The Esquadrilha da Fumaça performed more than 50 aerial maneuvers during Domingo Aéreo at the Brazilian Air Force Academy (AFA) in Pirassununga, São Paulo. The event included live coverage by g1, in partnership with EPTV, with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and details about the squadron’s flights.
The demonstration generally lasts between 35 and 40 minutes and features seven pilots flying seven A-29 Super Tucano aircraft. Each pilot has a specific role, while an eighth team member remains on the ground to provide commentary. The number of maneuvers may vary depending on the location and weather conditions.
The display included formations, inverted flight and close passes that can appear especially dramatic to spectators on the ground. Some maneuvers involve aircraft flying upside down for up to a minute, crossing less than two metres apart or briefly entering a condition in which the aircraft is not under control.
The squadron’s pilots undergo specialized preparation after being selected. The Demonstration Pilot Course consists of approximately 80 one-hour missions over three to four months. Pilots who do not already fly the A-29 Super Tucano must also complete 80 flight hours before beginning the course. After joining the team, they continue with regular training.
The Esquadrilha da Fumaça has three Guinness World Records for inverted flight. The first was recognized in 1996, when ten T-27 Tucano aircraft covered 3,000 metres in 30 seconds while flying upside down. Further records were achieved with formations of eleven aircraft in 2002 and twelve aircraft in 2006.
The group began operating the North American T-6 Texan and briefly used the French T-27 Super Fouga Magister jets in the late 1960s. After being reactivated in 1982, it flew the T-25 Universal before adopting the Brazilian-made T-27 Tucano in 1983. The A-29 Super Tucano replaced the Tucano, with the squadron’s final T-27 demonstration taking place on March 31, 2013.
Since its creation, the Esquadrilha da Fumaça has carried out more than 4,000 demonstrations in Brazil and 21 other countries. Its first official presentation took place in Rio de Janeiro on May 14, 1952, after a group of flight instructors began practicing aerobatics during their free time to demonstrate the capabilities and safety of the aircraft to cadets.
The white smoke that marks the aircraft’s path is produced by injecting vegetable oil into the A-29’s exhaust. The heat causes the oil to change instantly from a liquid into a gas, creating the visible trail that helps spectators follow the maneuvers.
Sources: G1.