The Royal Moroccan Air Force aerobatic display team, "Marche Verte" (Green March)*, was formed in 1988 by order of King Hassan II. The task of its creation was given to French aerobatic pilot, Jean-Pierre Otelli. Originally, the team flew just two CAP-231 aerobatic aircraft but this was later increased to seven aircraft.
The team performs unique formation takeoffs in which all seven planes are tied together with ropes. They perform some maneuvers in this configuration before a breaking apart maneuver which tears the ropes.
The team's total demonstration is about 23 minutes; the first seven minutes of which they fly tied together with ropes. All the team aircraft are painted in overall red, green and yellow colors, and each use white smoke generators. At present, the "Marche Verte" team flies with French-built CAP-232 aerobatic aircraft.
* The Green March was a strategic mass demonstration in November 1975, coordinated by the Moroccan government, to force Spain to hand over the disputed province of Sahara to Morocco.
