The Falcons ( ur, باز) is a disbanded
aerobatics display team of the
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
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(PAF) which flew
North American F-86 Sabres and is known for executing a
World record loop
The world record loop is the record for the highest number of aircraft to successfully complete an aerobatic loop while flying in formation. The current record is 22 aircraft. The record was set by the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Black Ar ...
with 16 F-86 Sabres during an aerial display on 2 February 1958 at
Mauripur
Maripur or Mauripur ( ur, ماری پور ) is a village to the west of Karachi, Pakistan, near Hawke's Bay Beach.
Air Force Base
PAF Base Masroor is the largest airbase operated by the Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area o ...
. The team inspired the British RAF's
Black Arrows
The Black Arrows,one of the predecessors to the current Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows, were an aerobatic demonstration team formed in 1956 by Squadron Leader Roger L.Topp, then Commanding Officer 111 Squadron ("treble-one"). ...
which went on to beat the record with 22
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
s.
History
Originally established with four Sabres in 1956 under the leadership of the PAF's well known stunt pilot Wing Commander
Zafar Masud
Air Commodore Muhammad Zafar Masud ( ur, ; 17 October 1927 – 7 October 2003) also known as Mitty Masud, was a one star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and a military strategist who was known for his role as air officer commanding ...
. The team's strength rose to seven and then nine by 1958. In December 1957, on the request of the air force's
C in C at the time (
ACM Asghar Khan), the team's strength was risen at a staggering 16 Sabres. By this time, Zafar's team consisted of six squadron leaders
Bill Latif, SM Ahmad, SU Khan, Ghulam Haider, Aftab Ahmad, Sadruddin; and nine
Flight lieutenants
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
which were
Sajad Haider
Air Commodore Sayed Sajad Haider Sitara-e-Jurat, SJ (Urdu: ; born 26 December 1932) also known by his aliases as ''Nosey Haider'' and ''Saviour of Lahore,'' is a retired Pakistani fighter pilot and former one-star rank officer of the Pakistan ...
, Muniruddin Ahmad, AU Ahmad, Hameed Anwar, Arshad,
Jamal Khan, Wiqar Azim AMK Lodhie and
Mervyn Middlecoat
Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat (6 July 1931 – 12 December 1971) was a Pakistani fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, before being ...
. Many of these pilots went on to participate in the
1965 Indo-Pakistani war
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
while some eventually rose to become the PAF's Chief. The team performed various aerobatic maneuvers including barrel rolls, 4 & 8
point rolls,
Barrel rolls etc.
[
Not much is known about the later history of the Falcons team though they were reportedly disbanded in 1966.][
]
1958 World record loop
After the team's number was increased to 16 in December 1957, the air force chief chose the team to carry out the world record loop during the Afghan King Mohammad Zahir Shah's state visit to Pakistan on 2 February 1958 and were given four weeks to prepare for the occasion. The Falcons with 16 F-86 Sabres successfully executed it at PAF Base Mauripur
PAF Base Masroor is the largest airbase operated by the Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area of Karachi, in the Sindh province.
The base was originally known as RPAF Station Mauripur and after 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur.
...
at Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
in front of 30,000 spectators which included leaders of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.[
]
See also
* Saudi Falcons
* Ukrainian Falcons
* Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams ...
References
External links
{{Pakistan Air Force squadrons
Aerobatic teams
Pakistan Air Force squadrons
Afghanistan–Pakistan relations
History of the Pakistan Air Force