Pterodactyl Flight

Pterodactyl Flight is a Czech civilian display team that stages immersive World War I dogfights using full-scale replica aircraft. The team is associated with Pterodactyl Ltd, a Czech company that builds and operates these replicas, and has appeared widely around Central Europe at major airshows.

Their set-piece displays recreate 1914–18 air combat with Fokker Eindecker, Fokker Dr.I triplanes, Fokker D.VII, Sopwith Camel, Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a. Choreography, ground pyrotechnics and a “downed aircraft” finale deliver a cinematic storyline while remaining within contemporary safety envelopes.

Iconic types. The Fokker Eindecker pioneered the interrupter gear so a forward-firing gun could shoot through the propeller arc; the Fokker Dr.I triplane is famed for its agility and association with Manfred von Richthofen; the later Fokker D.VII dominated the closing stages of the war. On the Allied side, the Sopwith Camel is a tight-turning biplane ace maker, the Sopwith 1½ Strutter a versatile two-seater, and the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a a fast, stable gun platform.

How they fly today. These replicas are built for authentic looks and handling at safe show speeds. Typical routines weave formation passes with one-on-one dogfights, crowd-facing strafing runs on mock ground targets, and coordinated pyrotechnic cues, closing with a victor’s break and formation recoveries.

Pterodactyl Flight grew out of the work of Pterodactyl Ltd, which builds airworthy WWI replicas. The team has featured at high-profile Central European shows; a representative 2017 lineup included a Sopwith 1½ Strutter (Martin Večko), Fokker Dr.I (František Hadrava and Robert Stejskal), Sopwith Camel (Martin Formánek), Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a (Petr Svoboda) and an Eindecker E.II (Radka Máchová). Their routine depicts a period air battle complete with pyrotechnics and a staged “shoot-down,” bringing Great War aviation vividly to life for modern audiences.

• The team flies multiple full-scale WWI replicas in one storyline — not just solo flypasts.
• Two Fokker Dr.I triplanes often appear together for classic red-vs-brown dogfights.
• Their Allied two-seater is the Sopwith 1½ Strutter, noted for early British gun synchronisation.
• The Eindecker sequence demonstrates forward-firing gun synchronisation that defined early air combat.
• Ground effects and a staged “downed” aircraft add theatre while keeping separation within modern safety rules.