Sixteen years before official status

Swiss Air Force helicopter crews began demonstrating the Aerospatiale Super Puma in 1989, initially under Lieutenant Colonel Charly Bachmann, and after sixteen years of displays the team was given official status in 2005, on a par with the other Swiss display teams. It flies either an AS332M1 Super Puma or an AS532UL Cougar from the operational fleet.

Eight minutes in a transport helicopter

The display lasts about eight minutes and includes manoeuvres such as the hammerhead, screwdriver, clover leaf, lazy eight and a balance figure, adapted to each venue. Each flight is crewed by two pilots: the captain flies the programme while the co-pilot monitors systems and handles radio calls. The team consists of a commander and six display pilots from the professional pilot corps, stationed at Payerne, Dübendorf, Alpnach and Emmen, who otherwise fly operational missions including search and rescue. Unlike the jet teams, it can display under low cloud. Under the 2025 savings measures the Swiss Air Force said the team would place more emphasis on showing tactical air transport tasks.