Swallows

Orden de batalla · Equipos de exhibición · Fuerza Aérea Belga

Swallows

The Swallows

A small Belgian Air Force pair, later a trio, of SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 trainers whose slow-speed formation and synchro routine ran intermittently until budget cuts ended it in 1997.

1973Fundado
SF.260Aeronave
2In the display
Disbanded 1997Estado
OperadorFuerza Aérea BelgaPaísBélgicaTipoFormation aerobatic teamEstadoDisbanded 1997
La historia

Swallows: how the team came to be and what it flies today

Formation and synchro on the SF.260

The Swallows flew the SIAI-Marchetti SF.260, the piston-engined basic trainer the Belgian Air Force had taken into service in 1969. The team was formed in 1973 with two aircraft and flew as a three-ship in 1976 and 1977. Its display was in two parts: formation aerobatics followed by synchronised flying, in which the low speed of the SF.260 kept the manoeuvres close to the crowd, although wind made the synchro sequences harder to keep in step. Several pilots flew with the team over the years.

Intermittent seasons

The team did not fly continuously. French Wikipedia records it as active until 1983 and again from 1995 to 1997, with budget restrictions given as the cause of each stand-down. The SF.260 display tradition returned in 2009 with a new team, first called Hardship Red and renamed the Red Devils in 2011. The Swallows’ membership changed several times over the years, but the display itself always stayed small, at two or three aircraft.

The team did not fly continuously. French Wikipedia records it as active until 1983 and again from 1995 to 1997, with budget restrictions given as the cause of each stand-down.Swallows · verified 2026-10-02
De un vistazo

Swallows in numbers

The team

Formation
2 to 3 aircraft

  • Two aircraft from 1973
  • Three in 1976 and 1977

El avión

Flown
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260

  • SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 (1973–1997, intermittently)

The display

Aircraft in the display
2
El avión

Every type Swallows has flown

Aeronave Años Number Nota
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 1973–1997 2 Two aircraft, three in 1976 and 1977; not flown between 1983 and 1995.
Cronología

Swallows, year by year

1973

Team formed with two SF.260s.

1976

Team flies three aircraft in 1976 and 1977.

1983

Displays stop for budget reasons.

1995

Team revived.

1997

Disbanded owing to budget restrictions.

2009

Successor SF.260 team formed as Hardship Red, later the Red Devils.

Preguntas y respuestas

Everything people ask about Swallows

What aircraft did the Swallows fly?
The SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 basic trainer.
How many aircraft were in the Swallows?
Two, rising to three in 1976 and 1977.
When were the Swallows active?
From 1973 until 1997, with a break between 1983 and 1995.
Which Belgian team succeeded the Swallows?
The Red Devils, an SF.260 team formed in 2009 as Hardship Red.

Continúa el recorrido

Around Swallows

El operadorFuerza Aérea BelgaFleet, bases and order of battle of the service that flies the team.Lea la página de la Fuerza Aérea BelgaSolo displayBelgian F-16 Solo Display TeamBelgium’s F-16AM solo display, known for flare-heavy routines and liveries such as the Dark Falcon and Dream Viper, closed in February 2024 as the Air Component…Read the Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team pageFormation aerobatic teamRed DevilsBelgium’s national team in three lives: red Hunters from 1957, Fouga Magisters until 1977, and SF.260 trainers from Beauvechain until the ageing aircraft forced a…Read the Red Devils pageEquipos de exhibiciónEvery military display teamAll the formation, solo and helicopter teams in the Order of Battle, active and disbanded.Open the list
Fuentes y lecturas adicionales

Todos los datos, verificados

Verified 2026-10-02.