Patrouille Suisse (6x Northrop F-5E Tiger II) | Full Display at ILA Berlin Air Show 2016

Video from the channel OHV112 about Northrop F-5, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 21:06. Language: German. Video type: Air show.

Full recording of the Patrouille Suisse display, the aerobatic team of the Swiss Air Force, at the 2016 ILA Berlin Air Show, at Schönefeld Airport. The team flies six Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs. The announcer presents it as the Swiss Army's calling card for more than half a century and announces about twenty minutes of formation flying at speeds close to 1,000 km/h. The formation leader is Captain Simon Billeter; one of the two soloists is Captain Michael Meister.

The program alternates between the main group and the soloists. The figures bear Swiss names: the silhouette of the F/A-18 Hornet, in Swiss service since 1997; the Eiger; the Melchstuhl, the Alpine milking stool; a nod to Hosenlupf, Swiss wrestling; the national flag's cross drawn in smoke, and the Tango. There is also a crossing pattern that evokes the Gotthard Base Tunnel: the group passes on one side while the soloist crosses behind, since German regulations forbid flying through the formation. The aircraft fly between 3 and 5 metres apart. In the Box figure the separation is 15 metres, more than usual, leaving the pilots few reference points. That year saw the debut of the Diamond Split: the formation splits into two subgroups that cross on the display axis, with the cockpit radio broadcast live. The soloists perform an inverted turn and a roll at about 700 km/h, with 3 to 4 g and a diameter of 1.5 km. They also fly a mirror pass with the gear down, a pass at nearly 1,000 km/h at minimum height, and a 360° turn called the Derry Turn, after British test pilot John Derry. In the vertical turn the group climbs to about 3,000 metres and the pilots withstand 5 g. The whole program is flown visually, without technical aids.

The announcer explains that the F-5E can accelerate up to 1,500 km/h with its two engines and climb at 170 metres per second. The smoke comes from a diesel mixture injected into the engine's hot jet. The smoke generator takes the place of a weapons system and is the only thing that distinguishes these aircraft from standard-production ones. It also helps the subgroups see each other and makes the flight safer. According to the commentary, the aircraft shown was built in the United States in 1976, and the Swiss Air Force has used the type since 1978.