Skyblazers History
The history of the Skyblazers begins in the beginning of 1949 when pilots from 22nd fighter squadron from the of 36th fighter wing based in USAFE (United States Air Forces in Europe) airbase Furstenfeldbruk, Germany, start group flights with their Lockheed F-80B Shooting Star aircrafts.
In May the same year the USAFE headquarters demands from the 36th fighter wing to create an aerobatic team on F-80B aircrafts which must operate on the territory of Europe and North Africa - the area of USAFE activities. The team perform its first demonstration on 4 planes in October the same year in British-occupied German base Gutersloh.
On January 20th, 1950, 36th fighter wing becomes 36th fighter-bomber wing and in September the same year it and the aerobatic team begin to fly on Republic F-84E Thunderjet aircrafts. Making the new planes demonstrative, the mechanics remove six 50-caliber cannons from the plane's nose and fill in the free gaps.
Till the summer of 1952 the team already has 260 air demonstrations in 12 countries with more than 10 millions of audience. In the end of 1952 36th fighter wing re-dislocates in Bitburg airbase. Then the responsibility for the team switches on 86th fighter wing which flies on F-84E in Neubiberg airbase. Two brothers "Buck" and "Bill" Patillo who has positions as left and right wings at the team (Nr. 2 and Nr. 3) travel to Luke airbase, Arisona, where they form the Aerobatic team to the Air-Training Command. This team later becomes present Thunderbirds. Maybe that is the reason that the present color scheme of the Thunderbirds has so many in common with the Skyblazers's one, because two of them are identical.
On October 1953 the team goes under the command of 48th figter-bomber wing which flies on F-84G and is based in Chaumont, France. Next year 48th figter-bomber wing moves on F-86F Sabre and with them - the Skyblazers, too. They fly on such planes in the season 1955-1956.
In 1956 the Skyblazers move again under the command of 36th figter wing in Bitburg airbase, Germany. The wing also flies on F-86F Sabre.
When the wing moves on new planes F-100C Super Sabre, the team starts to use 7 especially modified aircrafts from that modification. The pilots also test the D-modification of F-100 for a short time in the summer of 1957 but because the C-modification has better front wings they continue to fly on it.
In the season 1960 the Skyblazers use three different kinds of smoke - white, blue and red. At the end of that year 36th fighter wing is already tactical and begins to fly on massive Republic F-105B Thunderchief. The Thunderbirds already fly on aircrafts with on-air refuelling system which allows them to fly over long distances to Europe and Africa. This makes the presence of European aerobatic team unneeded and in January, 1962, the Skyblazers are oficially disbanded.
This team is an inspiration and help for creation of many such a teams in Europe and Asia.
Skyblazers
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