuisseisanaerobaticjetteamof
theSwissAirForce.TheteamfliessixNorthrop
F5ETigerIIjets.ThePatrouilleSuissenormally
operates six Northrop F5E Tiger II aircraft out
oftotaloftwelveF5Esthataremaintainedin
teamcolors.
History
Officially, In 1959 the Ueberwachungsgesch
wader (UeG) was tasked with setting up two
pairsofHawkerHunterMk.58aircraft.1964,in
thelightoftheEXPOfairandthe50thanniver
saryoftheSwissAirForcetheyflewnumerous
displays all over Switzerland. On August 22,
1964 the Patrouille Suisse, the first official
SwissAirForceaerobaticteamwasestablished.
About four years later, the future of the Pa
trouilleSuissehunginthebalance.Whenmak
ing a film about the Swiss Air Force the team
leader,CAPTBirrercrashedintothemountains
and was killed. However, after a break of only
several weeks 1st LT Enrico Ferrero was ap
pointednewteamleaderandorderedtosetup
a new display program with four aircraft. Ma
neuverswererestrictedtoaminimumaltitude
of 300 ft above ground level (AGL) for the
whole formation, whereas crossing of single
aircraftorpairswererestrictedto150ftAGL.

VBS/TokunagaKatsuhiko

1970 the number of aircraft was increased

from four to five with an entirely new display
program. Loopings had a diameter of 1.500m,
rollswerenotallowedbellow1.800ftAGLand
gloadslimitedtomaximumof+5g/3g.
In 1978 the Patrouille Suisse had its first per
formanceoutsideofSwitzerland.Ontheocca
sion of the 25th anniversary of the French Air
Force aerobatic team Patrouille de France the
Swiss displayed at SalondeProvence, the
home base of the Patrouille de France. This
alsowasthefirsttimefortheteamtoflywith
sixaircraft.In1979,atitssecondperformance
outsideofSwitzerland,thePatrouilleSwisswas
awarded the Shell Trophy for the best flying
display at the Royal International
AirTattoo.

Until 1991 the aircraft had the standard Swiss Air Force color
scheme.Thatyear,aspartofthecommemorationofthe70than
niversaryoftheSwissConfederationtheteam'sHawkerHunters
received their own identity by giving them a distinctive color
schemenowthewing'sundersideisredandwhitewithalarge
whitecross.
WiththewithdrawaloftheHunterfromactiveservicewithinthe
Swiss Air Force the era of the Hunter with the Patrouille Suisse
alsocametoanend.Theirlastofficialdisplayonthistypeofair
craftwasonSeptember25th,1994attheFrenchairbaseNancy.
The 1995 season saw the team on six all red and white colored
Northrop F5E Tiger II aircraft. Apart from the all red and white
color scheme, the aircraft is a standard F5E Tiger II. In 1996 a
white smoke generation system was added. This replaces the
righthand20mmcannon.However,ifneededthecannoncanbe
easilyrefitted.Whennotflownbytheteam,theaircraftareused
forstandardflyingoperationswithintheSwissAirForce.
In2014theSwissairForcecelebrated
their 100th, and the Patrouille Suisse
their official 50th Anniversary. Please
see our coverage by clicking on the
magazinecovertotheright.

AllimagesunlessnotedVBS

The Patrouille Suisse is based at Em

men Air Base. The pilots are fulltime
fighter pilots, assigned to different
squadronsandalsoqualifiedtoflythe
F/A18 Hornet. They only come to
gether for training and performing
displaysatlocalandinternationaleventsandairshows.

2014PatriceOlivier

2014RalfPWalter

1991ChristofBerger

ImagesoftheHunterfromyesteryearaswellasoftheTigerIIsfromthe50thAnniversaryat
Air14,includingaspecialsilver20Frcoinmintedfortheoccasion.

