The Red Checkers. Part 2—The Airtrainer Era

By Dave Homewood.

In last month’s Pacific Wings, Dave Homewood told the story of the first three decades of the Red Checkers – the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s longest serving aerobatic display team. In Part 2 of his article, Dave brings the Red Checkers story up to date.

In 1977, the RNZAF retired its Harvards and replaced them with New Zealand designed and built CT/4B Airtrainers from New Zealand Aerospace Industries at Hamilton.

The lightweight Airtrainer was powered by a Continental piston engine of only 210 hp—much less grunt than the 600 hp of the Harvard’s Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial. This lack of power initially gave the type a poor reputation as an aerobatic aircraft.

By the end of the 1970s, the oil crisis was finally beginning to subside, and in mid-1979, Sqn Ldr Frank Sharp was posted back to CFS, now as the Commanding Officer. He recalls that shortly after he had converted to the CT/4B, he read a report written by the previous CO concluding that the CT/4B was totally unsuitable for formation aerobatics. The result of this was that there had been no subsequent interest in raising a team. “I couldn’t help reflecting on old reports from RAF air displays at Hendon in the 1920s and ’30s,” said Sqn Ldr Sharp. “Those guys did amazing things in formation and some of the aircraft they flew had poorer power-to-weight ratios than the CT/4.”

So, with Sqn Ldr John Bates, who was the Fixed-Wing Flight Commander at CFS, Frank Sharp set about investigating just what was possible with the Airtrainer. His conclusion: “There is no doubt that, compared to its Harvard predecessor, the CT/4 had an even poorer power range for the “outside” man attempting to maintain station through all the conventional manoeuvres.”

According to Frank, the same issue that the Harvard teams had been forced to overcome in formation loops arose—the “creeping forward” during the early part of the vertical manoeuvre in order to compensate for the inevitable lack of power over the top.

The technique used to overcome the problem was for the leader to reduce his power and maintain his position by “backing into the team”, who would otherwise have trailed behind, particularly the No. 4 in the box position. This was nothing new, as formation leaders have always had to be conscious of the power requirements of others in the formation. However, with the CT/4, the problem was the limited amount of power available to play with, as the leader already started manoeuvres with less than full power in order to allow the team members some margin for manoeuvring. Reducing the power further reduced the speed and hence the energy, and hence, the manoeuvrability.

“The barrel roll was probably the biggest challenge as the ‘rolling while looping’ needed a significant power reduction for the outside man and the No. 4,” said Frank. “The reduction required could cause embarrassment to the inside man who had to throttle back to an uncomfortable level, then be ready to really accelerate as we came out the bottom and went into a high wingover reversal. We found that with a ‘must have’ controlled initial height and speed, careful engine husbandry by the leader and a timely call for ‘power’ from No. 4, we could complete all of the conventional manoeuvres.”

So Frank Sharp and John Bates discovered that, contrary to popular belief, the Airtrainer could indeed perform the same routines that the Harvards had, albeit with more difficulty.

They put together a four-ship team consisting of Frank Sharp as leader, John Bates as solo and Flt Lt Frank Parker and Flt Lt Dave Forrest.

They also added something never seen before to the team’s display routine—the mirror formation—where one aircraft flies inverted directly above another flying the right way up. It is reasonably dangerous and definitely spectacular, and it was the first time such a sight had been seen in New Zealand. While the “mirror” might not have been seen in New Zealand before, according to Frank, it was inspired by pre-war Hendon air displays.

One CT/4 had a modified oil system that allowed up to 30 seconds of inverted flight. Once team members got used to maintaining inverted flight for relatively lengthy periods, the team experimented with the idea of putting the leader in the inverted aircraft and having the team formate on him during manoeuvres. It was soon realised that this was too difficult in addition to all the other challenges of the CT/4 but at least the team had “re-invented” the mirror formation.

As the No 4 aircraft, John Bates did a solo “fill-in” routine in front of the crowd while the rest of the team clawed for more height and repositioned for the rest of the sequence. It made sense for John to have the inverted aircraft, as he was able to exploit its capabilities in his solo performance. In order to achieve the mirror, John would rejoin with Frank, then pull a little ahead and to one side of him and roll inverted. As soon as he was upside-down, Frank would fly underneath him and formate on him by looking up and judging distance.

“We could certainly hear each other’s aircraft, and it took a bit of trial and error to work out just how to position safely as it wasn’t a manoeuvre we could really mimic on the ground,” says Frank. The mirror formation proved a real hit and, as a regular feature of the team’s routine, has become the Red Checkers’ signature piece.

