PC-7 Team

PC-7 Team
Swiss Air Force Aerobatic team
PC-7 Team insignia
Active1989 – present
Country  Switzerland
BranchSwiss Air Force
RoleAerobatic team
Size9 aircraft
ColorsRed, white
Aircraft flown
Trainer9 Pilatus PC-7


History
The PC-7 team flies in a four ship formation

Soon after the PC-7 was introduced in 1982,[1] the Swiss Air Force started to present the new airplane in solo displays. The first public team display was in 1987, performed by an ad-hoc team of nine volunteer pilots. When the Swiss Air Force celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1989, the PC-7 Team was officially established. Since then, it has been performing in Switzerland several times a year, and since 1992 also occasionally abroad.[2]

Since its establishment the team has flown the Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer. In October 2006, it was replaced by the NCPC-7, which is a PC-7 equipped with a new cockpit. The PC-7 Team currently flies nine Pilatus PC-7 in the standard configuration of the Swiss Air Force's PC-7. The PC-7 Team still uses the unique Swiss Air Force Bambini-Code for its radio communication.

The PC-7 Team's homebase is Dübendorf Air Base, but they often operate from Militärflugplatz Emmen or Locarno Airport. All pilots of the PC-7 Team are full-time military pilots and usually fly the F/A-18. The show program is made from 23 different elements. In 2014 the nine aircraft were fitted with smoke generators, it was publicly used for the first time on 1 August 2014 at Buochs Airport at the roll-out of the Pilatus PC-24. The smoke system was built and financed by the company Pilatus Aircraft. Currently seven smoking systems are available which can be mounted in the luggage compartment of the PC-7. The diesel-oil mixture is injected into the right exhaust of the PC-7.[3] For large airshows like RIAT or the Air14 the PC-7 Team flies in the opening of the flight demonstration also often with the Patrouille Suisse, the Hornet Solo Display Team or the Super Puma Display Team in a joint flyover formation.

A unique flight demonstration offered the PC-7 Team on September 7, 2014 at the Air14 Air Show in Payerne as they together with the Patrouille Suisse demonstrated a display with a total of 15 aircraft.

Award
  • Royal International Air Tattoo UK "King Hussein Memorial Sword"[4]

See also

References
  1. "Pilatus PC-7 Turbo-Trainer". Swiss Air Force. Archived from the original on 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  2. "History of the PC-7 TEAM". PC-7 Team. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  3. Insider (Patrouille Suisse fan club newspaper) 2014 page 21
  4. Insider (Patrouille Suisse fan club newspaper) 2014 page 13
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