CAPT SIMON BILLETER

LT COL DANIEL HSLI

BILLY TIGER UNO LEADER

CAPT MICHAEL DUFT

PPI TIGER TRE LEFT WING

CAPT GUNNAR JANSEN

MARIO WINIGER

ALBAN WIRZ

GANDALF TIGER QUATTRO SLOT

WINI TIGER OTTO SPEAKER

ALBAN TIGER NOVE SPEAKER

LT COL NILS HMMERLI

CAPT RODOLFO FREIBURGHAUS

CAPT MICHAEL MEISTER

CAPT GAL LACHAT

JAMIE TIGER DIECI DEPUTY COMMANDER

ROODY TIGER DUE RIGHT WING

MAESTRO TIGER CINQUE 2ND SOLO

GALI TIGER SEXI 1ST SOLO

2015VBS

DANI TIGER ZERO COMMANDER

Article by the Editor with Photography as noted

VBS

As ambassador of the Swiss Air Force,

thePC7TEAMshowsdynamic,elegant
and precise formation flying at its
best. With a crisp flowing program, at
tractive formation changes and many
differentfigures,thePC7TEAMgivesa
very professional performance during
which flight safety and teamspirit are
thetoppriority.ThePC7TEAMderives
its name from the airplane used, the
Swiss made Pilatus PC7 trainer.

History

Their history traces back to the seven

ties,whentheyflewsimultaneousaero
batics with two Pilatus P3 aircraft. Af
tertheintroductionofthePC7in1983,
solo displays were flown with the new
orange and silvercoloured trainer
plane. During the Air Force competi
tions in 1987, Colonel Hansruedi
Ruesch, the commander of the surveil
lance wing at the time, ordered a for
mation with nine PC7 into the air for
thefirsttime.On20July1987,thefirst
nine volunteers gathered to attend a
threeday training course in Locarno.
The first display, performed on 29 Au
gust1987inDbendorf,receivedavery
enthusiasticresponsefromthepublic.

VBSAllimages

DiamondformationinfrontoftheiconicMatterhorn,Switzerland

However, 1989 is considered to be the

foundation year, as it was then that the
team was reformed to fly at the celebra
tions marking the Swiss Air Forces 75
yearjubilee.Thedisplaywasagreatsuc
cess and as a result, from 1989 onwards,
the new Swiss Air Force PC7 TEAM per
formedseveraldisplaysayear,enthralling
the Swiss population. In 1992, they dem
onstrated their skills above the skies of
Avord, France. Subsequently, the number
of displays increased Monaco, England,
Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden,
MaltaandmanyotherEuropeancountries
canbefoundontheannualschedulenow.
In1998thePC7TEAMevenperformedin
Israel.

The display program has been continually

refined over the years and new elements
like multiple crossings, mirror flights and
newformationshavebeenadded.

In2008,thePC7wascompletelymodern
ised.Thecockpitwasupgradedtostateof
thearttechnology,givenageneralfacelift
and the aircrafts colour scheme was
changedtotheSwissnationalcolours,red
and white. Highly popular in Switzerland
and abroad, the PC7 TEAM has received
several awards, including the King Hus
seinMemorialSwordforbestflightpres
entation at RIAT, Fairford, GB, in 2013. In
timeforits25yearjubileein2014,thePC
7TEAMinstalledanewsmokegenerating
systeminitsplanes.Thesmokemakesthe
formations and figures flown in the sky
moreclearlyvisibletothecrowd.

VBSAllimages

Lefttorightbackrow:ColonelWernerHoffmannCommander,MajAndreasHebeisenPublicAffairs,CaptPhilippeHertigPublicAffairs;Turbo1CaptMartinVetter,Leaderinsidethecockpit
Frontrow:Turbo7CaptMariusKrsi2ndSolo,Turbo4CaptMatthiasMllerSlot,Turbo3CaptMarioThniLeftWing,GstMajMartinHessSparePilot,Turbo5CaptCyrilJohner

2015VBS

LeftOuterWing,Turbo2CaptAlainvonBrenRightWing,Turbo8CaptChristophSchneider1stSolo,Turbo6CaptThomasHilpertRightOuterWing

editionrecently,availableforafreedownloadbyclickingontheAviation
Magazine image to the left that included the all Marine crew of the Fat
AlbertAirlines.

2015VBS

Our regular readers of this Magazine will all be familiar with the C130T
aircraft used to provide logistics support for the Blue Angels. Affection
ately nicknamed Fat Albert, the Hercules transports personnel and
equipmenttoeachairshowvenueandfliesanopeningdemonstrationfor
theteam.Whatmanymaynotrealizeisthatselectedindividualsarein
vitedtoridealongduringrehearsalandpracticeflights.Theseincludelo
calVIPs,distinguishedmilitarypersonnelandaccreditedmembersofthe
media.Wewerefortunatetobeinvitedonboardduringthe2014Wings
OverHoustonairshow.Wedliketobringyoubehindthescenesandlet
youexperiencethefulltacticaldemonstrationfrominsidetheaircraft.

