South African Air Force Silver Falcons Display Team

The Silver Falcons Aerobatic Team is the official display team of the South African Air Force. The team flies the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II ‘Astra’ in a 5-ship formation aerobatic display. Based at Air Force Base Langebaanweg on the South African West Coast, the Silver Falcons are all full-time ab-initio flying instructors at the Central Flying School. Falcons 1-5 make up the flying members of the team. Falcon 6 is the Ground Liaison and Safety Officer (GLO) and Falcon 7 is the Public Realtions Officer (PRO).

The South African Air Force Silver Falcons display team history traces back to the previous South African display team the ‘Bumbling Bees’ which was disbanded in 1958. The team was reinstated in 1966 flying the Aermacchi MB-326 Impala Mk I jet trainer and officially renamed the Silver Falcons Aerobatic Display Team on 22 November 1967. They performed their first show two days later on 24 November 1967, at the opening of the Atlas Aircraft Corporation. The team flew four all-silver metallic Aermacchi MB-326 ‘Impala’ Mk I aircraft under the leadership of Commandant Chris Prins.

Based at AFB Langebaanweg, the team continued to fly the four silver Impala jets over the following decades. In 1985, the aircraft were repainted in an orange, white and blue livery – the colours of the South African flag back then. March 1988 saw the addition of a fifth member to the team who acted as a soloist during parts of the display. In 1993, 83 Jet Flying School Langebaanweg was disbanded, the team relocated to AFB Hoedspruit becoming part of the 85 Combat Flying School. With the advent of democracy in South Africa and new national flag, the team's six aircraft were repainted in a white, navy and arctic blue scheme – the colours of the South African Air Force. On 10 May 1994, the new paint scheme was displayed for the first time at the historic inauguration of President Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The team continued to operate from AFB Hoedspruit and flew the last display in the Impala in September 1997.

In 1999 the team was re-activated at AFB Langebaanweg to fly a new 4-ship routine with the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II 'Astra' turboprop trainer used by the Central Flying School. The first Astra display was flown on 30 October 1999, led by Lieutenant Colonel Dave Knoesen. The team continued to fly the PC-7 Mk II in their standard CFS red and white livery until 2008 when six aircraft received the striking blue and white Falcon design. The team was expanded to a 5-ship formation again. On 16 September 2008, the new livery was unveiled at AFB Ysterplaat and the next morning, the Silver Falcons opened the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo in their new colours.

Following the display at the SAAF Museum airshow during May 2013, the team's display season was interrupted due to the lack of funding affecting the SAAF. The Silver Falcons participated with all their six aircraft in the Nelson Mandela Funeral Flypast in December 2013. In 2014, the SAAF Silver Falcons returned on the airshow circuit with a new team with the first display at the South African Navy Festival in Simonstown.