Black Cats (Royal Navy)

The Black Cats
The Black Cats in 2010
Active	2001 (2001)–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy
Role	Royal Navy Helicopter Display Team
Size	6 aircrew and several support crew
Garrison/HQ	RNAS Yeovilton
Colours	Grey and Black
Aircraft flown
Attack helicopter	AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2

The Black Cats are the Royal Navy's helicopter display team. The team is composed of two AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 anti-submarine and anti-shipping helicopters, with the aircraft and crews drawn from 825 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset.

The team performs at airshows and other public events around the UK and Europe. They perform a display which mixes close formation, opposition and synchronised manoeuvres.

History

Lynx

The Black Cats were formed in 2001 and performed with the Westland Lynx. For their first three display seasons, the team was known as the 'Lynx Pair' - the "Black Cats" title was applied in 2004. The team's predecessors as the Royal Navy Helicopter Display Team were "The Sharks", who used four red Westland Gazelle helicopters and disbanded in 1992.

The team won the Steadman Sword for the best British participant at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2003 and as "Les Chats Noirs" performed at the French Navy's 30th Anniversary of operating the Lynx at Lanveoc in Brittany.

2010

Black 1: Lt Becky Frater^[1]
Black 2: Lt Chris Chambers^[1]

2011

Black 1: Lt Chris Chambers^[2]
Black 2: Lt Dave Fleming^[2]

2012

Black 1: Lt Dave Fleming^[3]
Black 2: Lt Ian Brannighan^[3]

2013

Black 1 (Lynx) - Lt 'AJ' Thompson^[4] previously Black 2 in 2009.^[5]

Lynx & Wildcat

Due to the transition within the Royal Navy from the Lynx HMA.8 to the Wildcat HMA.2, one of the Lynxes was changed to a AgustaWestland Wildcat.^[6]

Black 1 (Wildcat): Lt Cdr Gary McCall
Black 2 (Lynx): Lt Ian Houlston with Lt Frank Suter as observer

The 2014 season was the last year with the Lynx HMA.8.

Wildcat

During the 2015 season the team only used the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2.

Black 1 (Wildcat): Lt David Lilly
Black 2 (Wildcat): Lt James Woods

2016

Black 1: Lt Cdr David Lilly
Black 2: Lt Chris Rebbeck

Gallery

References

1 2 "Black Cats display team's first female pilot at show". BBC News Online. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
1 2 "Chris takes the controls for anniversary of famous Lynx". Western Daily Press. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
1 2 "Black Cats helicopter team to get Bournemouth Air Festival crowds in a spin". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
↑ "Royal Navy Lynx helicopters train on warship". Royal Navy. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
↑ "Black Cats pilot looking forward to display at Yeovilton Air Day". Western Gazette. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
↑ "The Black Cats: just as exciting as any plane". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 18 April 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Navy Black Cats.

Official website

Modern aerobatic teams

Military

Jet aircraft	Propeller aircraft	Rotorcraft

VVS i PVO Belaya Rus CF Snowbirds PLAAF August 1st UAEAF Al Fursan FiAF Midnight Hawks FAF Patrouille de France IAF Surya Kiran IN Sagar Pawan TNI AU Thunder IAF Frecce Tricolori JASDF Blue Impulse TUDM Smokey Bandits PAF Sherdils PAF Team Iskry PoAF Asas de Portugal VVS Russian Knights VVS Swifts RSAF Saudi Hawks RSAF Black Knights ROKAF Black Eagles SpAF Patrulla Águila SWAF Team 60 SAF Patrouille Suisse ROCAF Thunder Tigers TUAF Türk Yıldızları TUAF Solo Türk UAF Falcons RAF Red Arrows USAF Thunderbirds USN / USMC Blue Angels	FAA Escuadrón Cruz del Sur RAAF Roulettes FAB Esquadrilha da Fumaça TUDB Alap-Alap Formation FACh Halcones CroAF Wings of Storm FAF Cartouche Doré TNI-AU Jupiter IAF Aerobatic Team RJ Falcons FAM Escuadrilla Cuauhpopoca RMAF Marche Verte TUDM Kris Sakti PAF Orlik SAAF Silver Falcons SAF PC-7 Team RTAF Blue Phoenix	VVS Berkuts IAF Sarang TNI AU Dynamic Pegasus AoPLF Scorpions PoAF Rotores de Portugal SpAF Patrulla Aspa AAC Blue Eagles RN Black Cats

Disbanded military teams

Jet aircraft	Propeller aircraft	Rotorcraft

RCAF Blue Devils RCAF Golden Centennaires RCAF Golden Hawks IIAF Golden Crown IAC Silver Swallows PAF Blue Diamonds PoAF Dragões RAF Black Arrows RAF Yellowjacks RAF Red Pelicans RN Simon's Sircus YAF Leteće zvezde	RCAF Siskins RNZAF Red Checkers	RN The Sharks

Civilian

Jet aircraft	Propeller aircraft

Breitlings Russ Patriots Starfighters	Flying Lions The Blades Horsemen Skytypers Flying Bulls AeroSuperBatics Aeroshell Lima Lima

Disbanded civilian teams

Jet aircraft	Propeller aircraft

	French Connection

List: List of aerobatic teams

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadrons

Currently active squadrons	700 703 705 727 736 750 814 815 820 824 825 829 845 846 847 849

Inactive squadrons	701 702 704 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 728 728B 728C 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 816 817 818 819 821 822 823 826 827 828 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 840 841 842 848 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 860 861 870 871 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 1700 1701 1702 1703 1770 1771 1772 1790 1791 1792 1820 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853

Display teams	Fred's Five Simon's Sircus Blue Herons Sharks Black Cats

Other units	Royal Navy Historic Flight

Units in bold subsequently commissioned into Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Units in italics subsequently commissioned into Marine-Luchtvaartdienst

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