Severalmembersofthemilitary,localVIPChristineHa(blindwinnerofthethirdseasonofMasterChef)
andselectmediaallgatheredonthetarmacatHoustonsEllingtonFieldonFriday,October31,2014.We
weregreetedbyMaj.A.J.Harrell,oneofthepilots,whogaveusabriefoverviewoftheupcomingflight.
Itwouldbeshort,especiallyforaC130,andverybumpybecauseofthewinds,butwewereassuredit
wouldstillbefun.MostofthetwodozenairmenselectedforthisincentiveflighthadflownonC130s
andmanyhadflowntheHerculesincombatzones.Puttingthisflightintocontext,Maj.Harrellexplained:
Welltrytofoolyouintothinkingitsthesame,butitllbealittlebitdifferent.Wewouldfindoutsoon
enoughwhathemeantbythat.

MajorDustyCookgaveustheformalbriefing.Hewouldbethepilotintheleftseat,MajorHarrellwould
beflyingintherightseat.TherestofthecrewwascomposedofflightengineerStaffSergeantKevinSan
chez,navigatorGunnerySergeantChristianVillalobosandintheback,foroursafetyandentertainment,
StaffSergeantAdamMiller,SergeantChrisFarinellaandPettyOfficerMarkLombardi.

Nowyouknowwhothecrewis,andwhosgoingtobetakingcareofyou.Feelfreetolistenin,Illbe
givingthemthecrewbrief.Illfollowitupwithapassengerbriefandthenansweranyquestionsyoumay
have,saidMajorCook.

Allrightcrew,attentiontobrief.Timesabout32after.Mantime45,Takeoff15hundred.Wellbeus
ingrunway35Left,centerpointwillbethewhitesemitrailer,thewhitetarpwillbeshowline,the500
footlinewillbetheinboardedgeoftherunwayitself.AllemergencieswillbehandledaccordingtoNA
TOPS (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization). Anything prior to 80 knots well
abortbetween80knotsandtheVMCAandwellthenmakethedecisionafterthat.Anairborneemer
gencywellbringitbackto35Left.AnybodycanalsocallaKnockitoffifyouseetheneedtodothat.
Wellclimbtocopeanddecideifwecancontinuethedemoornot.Fieldtodayisgorgeous.VFR.Winds
areoutofthenorthabout10to15knots.ForourprofileIwillbeonrunway35Left.Illbeonthebrakes.
Illsetmaxpower.MosaysHititBert!Illreleasethebrakes.Wellstartourtakeoffroll.At80knotsIll
taketheyoke.VMCAexecutealowtransition.170knots45degreesnoseup.At110wellpushoverthe
top.At135knotswellgettheflaps.At150knotswellpullleft.At160knotswellverifywereclean.At
170callmaneuveringspeed.Arightturnheadingof035andthenIllpulla60degreeangleofbankturn
to the left to set up for our input to the parade pass. Were in for the parade pass. Well descend no
greater than 4000 feet per minute and no lower than 500 feet. Till contact. No lower than 200 feet.
Thatllbeourtargetsettoday.OncepastthecrowdlineIllcallRollinganditllbe60degreeangleof
bankturntotherightforouregressline.OncewerewingslevelandestablishedclearIllcallPullup.
10degreenoseupforourtargetaltitudeof1000feet.At2milesIllcallrolland60degreebankturnto
theleftforourentrancetotheflatpass.Welldescendnogreaterthan4000feetperminute,nolower
than 500 feet until we contact. No lower than 200 feet wings level for our target altitude today of 40
feet.320knots.AtcenterpointIllcallStandby,Standby.IllcallPullup.Itllbe10degreesnoseup
androll60degreesturntightforourminimumradiusturnat500feet.Fromtherewellcallcontactfor
theheadon.Illdescenddownto200feet.Atpoint5wellcallPullinganditllbe20degreesnoseup
androll60degreesturnbanktotheleftforourdownwind.Oncewereatspeedwellconfigureclean.At
2milesIllcallRolling.45degreesangleofturnbanktotheleftforourfinal.OnceIfeellikeitstimeto
goinwellgetflapstoahundred,backupboththrottlesandat95knotsIllcallPush.Itllbe25
degreesnosedown.Oncewereonthedeck,Illtransfertheyokeback.Wellclearintheback50
knots

