The world of aviation is full of military demonstration teams. Demonstration teams spark dreams in many people and strengthen the capabilities of each air force's aircraft and pilots.
All over the world there are several air forces with their demonstration teams, each organized in its own way, but which in general resemble each other.
Below we will travel through the world of the main military air demonstration squadrons:
Brazil:
- Smoke Squadron:
A Smoke Squadron is one of the main military teams in the world, with 68 years already had iconic aircraft in its fleet such as the T-6 Texan, Fougar Magister, universal T-25, and the T-27 Tucano.The team that currently uses the A-29 Super Tucano, has a vast history of presentations in Brazil and abroad. The squadron still has two world records and is known for doing plastic maneuvers, called aerial ballet.
Chile:
- Hawks:
A Chilean squadron is also highlighted on the world stage, using the Extra 300, the team highlights the quick maneuvers performed with the aerobatic aircraft. The chile team has more than 30 years of history and has participated in several presentations in the country and in other nations, such as Brazil, for example. Regarding typical maneuvers, we can include the ground of plane number 5, and the Chilean star drawn in the sky by the team.
United States:
On this trip we will also talk about the US teams (which must be the best known in the world). There are divided between squadrons e solo teams. Let's start with the USAF, ing through the US Navy and at the end of this article, the solo teams.
- Thunderbirds:
this classic US Air Force team, is 67 years old, since the beginning it has aimed to show what is most modern in the aeronautical industry in the country. The team's differential was the introduction of jet aircraft, with a combination of speed and precision. The team used iconic aircraft from the North American scene, such as the F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak, F-100C Super Saber, F-105B Thunderchief, F-4E Phantom II, T-38A Talon, and lastly the F -16 Fighting Falcon.
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Blue Angels:
O US Navy Air Demonstration Team, is the oldest in the world, was created in the 40s. The squadron began its activities with conventional aircraft F-6F Hellcat and the F8F Bearcat. Soon after, it already introduced jet aircraft in its demonstrations, such as the Pantera F-9F-2, F-9F-5 Panther, F-9F-8 Cougar, F-11F-1 Tiger, F-4J Phantom II, A- 4F Skyhawk II, and finally, in 1986 the F/A-18 Hornet A/B, and since 2010 the F/A-18C/D. The team is expected to change aircraft again in 2021, moving to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The team is a reference in precision maneuvers, proximity and synchronization.
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European Trio:
In the old continent there are also outstanding squadrons, starting with the English, we have the Red Arrows, which began its activities in 1965. As a highlight of its presentation, the colors of the English flag and the subtlety of the English Bae Hawk jet are the highlights of the team.
Neighboring also has its air demonstration squadron, the Patrouille de , which is also one of the oldest in the world. In their maneuvers, the French charm is noticeable and the aircraft used by the French team also follows the mold of using products made in the country. The team used the Fouga Magister and the Dassault MD-454 Mystère, before using the current aircraft, the Alphajet.
Photo: Armée de l'air
The third team to be discussed at the European level is the Italian, Frecce Tricolori, was created in 1961. Following the happy, colorful and numerous tradition of the country, the highlight of the team's exhibitions are the colors and the number of planes, in all there are 10 aircraft flying, which is the title of the largest demonstration team in the world. world. In the past the team has used the Canadair F-86E and the Fiat G. 91 PAN. Currently they use the also Italian Aeromacchi MB-339A PAN.
Russia:
Of course, we couldn't leave the Russians out of this trip for the top military air demonstration teams. You Russian Knights, were created in 1989, and as the first aircraft ever introduced an icon of military aviation, the SU-27 Flanker. The Russian team highlights the incredible maneuvers of its fighters. The most recent aircraft to the Russian team is the SU-30, a fighter with a high maneuverability factor.
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Special aircraft solo teams:
In addition to the above-mentioned flights, in the US mainly, there are some ground demonstration teams of iconic aircraft that are part of the USAF fleet of aircraft. Like for example the F-22 Raptor, F-35A and F-16 teams. These teams aim to show the capacity of the North American production aircraft, in addition, of course, to serve as sales marketing and demonstration of military power.
- F-22 Raptor Demo Team
- USAF F-35A Lightning II;
- F-16 Viper Demo Team also from the USAF;
- USAF A-10C Thunderbolt II;
- Rhino Demo Team (F-18 Super Hornet), US Navy;
