PC-7 Team

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Active1989 present
Country Switzerland
SWISS AIR FORCE PC-7 TEAM
Active1989 present
Country Switzerland
BranchSwiss Air Force
RoleAerobatic team
Size9 aircraft
ColorsRed, white
Aircraft flown
TrainerPilatus PC-7

The PC-7 Team is an aerobatics team of the Swiss Air Force. It derives its name from the Pilatus PC-7 trainer, the TEAM's primary aircraft. The PC-7 TEAM's homebase is Dübendorf Air Base, but they often operate from Militärflugplatz Emmen or Locarno Airport.

Double Flirt with Smoke
The Final Split, called "Grande"

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.[citation needed]

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 seven aircraft were fitted with smoke generators. They were 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]

The TEAM

Join-up in the formation "Echelon"
The Tunnel

In 2026 the TEAM is composed of the following people:[4]

CALLSIGN FUNCTION NICKNAME
CAPO Commander "GALI"
TURBO UNO Leader "GOLLUM
TURBO DUE Right Inner Wing "SHINE"
TURBO TRE Left Inner Wing "NEBBIA"
TURBO QUATTRO Slot "RICHI"
TURBO CINQUE Left Outer Wing "MUZZI"
TURBO SEXI Right Outer Wing "ALDI"
TURBO SETTE 1st Solo "YURI"
TURBO OTTO 2nd Solo "SINDI"
TURBO NOVE 2nd Lead "HAMPI"
PR1 Speaker / PR "PHILIPPE"
PR2 Speaker / PR "CEDI"

Awards

  • King Hussein Memorial Sword, Royal Air Tattoo UK, 2013[5]
  • The Bill Hartree Trophy, RAF Cosford UK, 2017[6]
  • The Bill Hartree Trophy, RAF Cosford UK, 2025[7]

Incidents

See also

References

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