LaszloNyary

We covered the 2015 Blue Angels Team in our Naval Aviation special

tiresskiddedovertherunway.Forthelasttimewewerestrainingagainstourseatbeltsaswedeceler
ated.Therampopenedaswecametoastopandimmediatelystartedbackingup.Aftertaxiingbackto
therampweexitedandtookphotoswiththecrew.TheBlueAngelsjetswerealreadyairborneandBert
neededtobepreppedfortomorrowsshow,sotherewasnotimetolinger.

TheAviationMagazinewouldliketothankScottTimsfororganizingthisamazingmediaopportunityand
wewouldliketosincerelythanktheallMarinecrewofFatAlbertAirlinesfortheirserviceandforone
hellofaneightandahalfminuteride.

2014NormanAGrafAllimagesunlessnoted

knotsStandbytheFlag.Oncewereactuallystoppedwellcleartheflag.Wellbackup,wellflashthe
lightstoMo,welltaxibacktorighthereandwelltakesomepictures.

Gotthat?Good!Buriedinallofthetechnicaljargonisthefactthatwewouldbepushingtheaircraftto
itslimits:maxpitch(bothupanddown),maxbank,maxgs(bothpositiveandnegative)andmaxspeed
(.64Mach).Andallthatinjustovereightminutes.Wewereinforaride!

Because of the aggressive maneuvering and high gs, everything we brought on with us needed to be
strappeddown.Wewereresponsiblefortakingeverythingwebroughtontotheplanebackoffwithus
afterwards,includingthecontentsofourstomachs.Youdonthavetouseit,butyouhavetotakeone,
explainedSgtFarinellaashepassedoutsicksacks.Oneairmanwasgiventheopportunitytositinthe
bubbleduringtheflight.Thisplexiglassdomeislocatedontheroofoftheaircraftbetweenthewings
andprovidesaspectacularviewduringtheshow.Togettherehehadtoascendastepladderwhichwas
boltedtothefloor,thengetsecurelystrappedin.Therestofussettledintoourwebseatsalongtheside
ofthefuselageandbuckledourseatbelts.SgtFarinellacamebyagainandyelledScootch!toseveralof
the media, indicating to them that they needed to scootch their backsides deeper into the seats and
tightentheirbeltsabitmoresecurely.Therampclosedandwetaxiedout.

Outontherunwaytheenginesrevved,rattlingtheaircraftasMaj.Cookstoodonthebrakes.Brakesoff
andwewereonourway.Onceairbornewestayedonthedeck,amerefourfeetofftheasphalt,aswe
cleanedupthegearandbuiltupairspeed.Rotatingintothemaximumeffortclimbslammedusintoour
seatsandthrewustowardstherearoftheaircraftasweroseatsixtimestheclimbrateofasimilarly
sized737commercialjet.Withoutanexternalframeofreferenceouronlycluetotheangleofclimbwas
SergeantMillerscrazyposture:heappearedtobeleaningforwardat45degreeswithoutanysupport!

Pushingoverthetopat110knots gaveusseveralsecondsofnegativegs.Armsandlegsinvoluntarily
roseup:SgtFarinellaandPettyOfficerLombardiheldontotherungsofthestepladderastheirfeetal
mosthittheceiling.Anumberofsicksacksflewby(thankfullystillempty)andthecamerainmyhands
eerilytuggeditswayupintotheair.Whatablast!Buttherollercoasterridehadjustbegun.Overthe
nextseveralminutestheviewoutsidethewindowsturned fromblueskytogreengrassasweexperi
enced the maximum banks during the minimum radius turn and other transitions. Over and over we
werepressedintoourseatsbyseveraltimestheforceofgravity.Ourfinalencounterwithnegativegs
cameduringtheassaultlandingasourpilotstookusintoadiveeighttimessteeperthanyournormal
airlinerapproachtolanding.Weslammedontothedeckandthepilotsimmediatelystompedon
thebrakes.Thecargobayfilledwithsmokeandtheacridsmellofburningrubberasthe

