Which aerobatic team is the best in the world??

[Craig.]

The red arrows. no matter what the weather or size of the show, these guys put on an impressive and perfect display every time.

[Saitek]

The red arrows. no matter what the weather or size of the show, these guys put on an impressive and perfect display every time.

Second that.  8)

[Antei]

I knew who I had to choose
STRIZHI STRIZHI STRIZHI

[C]

Funilly enough, the first time the Russian Knights came over in the early 90s, the leaders aircraft carried a second crew member in the back seat to do all his air - ground communications for him, who happened to be from the Red Arrows (Red 10 to be precise). Not a lot of people know that...

[Antei]

OK
I was recently watching a documentary about the MIG-29 crash in Fairford '93. And i do recall one of the red arrow pilots having nothing but praise for the aircraft/pilots

[ATI_7500]

oncce again I only had eight slots

Never mind. The Luftwaffe doesn't have an aerobatic team at all.

[Hagar]

Best of anything - you might as well ask which country people come from. Even the most unbiased will naturally choose their own national team. Unless you've seen them all you can't possibly judge.

I've seen a great many aerobatic teams over more than 50 years of visiting air displays on a regular basis. To represent their country every team has to be the best available - the elite. My own national team the Red Arrows has been performing consistently for 40 years & would take a lot of beating in any company. I've seen them many times (& the Black Arrows before them) but it's still a great display of absolute precision formation flying. Their routine has changed over the years due to increasingly severe safety restrictions & might not be quite so thrilling as it once was. Until a few years ago they started their display from behind the crowd line, with a formation of 9 aircraft suddenly screaming over their heads at 500 feet or less.

Little can rival the spectacular sight of supersonic aircraft group aerobatics.

It might be spectacular & noisy but it's difficult to display supersonic aircraft to their best advantage in formation. These displays usually involve passes across the field in various formations & the team can be out of sight for a considerable part of the display. This is the reason established display teams like the Reds & Snowbirds use less powerful aircraft. Two notable exceptions are the F-16 solo displays of the RNAF & Belgian Air Force who remain within the airfield boundary throughout their displays. I've seen the Russian displays at Farnborough & was very impressed but these were either solo or with two aircraft. I haven't seen the Russian Knights so can't comment on that.

Never mind. The Luftwaffe doesn't have an aerobatic team at all

I'm almost certain this wasn't always the case. I seem to remember seeing a Luftwaffe team of 4 F-104 Starfighters some years ago at Mildenhall. They did the best part of their display on full afterburner. Very noisy & impressive but they were out of sight longer than they were in view.

PS. The RAF had its own supersonic display teams between 1961 - 1963 using the EE Lightning. The 'Tigers' team of 74 Squadron in 1961 and 1962 was the first to display in public with Mach 2 aircraft. This was followed in 1963 by the Firebirds of 56 Squadron.

in 1963 it was announced that 56 Squadron would provide the team for that year. Nobody who observed nine Lightnings scorching down a runway for take-off, to retract undercarriage at a mere 25 feet, carrying out a ninety degree turn into the vertical before climbing an invisible ladder to 5,000 feet will ever forget it. This feat is possible in some aircraft today but in the Lightning has never been surpassed for sheer brute force.

It was generally felt that 'The Firebirds' equipped themselves well as the RAF team, performing at various shows in the UK and Europe. Led by Squadron Leader David Seward, the team will go down in history as the last RAF team to be equipped with front-line fighters. Costs and the sheer difficulty of performing close aerobatics with powerful thirty-tonne beasts caused all the European air forces supporting teams to look to trainers for the future as their team mounts.

[Antei]

gotta hand it to you mate, you know what you're talking about

[Craig.]

been to more displays than most thats for sure:)
Now who wants to see 9 typhoons display with all that manueverability.

[Antei]

Now who wants to see 9 typhoons display with all that manueverability.

I do, I do LOL
p.s how was surgery(if you've already had it)

[Craig.]

it was good thanks. the painkillers are wearing off so its starting to hurt alot.

[Hagar]

been to more displays than most thats for sure:)

Think I was wrong about the Luftwaffe F-104s though. More likely the Vikings, the German Navy team. http://www.fly-navy.de/vikings/vikings.html
My memory's a tad hazy after all this time but I'm sure there were 4 of them. Maybe one of the final displays they mention.

[TacitBlue]

As much of an aviation freak as I am, I have only been to one airshow and a few fly-ins. When I was a kid there was always some reason why my parents couldnt take me, and now that I live in the great void that is Missouri, there are now airshows in my area  >:(. I've never seen any of the display teams listed above, but I voted for Thunderbirds, because I like F-16s . Incidently, Ive only seen 2 F-16s in the air in my entire life... thats including the period of time that my dad was in the USAF... and that airshow. I am deprived...

[Antei]

I have only been to one airshow

me too and that was a spotters day at Kleine Brogel AB Belgium
But it was great and i'm going to two more this summer
I'm also looking at RIAT
but that's probably not for this year

my dad was in the USAF...

That's pretty cool

[ATI_7500]

Think I was wrong about the Luftwaffe F-104s though. More likely the Vikings, the German Navy team.

Oh. Well, at least they have a special place in the airshow enthusiasts' hearts.