Firebirds
Red Pelicans
Yellowjacks
The Tigers
From 1962 till 1963, the official aerobatic team of RAF become the Tigers from 74th squadron. They are equipped with nine English Electric Lightning aircrafts and are the first team in the whole world which uses airplanes reaching Mach2 (twice as the speed of sound).
From 1963 till 1964 the official aerobatic team of RAF become the Firebirds which also fly on nine English Electric Lightning aircrafts but they are from 56th squadron at Wattisham, Suffolk and are painted in silver and red. This is the last RAF team which uses fighters.
In 1962 from the Central Flying School based in Kemble Airbase is formed a Red Pelicans aerobatic display team, flying on four standard paint Jet Provost T Mk4, equipped with white smoke generators. The team is successor of the CFS team The Pelicans formed in 1960. At the next year the planes received bright red color scheme and extended to six. In this formation the Red Pelicans performed abroad in Belgium and France. In 1964 the team becomes an RAF official aerobatic team replacing the Firebirds and performing at the airshows in Belgium, France, Netherlands and Norway. At the end of 1964 season the Red Pelicans performed together with Yellowjacks. In 1965 after the creation of the Red Arrows, the team planes is reduced to four, repainted in white-red standard color scheme and the smoke sustem is removed. Red Pelicans are disbanded in 1973.
In 1964 is formed another team from five yellow-painted training Folland Gnat aircrafts from Fourth Air School. The aim is to demonstrate the abilities of this kind of airplane in Farnborough. For the commander of this team is appointed the ex-Black Arrows member, Fl. Lt. Lee Jones. The team is called Yellowjacks and exists till 1965.
After the end of the war in 1947 is formed the first RAF aerobatic team on jet planes - three Vampire aircrafts from Odiham fighter wing. Later 54th squadron forms a team from five Vampire that is the first RAF aerobatic team which uses smoke in its demonstrations and the first one which uses Hunter aircrafts. The team moves to four Hunters in 1955 and a year later receives the Black Knights name, because of the pilot's black flying suits.
54th Squadron, Black Knights
An instructor with the Central Flying School Flight Lieutenant C R Gordon led a team of four Gloster Meteor T7 aircraft as the Central Flying School's official team during the 1952 and 1953 seasons. The Meteorites were the first RAF display team to be given a name; until that time display teams were known only by the squadron numbers. The Meteor aircraft retained their standard bare metal (silver) colours; towards the end of the season they gained high visibility yellow anti-collision training stripes. The Meteorites disbanded at the end of the 1953 season.
The Meteorites
Hawker Fury
aerobatic team
Gloster Gauntlet
aerobatic team
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Russel Adams photos
Tiger Moth
aerobatic team
Avro 626
aerobatic team
1965-73 standard color scheme
Red Pelicans overall red color scheme
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This team flying on four de Havilland Canada Chipmunk trainers is formed in 1967 from CFS Little Rissington airbase. The aircrafts are in standard training colours with "Skylark" badge at the tail and a green lightning flash added to the fuselage sides. The team's remarkable performances are at Silverstone Grand Prix and in Germany. The Skylarks aerobatic team is disbanded in 1971.
Skylarks
Sparrows, The Redskins
The Sparrows aerobatic team is formed in 1957 from CFS and flies on four Hunting Provost T1 aircrafts. A year later they moved to Jet Provost T1. Both types of planes use a standard color schemes. After 1958 season the Sparrows are disbanded. At the end of the 1958, two ex-Sparrows aircrafts formed a new team - The Redskins. The pair performed throughout 1959, being stood-down at the end of that season.
Hunting Provost T1
Jet Provost T1
Cranwell Poachers, The Poachers
In 1969 from the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell is formed Cranwell Poachers (also known like Lincolnshire Poachers), flying on four Jet Provost T.4 in special color markings, as in 1965 from this College is formed another Jet Provost team. In 1971 the Cranwell Poachers remove the Cranwell from the name and became just The Poachers. In the same year they moved to Jet Provost T.5 aircrafts. The Poachers existed until 1976 while they were disbanded as an economy measure. The Poachers was the last RAF Jet Provost aerobatic display team.
Cranwell Poachers
Jet Provost T.4
The Poachers Jet Provost T.5
In 1965 the College of Air Warfare, based at RAF Manby, formed a Jet Provost T.4 team named The Magistrates. All team's planes are painted in standard silver-orange color scheme. The team was renamed following the end of the 1967 season. From 1968 this team became The Macaws - from the first letters of the Unit, MAnby College of Air Warfare (also the Macaw is a kind parrot). They painted in grey and red special color scheme. In 1969 the team receives a now color scheme in white, red and grey with parrot painted at the nose. The Macaws visited also foreign countries like Germany and France in 1973, but unfortunately this was the last year for the team.
The Magistrates, The Macaws
The Macaws in 1968 color scheme
The Macaws second color scheme
The Blades, Linton Blades
The Blades aerobatic display team is formed in 1963 from No1 Flying Training School at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. The team flies on four Jet Provost T.4 aircrafts and on T.5 from 1970, both painted in standard white-red colors. In 1973 the Blades change the name and became the Linton Blades and added a blue color paited at the top of the fuselage and on the tail, but at the end of the year the team is disbanded.
The Magistrates
The Blades
Linton Blades
Linton Gin
In 1963 No1 Flying Training School based in Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire is formed another aerobatic team - the Linton Gin, flying on Jet Provost T.4. The history of both teams from No1 FTS is very interlaced and incomplete, so it's hard to tell the exact history of The Blades and Linton Gin. Linton Gin team exist until 1969.
1938 those three Gloster Gladiator aircrafts of No. 87 Squadron were the last aerobatic team in the RAF before World War II.
In 1956, 43 Sqn formed The Fighting Cocks aerobatic team flying Hunter F 1.
The Fighting Cocks
