| Red Pelicans | |
|---|---|
 Red Pelicans team badge | |
| Active | 1958–1973 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Role | Aerobatic flight display team |
| Base | RAF Little Rissington |
| Colours | Red |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Trainer | Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.4 |
TheRed Pelicans were one of a number ofaerobatics display teams of theRoyal Air Force before theRed Arrows were selected to represent the service in 1965. The Red Pelicans flew theBAC Jet Provost aircraft.
In 1958, theCentral Flying School based atRAF Little Rissington formed a four-ship aerobatics display team of Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.1s, known simply asThe Sparrows. The team had previously flown with thePercival Provost. The following year this team was renamedThe Redskins.
In 1960, the aircraft were replaced with the Jet Provost T.3 and the team renamedThe Pelicans after the mascot of the Central Flying School.[1] The team's aircraft had no special markings applied, but wore the standard silver and orange day-glow training colours of the day.
Halfway through the 1962 season, the team re-equipped with four Jet Provost T.4s and a smoke system was also fitted to each of the display aircraft and thus theRed Pelicans team was born, and they performed at shows up and down the country, including the annual SBAC showFarnborough in September 1962.
The 1963 season saw the team extended to six aircraft. The aircraft were also given a new colour scheme, with the standard training colours replaced by overall day-glow red.
At the end of the display season the RAF decided that the Red Pelicans should be the premier Royal Air Force aerobatic team for the 1964 air show season, led by Flt. Lt. T.E.L. Lloyd. The Pelicans replaced theNo. 56 Squadron RAF "Firebirds"English Electric Lightning team in the role.
In 1965, theRed Arrows took over the role of the RAF's aerobatic team and the Red Pelicans were trimmed down to four aircraft without a smoke system facility. They were also re-painted into a post-box-red scheme.
The Red Pelicans continued to entertain the crowds at air shows, often alongside theRed Arrows, until they were forced to disband at the end of the 1973 season by the1973 oil crisis.
