The Yakovlevs is a close formation civil aerobatic display team based in the UK. The team fly single-seat Yak-50 Russian warbirds, lead by a two-seat Yak 'Super' 52 - supercharged and specially lightened.
The team has been drawn from all quarters of aviation, both civilian and military. Display pilots include current F-35 JSF Test Pilots, ex Red Arrows display pilots, national aerobatic champions and air display examiners - truly some of the most experienced and most talented pilots flying today.
The Yakovlevs display team is headquartered in Somerset at Henstridge Airfield, housed in purpose built, state-of-the-art facilities. Their 2015 overseas season starts this February in Bangalore at Aero India.
The team was formed in 1999 by its owner Jez Hopkinson, while the first public display was in 2000. In 2001 the Yakovlevs received its present paint scheme in silver and red colors.
The Yakovlevs aerobatic team have been watched by in excess of a billion spectators, including a recent contract in China where they broke China Central Television (CCTV) viewing records when they were watched by more than 380 million people over a five-day period.
