Silver Swallows

The Silver Swallows are the Irish Air Corps’ aerobatic display team from Casement Aerodrome (Baldonnel, Dublin). The historic name—used by the Fouga Magister era—was revived in 2022; today the team performs a tight four-ship routine using Pilatus PC-9M turboprop trainers, flown by serving instructors from the Flying Training School.

Typical sequences blend formation passes, loops, barrel rolls and opposition breaks, with tricolour smoke for national commemorations. Public outings under the revived name began with the National Day of Commemoration flypast in July 2022, followed by a full display at RIAT 2022, and subsequent European shows including Sanicole 2024.

Powerplant & performance. 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop (~1,150 shp). Max speed around 320 kt (≈593 km/h); service ceiling ~38,000 ft; climb rate ≈ 4,090 ft/min—a lively envelope ideal for training and formation aerobatics.

Irish fit. Irish PC-9Ms feature six under-wing stations (three per side) used for training stores. Typical CAS-training loads include machine-gun pods and LAU-7 rocket pods; Martin-Baker ejection seats equip the type. Smoke generators are carried for display work, including tricolour effects.

PC-9M adoption. The Irish Air Corps introduced the PC-9M in the mid-2000s to modernise training. The fleet supports the Flying Training School at Baldonnel; a replacement aircraft was procured in 2017 following a loss in 2009, keeping the line current.

Display lineage. The Silver Swallows heritage traces to the Fouga Magister era, formally named in the late 1980s and active through 1998, including overseas appearances and the Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy for Best Overseas Display at RIAT 1997. The name returned in 2022 on PC-9Ms with instructors as team pilots.

• The revived team’s first public appearance under the historic name was the National Day of Commemoration flypast in July 2022, followed by a full display at RIAT 2022.
• The original jet-era team won RIAT’s Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy in 1997 for Best Overseas Display.
• PC-9M performance headline: about 320 kt at top speed and ~38,000 ft ceiling.
• Irish PC-9Ms use under-wing stations for training stores; displays can add smoke for dramatic tricolour passes.

The Silver Swallows identity dates to the Air Corps’ Fouga Magister display lineage of the 1980s–1998, with the team formally named at Baldonnel during that period. After the Fouga’s retirement, formation displays continued intermittently until the Silver Swallows name returned in 2022 on the PC-9M. Appearances since then include major Irish and European shows such as RIAT 2022 and Sanicole 2024.