Silver Swallows

The Silver Swallows was the name of Irish Air Corps Aerobatic Team. 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 Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel 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.

Display history
The Fouga Magisters took Air Corp display formation flying to a new level in 1982 under the leadership of Capt.Gerard John Flanagan, at a special event planned for the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Air Corps. This four ship team, including Lt.Tony Regan, Lt.Dermot McCarthy, and Lt.Nick McHugh, performed a display designed to keep the team as tight as possible to the crowd, and introduced the concept of breaking up and reforming while flying aerobatic manoeuvres. Formation flying in the Air Corps made another advancement in 1983 under the now Comdt.Flanagan, with Lt.Tony Regan and Lt.Dermot McCarthy, when the team performed the first formation loop at the Air Spectacular at Fairyhouse.

Formation aerobatics was continued in the Air Corp under Capt.Kevin Barry in 1985 and 1986. The Silver Swallows were so named for the Air Spectacular held at Baldonnel in August of 1987, an occasion fully covered by the national television broadcaster, RTE. This same event saw the team again use a fourth Magister. Capt.Barry again led the team, with Capt.Jack Killoch, Lt.Pearse McCrann, and Capt.Tony Regan.

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. The team for this airshow consisted of Capt.John Mulvanny, Lt.Martin Duffy, Lt.Kieran Friel, Lt. John Kelly. The newly promoted Capt.John Kelly subsequently led the team from 1992 up to and including 1995.

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 the team, led by Capt.Graeme Martin, and including Capt.Peter McDonnell, Lt.Paul Whelan and Lt.Christian Keegan, 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.