# Black, Red and Tiger



## Foxbat (May 22, 2022)

I was recently watching a documentary on the Red Arrows and didn’t know that they were originally called the Black Arrows. In 1956, the commanding officer of 111 (aka Treble One) squadron formed an aerobatic team and were dubbed the Black Arrows by the press because they flew black liveried Hawker Hunters.

There were a few aerobatic teams in the RAF in the late 50s and early 60s and these were eventually amalgamated to become one major team. The Black Arrows became the Red Arrows (red in tribute to one of the disappearing teams The Red Pelicans).

I did a bit more digging and found out about No 74 Squadron (Tiger Squadron). 
Formed in 1917, they existed all the way through until disbandment in 2000. In the sixties, they had their own aerobatic team (called, unsurprisingly, The Tigers). They operated the awesome English Electric Lightning and were the first aerobatic team in the world to use an aircraft capable of Mach 2. Now that would have been a sight to behold


----------



## paranoid marvin (May 24, 2022)

There's an 8 minute film on YouTube from the 'Look at Life' series that features on the Black Arrows and their aerobatic displays. Well worth checking out. I can't even imagine the E.E. Lightnings in a similar display - just think of the noise! That must truly have been an awesome sight to see live.


----------

