# Red Checkers

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Red Checkers Red Checkers team patch Active 1967–1973, 1980–2015. Disbanded January 2015 Country New Zealand Branch Royal New Zealand Air Force Type Aerobatic display team Role Display team Size Seven pilots Garrison/HQ Central Flying School RNZAF, RNZAF Base Ohakea Nickname The Checkers Colors Red and White Insignia Identification symbol Red and White checkers Aircraft flown Trainer CT-4E Airtrainer (1998–2015) CT-4B Airtrainer (1980–1998), T-6 Texan (1967–1973)

Military unit

The **Red Checkers** was the [aerobatic](/source/Aerobatic)/precision flying Team of the [Royal New Zealand Air Force](/source/Royal_New_Zealand_Air_Force). The Checkers fly the [Pacific Aerospace](/source/Pacific_Aerospace) [CT-4E Airtrainer](/source/PAC_CT%2F4). Previous aircraft used were the CT4B and [North American Harvard](/source/North_American_Harvard) (T-6). Until the year 1994 the Checkers were based at [Wigram](/source/Wigram). Aircraft used by the team had a nose painted in a red and white checkered pattern, but this has now been reduced to a small checkered stripe.

In 1973 the team was disbanded due to a world fuel crisis but was formed again in 1980.

## Incidents

Squadron Leader Nick Cree was killed when the CT-4 training aircraft he was flying hit the ground while practicing aerial display manoeuvres near [RNZAF Base Ohakea](/source/RNZAF_Base_Ohakea) on 14 January 2010.[1]

On 1 March 2010 two aircraft touched during training with one aircraft incurring minor damage. The Red Checkers were grounded for the rest of the season.[2]

## Disbandment

The Red Checkers display team was disbanded following the retirement of the CT-4 Airtrainer. They were replaced by the [Black Falcons](/source/Black_Falcons), who fly the [Beechcraft T-6 Texan II](/source/Beechcraft_T-6_Texan_II).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Michael Forbes and Dave Burgess (15 January 2010). ["Pilot gave life '100 per cent'"](http://www.stuff.co.nz/3231571). *[The Dominion Post](/source/The_Dominion_Post_(Wellington))*. Retrieved 5 November 2011.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NZ_Herald_10629292_2-0)** ["Red Checkers grounded after latest accident"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10629292). *[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald)*. [NZPA](/source/NZPA). 1 March 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2011.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Red Checkers](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Red_Checkers).

- [Central Flying School](http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/training-elements/central-flying-school.htm) at the RNZAF website

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Red Checkers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Checkers) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Checkers?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.