Prehistory

The first formation aerobatics team in Pakistan Air Force is formed by 9th Squadron on its Hawker Sea Furies and called The Red Dragons. The team performs officially for the first time in 1951 at Peshawar. The occasion is the farewell ceremonies for the PAF's outgoing C-in-C, Air Vice-Marshal R L R Atcherely. The Red Dragons thus gained the honor of being the first aerobatic team in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Again in 1967 the team with same name is created flying with red painted F-86 Sabres, performing its first display on 9 Mach 1967.

In 1952, 11th Squadron, Drigh Road (now Faisal) airbase, formed an aerobatics team with the curious name The Paybills, which is the squadron's call sign. This is the PAF's first jet aerobatics team.

On 2 Feb 1958 for the first time a formation of 16 F-86 Sabres performed a loop during an air display at Masroor Air Base at Karachi. This team called Falcons.

On 27 Oct 1964, during an air display at Peshawar a team flying with four B-57 bombers displayed, but this is the only one performance of that team.

In 1969 from Sargodha airbase is a created The Rattles aerobatic team flying with Shenyang F-6 (Chinese built MiG-19) fighters, painted in black. The team exists for only couple months.

In 1980 again from this airbase is founded another F-6 (MiG-19) aerobatic team The Tigers and again the team exists for a while.

Red Dragons with

Hawker Sea Fury

Falcons

Sherdils History

The Pakistan Air Force team is founded on 17 Aug 1972, flying with four Cessna T-37 Tweety Bird airplanes. Team's pilots are instructors from Basic Flying Training Wing. During this times team has no name.

On 19 Sep 1974 the team performs under the name Sherdils, with four red painted T-37's.

On 8 Oct 1978 during a practice flight, the team leader Flt Lt Alamdar Hussain collided in a mid-air with slot pilot. Both planes crashed killing its pilots.

In 1980 another two planes added to the team, growing Sherdils to their present six-ship formation. Also the team's planes are repainted to its present color scheme - white, red and blue. Later the planes are equipped with smoke generators, releasing red, orange and green smokes.