Aerobatic Teams 1950-1970: vol.1

Without doubt the most colourful military aircraft of the post war years have been the various types flown by the Aerobatic Teams of the Worlds Air Forces. A few of these teams have performed year in and year out for nearly twenty years but the majority appear for one, two or three seasons, their places to be taken by another squadron or unit as they are phased out of service for one reason or another. Three of the longest performers on the Aerobatic scene, more or less consistent with their markings for the entire period are the Thunderbirds and Skyblazers of the United States Air Force and the Blue Angels of the United States Navy. Other teams which have performed over a longer period of time than the average are the Red Arrows of the Royal Air Force, Patroulle de France of the French Air Force and Les Diables Rouges of the Belgian Air Force, on the other side of the world the Blue Impulse team of the Japanese Air Self Defence Force have been in being since shortly after the North American F-86F Sabre went into unit service.
The team which probably reached the pinnacle of mass formation aerobatics was the never to be forgotten all black Hunters of Treble One, No. Ill Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force, and at the other end of the scale are the impeccable performances by Les Manchots from the Elementary Flying Training School of the Belgian Air Force.
Illustrated in this volume are many of the well known and a few of the lesser known teams, volume two will contain a similar selection but with more lesser known teams such as the following; F-84G Thunderjets of the Greek Air Force; Hunter F.6 Blue Diamonds of 2nd TAF, Germany; Northrop F.5 ROK Air Force; the many and varied teams of the Italian Air Force, the early Seahawk and Scimitar teams of the Fleet Air Arm, the teams of Sweden, Brazil, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. The Skyhawks of the Air Barrows, Glenview NAS Demonstration Team; the Minutemen of the Colorado Air National Guard; Red Devils, Silver Sabres, Sabre Knights and the Skyblazers, all of the United States Air Force.