Israel Aerobatic Team

The current Israeli Air Force (IAF) aerobatic team flies four red & white-painted Beechcraft T-6A trainers (known as the “Efroni” in Israeli service). The team consists of four demonstration pilots plus one navigator, who flies in the back seat of the leader's aircraft. All the pilots are instructors at the Flying School which necessitates refresher formation aerobatic training just a few weeks before each event. The instructors must complete a minimum of 50 flying hours in the various aerobatic formations. All four T-6A Efroni aircraft are equipped with white smoke generators.
The team has no permanent statute or official name and it performs just a few times each year, primarily at the graduation ceremonies of the IAF Flight Academy marking the end of each flight course. The team also performs on the nation’s Independence Day and at Israel Air Force day airshows.

History

The first formation flights in Israel began in 1950 with small numbers of Boeing Stearman trainers attempting aerobatics at the Flight Academy. The aircraft’s low engine power, however, did not provide much in the way of maneuverability while in formation.
Later unofficial demonstrations were also performed at air bases in Haifa and Ramat David with either Harvards, Spitfires or P-51 Mustangs in formation of either two, three or four planes. Then on August 18, 1954, three Mustangs took off for formation aerobatics from Ramat David. After just a few maneuvers, two of the aircraft collided, killing both pilots. Consequently, IAF decided to form an official aerobatic team flying under strict rules of practice and show performance. Three months later, the IAF aerobatic team from the Flight Academy at the Hatzerim air base made its debut flying with Harvards.
At the beginning of 1960's, this team was re-equipped with the newly-delivered CM.170 Fouga Magister (Tzukit in Israeli service), manufactured under license from France by Israel Aircraft Industries. All of the team’s aircraft were initially painted in a blue and white color scheme. Later, the team’s planes received a new white and red paint scheme.
The Tzukit aircraft provided faithful service over the next five decades. The team then transitioned to the Beechcraft T-6A Efroni turbo-prop aircraft in June 2010.