Royal Jordanian Falcons
Royal Jordanian Falcons | |
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The Royal Jordanian Falcons ascending in formation. The Royal International Air Tattoo, 2011. | |
Active | 1976 |
Country | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
Garrison/HQ | Aqaba Airport |
Patron | Royal Jordanian Airlines, Royal Jordanian Air Force |
Colors | Red and Grey (Team's name written by Golden Color) |
Website | http://www.rjfalcons.com |
Aircraft flown | |
Trainer | Walter Extra EA300 |
The Royal Jordanian Falcons (صقور الأردن الملكية) is the national aerobatic demonstration team of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The team was formed on the orders of King Hussein of Jordan on 1976. The team used two and subsequently three Pitts S-2A Specials before changing to Walter Extra EA300s in 1992. Later, in 2007, the team's fleet was upgraded, the older Extra 300s were replaced by Extra 300Ls. The team displays with four aircraft and has a fifth as a backup.
The team was formerly based at Amman Civil Airport, but has since moved to Aqaba Airport, also known as King Hussein International Airport.
The Falcons are unusual in that the team is a joint military-civil venture. The pilots are all Royal Jordanian Air Force personnel and are selected competitively from the top RJAF pilots, to join the team for a 3–4 year posting. For the majority of the team's existence it has had five pilots and three to four engineers for each given season. The aircraft, however, are owned and maintained by Royal Jordanian Airlines.
The Royal Jordanian Falcons aim to promote interest in Jordan and its culture and to advance international goodwill. The Falcons have displayed at air shows and events in Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. At a number of air shows they achieved various accolades, including winning the Royal International Air Tattoo's Cannestra Trophy (best overseas flying demonstration) three times.
TEAM (2014):
Royal Jordanian Team in The Air
- Mohammed Al Jaloudi (Director)
- Nofan Al Ghrair (Chief Pilot)
- Odi Al Qaraleh (Left Wing)
- Ahmad Al Qudah (Right Wing)
- Bassam Thyabat (Alternate Pilot/slot)
Royal Jordanian Team on The Ground
- Riyad Ayyoub (Director of Engineering & Maintenance)
- Mahmoud Abadi (Engineer)
- Bassam Rahamneh (Engineer)
- Khaled Sakarneh (Engineer)
- Rezik Haddad (Maintenance Planning)
- Thaer Al Shoufi (Engineer)
ROYAL JORDANIAN FALCONS WEBSITE:
http://rjfalcons.com
References
- (English) Royal Jordanian Falcons: History
External links
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