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Golden Hawks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Golden Hawks were a Canadian military aerobatic flying team established in 1959 to celebrate the 35th anniversary or the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the "Golden" 50th anniversary of Canadian flight, which began with the AEA Silver Dart in 1909. Initially a six-plane team was envisioned as performing for only one year with the F-86 Sabre, but the Golden Hawks were so popular after their single 63-show season that the team was expanded. Another plane was added to the team, allowing for a five-plane main formation with two solo jets. They continued performing for three more seasons until they were disbanded for financial reasons, on February 7, 1964, having flown a total of 317 shows across North America. Government officials said the $750,000 it took to operate the team each year could be used better for other purposes.
Not only did the team perform the loops, rolls, cross-overs, and bomb bursts standard to military formation flying, they had their own trademark manoevers. One of the Golden Hawks' signature stunts was a low-level flyby of the crowd with their canopies open, waving at the spectators.
- No. 540 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets based in Oakville, Ontario is named after the Golden Hawks.
| Canadian Aerobatic Teams |
|---|
| Siskins • Blue Devils • Easy Aces • Fireballs • Skylancers • The Red Knight • Golden Hawks • Goldilocks • Golden Centennaires • Warlocks • Deadeye Zips • Snowbirds |