Northern Lights Aerobatic Team was a Canadian civil aerobatic display team.
An ex-Snowbirds pilot Andre Lortie formed the team in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1996 another ex-Snowbirds pilot Mario Hamel join the team. The team flew five EXTRA 300 aircraft painted in blue, red and yellow colors, all equipped with white smoke generators. The team was one of the famous aerobatic teams during 90s.
In 1999, they acquired their first L-39C Albatros and second a year later, which performed at air shows alongside their team of Extras. In 2001 Northern Lights Aerobatic Team transited to four L-39C jet trainers, therefore at the end of the year they were disbanded. All four L-39 were paint in grey colors and used white smoke.
There were two more L-39s, which bearing team's colors. One of them crashed on 10 February 2001 near Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, killing pilot David Jeansonne and his passenger, Jennifer Lynn Girouard. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft performing low-level aerobatics prior to the crash. The aircraft was a spare aircraft for the Northern Lights aerobatic team, and Mr. Jeansonne was a major sponsor of the aircraft, although not a member of the flying team. The L39 that crashed was no longer associated with the Team. This individual had supplied his L39 to the team to do show for a year, but their association had been terminated months before the accident.
The Northern Lights Aerobatic Team have performed more than 450 shows in Canada, the US, Mexico, El Salvador, China, Germany and Thailand.
