Parking a Roulettes PC-9 after the show. Note the new BAe Hawk in the right background.

The Roulettes are the Royal Australian Air Force formation aerobatic display team. They provide about 150 flying displays a year, in Australia and in friendly countries around the South-east Asian region. The Roulettes form part of the RAAF Central Flying School (CFS) at RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria. Roulette PC-9 full size - my own picture File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Roulette PC-9 full size - my own picture File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The BAE Hawk is an advanced jet trainer manufactured by BAE Systems and used by the Royal Air Force and other countries air forces. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Soon after aircraft were invented, pilots realised that they could be used as part of a flying circus to entertain people or impress others in what was termed aerobatics. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Units based at RAAF Base East Sale: No. ... Emperess Victoria of the United Kingdom etc. ...

The Central Flying School formed its first official aerobatic team in 1962, the Red Sales, using De Havilland Vampire jet fighters, but lapsed before reforming for a short time as the Telstars in 1962, then as the Telstars again for just two months in 1968, this time flying the Macchi MB-326 jet trainer. A Royal Canadian Air Force deHavilland Vampire The de Havilland Vampire, or DH.100, was the second jet engined aircraft commissioned by the Royal Air Force during WW II, although it never saw combat. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The Aermacchi or Macchi MB-326 is a two-seat military jet trainer aircraft designed in Italy. ...

In 1970, the Roulettes were formed to celebrate the RAAF's 50th aniversary, and have been a permanent team ever since. Initially, they were equipped with four Macchis, growing to five aircraft in 1974 and seven in 1981 before cost-cutting saw the team reduced to five again in 1982. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Towards the end of the 1980s, the Roulettes flying hours had to be reduced as the RAAF MB-326 fleet developed premature metal fatigue problems and a replacement aircraft type was investigated. In 1989, with the new Pilatus PC-9 trainers starting to arrive and MB-326 airframe hours severely limited, the Roulettes flew just a single pair of Macchis. The 1980s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1980 and 1989, however in a pop cultural sense The Eighties sometimes includes at least some aspects of 1979 and 1990, or more or less the era between the end of the Disco era of the 1970s and... In materials science, fatigue is a process by which a material is weakened by cyclic loading. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Pilatus PC-9 of the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes aerobatic display team. ...

Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes display team over Sydney Harbour Bridge in November 2000.

The Roulettes switched over to the new type in late 1989, and arrived at the composition they have used ever since: six PC-9s plus a spare. They are painted in the bold red, white and blue scheme that is the Roulettes' trademark. The RAAF has since adopted this scheme for all its PC-9 trainers, which allows an aircraft to be swapped into or out of the team to equalise fleet airframe hours by just painting or painting out the large "R" symbol on the tail. Download high resolution version (750x617, 81 KB)Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes display team over Sydney Harbour Bridge in November 2000, flying the Swiss built Pilatus PC9/A trainer. ... Download high resolution version (750x617, 81 KB)Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes display team over Sydney Harbour Bridge in November 2000, flying the Swiss built Pilatus PC9/A trainer. ... The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the major landmarks of Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney central business district (CBD) with the North Shore commercial and residential areas, both of which are located on Sydney Harbour. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There are seven Roulettes at any given time, and gaining appointment to the team is a rare distinction. All seven members are senior flying instructors. From time to time, the CO of an RAAF operational squadron recommends a pilot for instructor duties with either the Basic Flying Training School at Tamworth, NSW or at 2 Flying Training School at Pearce, WA. Upon progression through several levels of instructor categorisation, some of these pilots are then selected for duty at the Central Flying School, where they train flying instructors. Tamworth is a regional centre (population: 35,000) and Local Government Area in the southern New England area of New South Wales, Australia. ...

From among the 21 CFS senior instructors, the CFS commanding officer and the Roulette leader then offer selected individuals a chance to try out for the Roulettes. The team is organised in 'seasons', which last six months; most members serve on the team for three seasons before moving on to other duties.

A pilot begins with three months of intensive formation aerobatic training, starting with relatively simple maneuvers (such as loops and rolls in echelon or line astern) performed at altitude, and progressing through more complex and demanding ones (such as corkscrews, ripple rolls and rollbacks), close formation line abreast aerobatics (which requires constant fine attention to power and trim settings), and eventually working up to the full six-aircraft display routines. Only when a routine is well-practiced at altitude is it brought down in gradual steps to the minimum safe level of 500 feet.

First season pilots join as Roulettes 2, 3 or 4; Roulettes 5 and 6 who fly some of the most difficult maneuvers have at least one season's experience; Roulette 1 is the team leader; and Roulette 7 flies the spare aircraft, is responsible for public relations, and often provides commentary at flying displays.

The Roulettes have had three accidents over the years:

• in 1983 two Macchis collided during practice near Sale and both pilots were killed;
• In 1988 a mid-air collision saw Roulette 4 eject safely and Roulette 1 perform a gear-up landing; and
• In 2005 another mid-air collision occurred during practice, with one pilot ejecting safely.

The Roulettes always fly in formation, even on long transits to interstate airshows. In poor visibility, they close up to maintain visual contact, only executing a separation drill when visibility drops below two metres. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The PC-9 is regarded as an easy aircraft to fly - it has ample power and excellent maneuverability - but a difficult one for precise formation flying: it needs large trim adjustments to compensate for power and airspeed changes, and its low wing-loading makes it highly responsive to turbulence. In the words of one Roulette, "it's not really a finesse machine". Despite the entry of a third training aircraft type to supplement the PAC CT/4 and the PC-9, the BAe Hawk lead-in fighter, there are no current plans to switch the Roulettes' equipment. The Pacific Aerospace Corporation CT/4 Airtrainer series are all-metal construction, single-engine, two place side-by-side seating, fully aerobatic, piston engined, basic training aircraft manufactured in Hamilton, New Zealand. ... The BAE Hawk is an advanced jet trainer manufactured by BAE Systems and used by the Royal Air Force and other countries air forces. ...

Notable Roulettes

Flt. Lt. Joanne Mein This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

See also

External link

• Roulettes official site
• First female Roulette pilot