TheStrategicArmyCommandParachuteTeamwasformedin1959atFortBragg,NC,theHomeofthe
Airborne.TwoyearslateritadoptedthenicknametheGoldenKnightsbywhichithasbeenknownever
since. The Golden Knights are composed of a number of separate units: the Tandem Team, the various
CompetitionTeams,andtheBlackandGoldDemonstrationTeams.TheTandemTeamdeliverstheexperi
ence of freefall parachuting to Soldiers and VIPs across the U.S. by buddyingup and jumpingin tandem.
TheCompetitionTeamscompetebothnationallyandinternationallyandhaveamassedanimpressivenum
berofmedalsintheirfiftysixyearsofexistence.TheBlackandGoldTeamsperformaerialdemonstrations
aroundtheworld,thrillingaudienceswiththeiramazingskydivingdisplays.

SFCShelbyBixler,
theAnnouncer

TheWDIisaboutto
betosseddown.

Thebestwaytotake
actionphotos

Wewereunderstandablythrilledwhenwewereinvitedtoflyalongduringa
rehearsal jump at the Warriors Over the Wasatch air show at Hill AFB in
June,2014(seeourreviewoftheairshowhere).Wemettheteamonthe
ramp on a drizzly, overcast morning. As the jumpers walked through their
routinesonthetarmacwewerebriefedonwhattoexpectduringtheflight
andboardedtheaircraft.TheDemonstrationTeamiscarriedaloftintheC
31A Troopship, a militarized version of the Fokker27 MK400 Friendship.
(The teams other aircraft type, the de Havilland UV18A Twin Otter, is the
primarysupportaircraftfortheCompetitionTeamsandtheTandemTeam.)

Afterashortdelayduetoarainsquallwetookoffandbeganacirclingclimb
over the base. The jumpers normally exit the aircraft at 12,500 feet, but
sincetherunwayatHillAFBisatalmost5,000feetabovesealevel,andthe
ceilingwaslimitedthatday,theywouldbejumpingfromonlyalittleovera
mileabovetheground.Asweascended,teammemberskeptakeeneyeon
wind and weather conditions. During the ascent they dropped Wind Drift
Indicators (WDI, or woodies). These are wooden batons attached to long
crepe paper streamers which clearly show the wind speed, direction and
variabilityoverthedropzone.Thelaunchpointiscalculatedbasedonhow
farthewoodieslandfromthetarget.

AswenearedourjumpaltitudeeventhemassiveC5GalaxyandB52Stra
tofortress arrayed on the tarmac looked like miniature scale models. The
teammembersconductedlastminutechecksoftheirgear,donnedtheirhel
metsandlinedup.SFCShelbyBixler,theAnnouncer,wasthefirsttoexitthe
aircraft. She would freefall to a lower altitude and quickly descend to take
herplaceontheannouncerspodium.

SFC Kevin Presgraves, the Team Leader, soon indicated itwas time for
therestoftheteamtojump.Hedepartedtheaircraftandwasfollowed
in quick succession by the remaining parachutists. Each Golden Knight
snappedacrispsaluteasthe120mphslipstreamcausedthemtodisap
pearfromviewalmostimmediately.Wefollowedthebrightredstreams
oftheirsmokecanistersuntilwesawtheblackandgoldparachutecanopies
deploy.

Thepilotofouraircraftthenbankedtheaircrafthardandengagedinamaxi
mumdescent.Oncebackonthegroundwecaughtuptothejumpersfurling
in their parachutes and beginning the prep work for the next days jump.
Once their tasks had been completed, they lined up for a group photo in
front of their aircraft. Wed like to sincerely thank the members of the
GoldenKnightsBlackTeamfortheopportunitytoridealongononeoftheir
flights. For more information on the team, please visit their website at
http://armygk.armylive.dodlive.mil/
XX

XX

TheBlackDemonstrationTeam,above.
TheTeam'sC31ATroopship,below.

