Silver Swallows

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The Silver Swallows was the name of the air display team of the Irish Air Corps, active from 1986 to 1998. The team was equipped with four Fouga CM170 Magister jet trainers, and was drawn from the Light Strike Squadron of the Irish Air Corps based at Baldonnel Airforce Base near Dublin. The name Silver Swallows was derived from the colour of the aircraft, and the 'V'-shaped tail of the Magister aircraft the team flew. Throughout its history the team was operated on a part-time basis, with the display duties of the team being secondary to the primary roles of the Light Strike Squadron.

[edit] Display History

The team was formed in 1986 by Gerard John Flanagan, initially with three aircraft. Their first display appearance was at their home base of Baldonnel, in front of over 90,000 spectators. In 1987 a fourth Magister was added to the team, and they continued to fly at Irish air shows over the next few years.

The team made very few appearances outside their own country during their existence, their first overseas display being carried out at the RAF Brawdy Open Day on 26 July 1990. Their next overseas displays were carried out several years later, in 1997, when the team visited a number of airshows in the UK and Belgium to commemorate the Irish Air Corps's 75th anniversary. They appeared at the world's biggest military airshow, the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, in 1997, where they were awarded the prestigious Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy for the Best Display by an Overseas Performer.

In 1998 the team was disbanded owing to the retirement of the Fouga Magister from Irish Air Corps service.