Solo Display Team

The Solo Display Team (Demoteam) is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and consists of three elements. The F-16 Solo Display Team uses the fighter jet F-16 and the AH-64D Apache Solo Display Team uses the helicopter AH-64 Apache. The PC-7 Solo Display Team flies the low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft Pilatus PC-7, but is currently inactive.

F-16 Solo Display Team




The F-16 Solo Display Team is currently based at Leeuwarden Air Base in the Dutch province of Friesland and consists of the pilot, two instructors and seven ground crew. The members of the team are always seconded from a squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The 2014 pilot, Kapitein (Flight Lieutenant) Jeroen "Slick" Dickens, flies with 323 Squadron. All members are operational military personnel and, apart from their tasks with the demo team, they perform normal operational duties.

The Dutch F16 demo team moves to another squadron and/or base every two years, season 2007-2009 being the exception. From 2005 until 2009 the demo team was based at Volkel Air Base. In 2010 the team consisted of members of the operational squadrons from Leeuwarden Air Base. They took over the orange F-16, J-015. In 2012 and 2013 the team was based at Volkel Air Base and returned to Leeuwarden Air Base in early 2014.

The team was established in September 1979 with the first demonstration of an RNLAF F-16 during an air show at Twente Air Base (now Enschede Airport Twente). The team has since been seen at air shows in European countries and, in 2006, at Edwards Air Force Base in the United States, winning the prize for the best display team in the jet category at the air show held at Reims – Champagne Air Base in 2009.

The team has no single colour scheme. The present orange colour scheme was unveiled in April 2009.

The team have had no accidents.

Pilots
The following pilots have flown the F-16 for the Solo Display Team.

AH-64D Apache Solo Display Team


The Apache Solo Display Team is based at Gilze-Rijen Air Base in the Dutch province of North Brabant and uses the four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter AH-64D Apache. The team was formed in 2002 as a one-off to take part in the air show that was held that year at its airbase. However, the team kept performing at airshows in the following years and, in July 2005, won the "Sir Douglas Bader Trophy" at the Royal International Air Tattoo which took place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, having performed the previous month at the air show held at their home base.

The Apache Solo Display Team was inactive between 2005 and 2009 due to operational deployments but began to carry out demo flights again in 2010, the first of which took place at RAF Fairford during the Royal International Tattoo in July.

The current pilots are Sqn Ldr Roland Wally Blankenspoor and Sqn Ldr Harm Kaas Cazemier, supported by a crew composed of member from 299 Squadron and 301 Squadron.

PC-7 Solo Display Team
The PC-7 Solo Display Team is based at Woensdrecht Air Base in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It flies one of the thirteen single engine turbo trainer Pilatus PC-7 of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The team consists of the pilot, two instructors and the ground crew. The PC-7 Solo Display Team has two aircraft at its disposal, unlike the F-16 Solo Display Team, one operational, the other functions as backup.

The team was established in 1995 and performs at air shows in Europe. The colour scheme used for the aircraft is predominantly black, with a single yellow line along the fuselage and the tail. The yellow line is repeated on the underside and the top of the wings.

The team have had no accidents.

The two Solo Display Teams sometimes perform together.

Currently (2008–2013) there is no PC-7 solo display active. All PC-7s and instructors are needed for training at the Elementary Flight School EMVO (Elementaire Militaire Vlieger Opleiding).