XX

USAF

Officially, the Thunderbirds are known as the

U.S.AirForceAirDemonstrationSquadron.
The Thunderbirds squadron is an Air Combat
Command unit composed of eight pilots
(including six demonstration pilots), four sup
port officers, four civilians and more than 100
enlistedpersonnelperforminginalmost30job
specialties.

#4MajorCurtisDoughertyslot

F84GThunderjet

#7MajorTylerEllisonoperations
officer

The pilots perform approximately 40 maneu

vers in a demonstration. The entire show, in
cluding the ground show and air demonstra
tion, lasts about 75 minutes. The season typi
cally starts in March and ends in November,
with the winter months used to train new
members.

F84FThunderstreak
5

#2MajorJoshuaBoudreaux
leftwing

Officers serve a twoyear assignment with the

squadron,whileenlistedpersonnelservethree
tofour.

# MajorJasonCurtis
leadsolo

#8MajorScottPetz
avancepilot/narrator

History

#3CaptainAlexanderGoldfein
rightwing

#11MajorLucasBuckley
maintenanceofficer

In June 1956, the team moved to its current

home at Nellis, AFB. At the same time the
Thunderbirds traded the veteran F84 for the
world'sfirstsupersonicfighter,theF100Super
Sabreanaerialplatformthatwouldservethe
Thunderbirds for 13 years. More than 1,000
demonstrationswereflownintheSuperSabre,
thrillingspectatorsaroundtheworld.

The squadron performs no more than 80 air

demonstrations each year and has never can
celedademonstrationduetomaintenancedif
ficulty. More than 280 million people in all 50
states and 57 foreign countries have seen the
red, white and blue Thunderbirds jets in more
than3,500aerialdemonstrations.

TheThunderbirdswereofficiallyactivatedJune
1,1953,asthe3600thAirDemonstrationUnit
at Luke AFB, Arizona. The unit was nicknamed
the Stardusters. Their first aircraft was the
straightwinged F84G Thunderjet, a combat
fighterbomber that had seen action in Korea.
Early in 1955, the team transitioned to the
sweptwingF84FThunderstreak.

#10CaptainAngelinaUrbina
executiveofficer

2013LaszloNyary

#1LieutenantColonelChristopher
Hammondcommander/leader

A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of

formationflyingandsoloroutines.Thefourjet
diamond formation demonstrates the training
andprecisionofAirForcepilots,whilethelead
and opposing solo aircraft highlight some of
themaximumcapabilitiesoftheF16Fighting
Falcon.

CaptainNicholasEberling
opposingsolo

In 1964, the team changed briefly to the F

105B Thunderchief, but an inflight mishap re
vealed a problem with that airframes design.
So, after only six shows, the Thunderbirds re
turnedtotheF100.
#9MajorChristopherScheibler
flightsurgeon

From1969to1973,theThunderbirdsflewthe
AirForce'sfrontlinefighter,theF4EPhantom
II. In 1974, the Thunderbirds converted to the
T38Talon,theworld'sfirstsupersonictrainer.

AllimagesunlessnotedUSAF

#12MajorDarrickLeePublic
Affairsofficer

2013LaszloNyary

TheT38wasmorefuelefficientandlesscostlytomaintain,whichmadeit
anidealchoiceduringtheoilcrisisofthe1970s.
Early in 1983, the Thunderbirds reinstituted their traditional role of
demonstratingtheAirForce'sfrontlinefightercapabilities.Transition
to the F16A and to the F16C in 1992, allowed the team to retain
manpowerandfuelefficiencywhiledemonstratingtospectatorsthe
latestinfightertechnology.

The Lockheed Martin F16 Fighting Falcon is a highly

maneuverable multirole fighter, the only modifications needed
to prepare aircraft for air demonstrations are a smoke
generatingsystemandpaintinginThunderbirdcolors.

20
08L
asz

loN
yary

TheU.S.AirForceThunderbirdsoverNewYorkCity,MemorialDayWeekend,2015,above
TheThunderbirdsperformtheirdemonstrationMarch2,2015,inpreparationforthecom
manderofAirCombatCommandatNellisAirForceBase,Nevada,below.

T38
Talo
n

2014NormanA.Graf

AllimagesunlessnotedUSAF

F100SuperSabreF105BThunderchiefF4EPhantomII

TheThunderbirdsindetailfeatured
inthisissue,clickforafree
download.

NormanA.Graf