So they now had a team and a routine. However, once they had convinced themselves that they could carry out the basic manoeuvres safely, they needed official clearance. According to Frank, the team was fortunate in having Group Captain Colin Rudd as the base commander, as he actively supported them. Once they were ready to demonstrate a basic routine, Rudd had the Group Commander watch. Whatever subsequently transpired, the team got the nod to continue.

The team members fulfilled their normal duties during the day and then participated in team practices late in the day or in the evening in order to minimise the impact on the base’s flight training schedule.

Eventually, the new look team had its first public outing at the Wigram “Wings and Wheels” day on the 6th of December 1980. Next, they totally wowed the massive crowd at Air Force Day 1981 held at Ohakea on the 28th of February 1981.

The public reaction to the team’s reformation was sensational, but more importantly, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal David Jamieson, was also ecstatic about the team. His enthusiasm meant that the team was here to stay.

The team soon reverted to a five-ship line-up for next airshow season. Now led by John Bates, the team included Frank Parker again, along with Flt Lts Colin Pearce, R.S. Ginders and R.A. Jannesen. The Red Checkers soon had bookings all over the country every summer.

Throughout the 1983–84 season, a Television New Zealand film crew followed the Red Checkers’ training and displays, and produced an excellent documentary called The Red Checkers, which screened in New Zealand in 1985. It showed the team (Sqn Ldr Bruce Ferguson, Flt Lts Steve Bone, Roger Read, John McWilliam and Paul “Radar” O’Reilly, and reserve pilot Flt Lt Graham Lintott) going through the development and working up of an airshow season.

The documentary was probably the first in-depth public look into how much really hard work and practice is involved, and it highlighted the fact that all Red Checkers’ work was done voluntarily in the pilots’ spare time. Practice sessions are conducted in the early mornings and lunchtimes around their regular instructing work, and their displays at weekends are also additional to normal day-to-day work.

It was during the 1990–91 display season that the first female member joined the Red Checkers; Engineering Officer Flt Lt Teresa Cunningham oversaw all the maintenance and ground movements of the team’s aircraft, and she remained with the team for several seasons.

In 1993, flying training ceased at Wigram, and the CFS and other elements of Support Group were relocated to RNZAF Ohakea. Because Ohakea is an operational base with fast jets in the circuit, the traditional International Orange and Dove Grey colour scheme of the RNZAF’s Airtrainers was changed to a more visible bright yellow with black trim. However, the Red Checkers retained a red and white chequered pattern on their cowls.

The 1997 team marked the RNZAF’s 60th Anniversary with special artwork featuring a diamond (for the diamond jubilee), a crown and the team on their tails.

From August 1998, the aging CT/4Bs were gradually withdrawn from service and replaced with new, more powerful CT/4Es. Also built in Hamilton, the CT/4Es are powered by the 300 hp Textron Lycoming AEIO-540 piston engines. The team first used the CT/4E in 1999, appreciating the type’s increased performance to enhance their displays. On recent occasions, the team has also occasionally used six aircraft in its flying display.

Into the new millennium, the Red Checkers continued to appear at airshows and events up and down New Zealand, their schedule seeming to get fuller and more diverse each year.

During the 2000–01 season, PTS instructor Flt Lt Sarah Hodges (later Sqn Ldr Sarah Curry) became the first female pilot to fly with the team.

The team’s routine has never stagnated and successive teams have continued to develop it. The 2004–05 team was especially influential in bringing the team into the modern era. That team included Sqn Ldr Sean Perrett, who previously flew for the Royal Air Force including three years with the Red Arrows. Also in the team were Sqn Ldrs Ian McPherson, Pete “Cocky” Cochran and Ian “Sav” Saville, and Flt Lt Scott McKenzie. Scott describes how Sean Perrett’s influence added new dimensions to the team. “In consultation with Sav and Cocky, Sean came up with the Spaghetti Break, Line Abreast Loop Split, Corkscrew and the Carousel.”

The “corkscrew” incorporates a third aircraft into the mirror formation, as Scott explains: “Pete Cochran went up and flew behind a single aircraft to see how it would work. After a couple of goes, he thought it could be done. The original aim was to corkscrew around the two aircraft doing the mirror, which hadn’t been done in New Zealand. We then went up together and had a go, and from there, it was trial and error until it was perfected.”

