Red Knight
| Red Knight | |
|---|---|
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| Country: |
 Canada
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| Currently used aircraft type: | Canadair CL-114 Tutor |
| Sponsor: | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Base airfield: | CFB Moose Jaw |
| Founding: | January 18, 1958 |
| Colours: | red |
| Weblink: | The Red Knight |
The Red Knight (Red Knights) was an aerobatic aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force , which was in use from 1958 to 1969. Initially, a red-painted Canadair CT-133 Silver Star Mk.3 was used, showing loops , rolls , Cuban eights , horizontal 360 ° turns, inverted flight, and high-speed flyby at air shows across North America. The Red Knight often flew in support of or in conjunction with the Golden Hawks and later with the Golden Centennaires, Canada's contemporary aerobatic teams. In July 1968 the Silver Star was replaced by a Canadair CL-114 Tutor .
history
While serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force (1958–1968) and the Canadian Armed Forces (1968–1969), the Red Knight was flown by seventeen different pilots from four different bases. In early 1961, a second Red Knight aircraft with an alternative pilot came into service, so that a demonstration was possible at different locations or a demonstration with two Red Knight aircraft. An accident involving two aircraft occurred at the Gimli Air Force Day Airshow (RCAF Station Gimli) on August 21, 1963. While performing a Cuban eight, the second pilot, Wayne MacLellan, realized it was too low and abandoned the maneuver. Leader pilot JW "Bud" Morin realized this too late and was killed when his plane hit the ground. A Royal Canadian Air Force investigative commission banned further demonstrations with two aircraft.
The Red Knight had five trouble-free years after Morin's accident, then John Reid crashed during a photo shoot on May 22, 1968. After looping at low altitude, Reid couldn't pull the plane up fast enough and crashed into the ground. Despite hitting off the rubble, Reid died in the hospital. On July 13, 1969, Bryan Alston was killed when his tutor had an engine failure and crashed during the emergency landing. These two crashes in quick succession led the Air Forces to seriously question the program. Due to the cost and personnel cuts, the Red Knights flight demonstrations were suspended in 1969.
Years later, the Red Knight appeared again as a private show team in the USA . Between 1990 and 1993 Rick Brickert flew a restored CT-133 Silver Star Mk.3 in air shows in the United States and in the Reno Air Race . After Brickert's death in 1993 when he made an emergency landing with the experimental Scaled Composites Pond Racer , the CT-133 was not used until it was acquired by Red Knight Air Shows LLC in 2003. The company currently operates the CT-133 and coordinates appearances at air shows across the North American continent.
Web links
- Canadian Wings Red Knight
- Red Knight in the museum
- Dempsey, Daniel V. A Tradition of Excellence: Canada's Airshow Team Heritage . Victoria, BC: High Flight Enterprises, 2002. ISBN 0-9687817-0-5 .
- Red Knight Airshows. Retrieved December 3, 2013.