“The hard part about doing it in the Airtrainer is the lack of power. The mirror is done at 130 knots, and the straight and level speed of the Airtrainer is 150 kt. Therefore, getting the energy and speed to complete the manoeuvre, with the added track miles and ‘g’ the corkscrew requires, is hard work.” Scott says that when they videoed their attempts, it became obvious (from a spectator’s point of view) that as he was corkscrewing around the mirror it was detracting from the mirror itself and it looked better when he was slightly behind. Doing it this way also gave the team a safety margin whilst still looking impressive.

The 2005 team also introduced the spectacular Spaghetti Break. Scott says: “The Spag Break was a fantastic addition to the display. The build up was small with three, four and then five aircraft. Video sessions helped us perfect the visual illusion and, despite looking dramatic, there is a significant safety margin.” This manoeuvre has certainly become a crowd pleaser.

The 2007 team was unusual for the Red Checkers in that it was probably the first time that none of the pilots were serving with the Central Flying School. Flt Lt Al Hay (Checkers 3) was an instructor with No. 42 Squadron, whilst leader Sqn Ldr Steve Hunt, Sqn Ldr Mark Casey, Flt Lt Craig Mason and Flt Lt Oliver Bint were all instructors with Pilot Training Squadron. The reserve pilot for 2007 was Sqn Ldr Kennedy Speirs (who has since left the RNZAF).

In recent years, the team comprised instructors from CFS and PTS—the composition varying according to unit workload and pilot availability. Despite the break from CFS tradition, a sense of history remains within the team and, as Kennedy says, “There is a great sense of pride and honour in being selected as a team member, and to be a part of the tradition.”

Scott McKenzie, who is in the team again for 2008, agrees: “The involvement in the team has certainly been the pinnacle of my career. I remember learning to loop and barrel with Cocky, and sweat would be dripping off the end of my nose as I pulled up into each manoeuvre, whilst Cocky would be wearing his winter-weight jacket and complaining of the cold. It is an amazing challenge, and there were only a couple of practices and displays where I thought I had nailed it. The dynamics of formation aerobatics took me by surprise as I thought that the speed/power requirements would be the same because we were so close. This is not the case. For a loop, the leader slows down a fraction before his wingmen so the wingmen have to reduce power as the pitch up occurs. And, of course, in piston aircraft, any power change requires a rudder input, which adds another dimension—one that jet pilots don’t have to consider. As the leader goes over the top of the loop, he speeds up slightly earlier than the wingmen. The leader compensates by reducing power just before the top of the loop, and the rest of the team goes to full power. It is something that takes a while to get used to—going to full power before you need to—but otherwise, you get left behind.

“I found the formation barrel roll the most disorientating of all the manoeuvres. Initially, I had to block out everything but the lead aircraft. With time, you build situational awareness and start to see other environmental factors. It was still awesome getting critiqued by Cocky while he was flying the barrel opposite me in the No. 2 aircraft. If I were dragging at all in the barrel, Cocky would drag a bit to keep it symmetrical. By the time we got to our first display, I had enough capacity to do the same for him—although it was extremely rare!”

Apart from the occasional “touch” during close formation practices, the team boasts an excellent and enviable safety record. It has been not only the flying skills of the pilots, but also the efforts of the RNZAF’s own and contracted maintenance engineers that have contributed to this fine safety record.

Frank Sharp said of his support crew: “Like all formation teams, the unsung heroes are the ground crews. The guys at Wigram were amazing at ensuring that enough aircraft were available to practise with. Also, they literally invented the smoke system. There was not much room for an oil tank (the CT/4s were “hand made” and each one varied slightly in the space available for the extra oil tank) but with some excellent engineering, they manufactured oil tanks that were unique to each aircraft. Then they developed a venturi extractor that fitted on the exhaust stubs. This allowed two smoke trails per aircraft and created very good smoke.”

The 2008 season is another very busy one for the current Red Checkers team of Sqn Ldrs Shaun Clark, Pete Cochran, Paul Stockley and Scott McKenzie, and Flt Lt Dwight Weston, with Flt Lt Charlie Beetham as the reserve pilot, Warrant Officer Ty Cochran as support and team commentator, and Flt Lt Michelle Christie also as support crew.

Anyone who knows anything about aerobatics—particularly formation aerobatics—will appreciate just how much skill and effort is involved in making them look as easy as the Red Checkers do. Sixty years after the first CFS Wigram display team was formed, the Red Checkers continue to showcase formation aerobatics at their best—in a manner that reflects as highly on the individuals involved as it does on the RNZAF.