View source for Siskins

{{Short description|Canadian military flight demonstration team 1929–1932}}
{{About|an aerobatic flying team|other uses|Siskin (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= '''The Siskins'''
|image=RCAF Siskins aerobatic team.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption= 
|dates= 1929–1932
|country= {{flag|Canada|1921}}
|allegiance=
|branch= [[Image:Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign (1941-1968).svg|20px]] [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]
|type= 
|role= [[Aerobatic]] flight demonstration
|size= Varied, but usually a three-aircraft show
|command_structure=
|garrison=[[CFB Borden|Borden]], [[RCAF Station St. Hubert|St. Hubert]], [[CFB Trenton|Trenton]]
|garrison_label=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|colors_label=
|march=
|mascot=
|equipment=
|equipment_label=
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|commander1=
|commander1_label=
|notable_commanders=
|identification_symbol=
|identification_symbol_label=
|aircraft_fighter=  [[Armstrong Whitworth Siskin]]
}}
The '''Siskins''', officially the '''Siskin Exhibition Flight''', were a [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) aerobatic flying team that was established in 1929 at [[Camp Borden]], [[Ontario]]. They were named after the bird family [[Siskin]]. It was the air force's first official aerobatic team.<ref>Milberry, p. 45.</ref><ref>Dempsey, p. 25.</ref> Flying three [[Armstrong Whitworth Siskin]] [[biplane]]s, the Siskins quickly built a reputation for performing daring maneuvers. The Siskins flew more than 100 [[air show]]s over three years before being disbanded in 1932 when the [[Great Depression]] forced the RCAF to reduce operations.

Siskins' Squadron Leader [[Ernest McNab]] would later earn recognition as the first RCAF pilot to win the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (UK)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref>Milberry, p. 51.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Dempsey, Daniel V. ''A Tradition of Excellence: Canada's Airshow Team Heritage''. Victoria, BC: High Flight Enterprises, 2002. {{ISBN|0-9687817-0-5}}.
*[[Larry Milberry|Milberry, Larry]], ed. ''Sixty Years—The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924–1984''. Toronto: Canav Books, 1984. {{ISBN|0-9690703-4-9}}.

{{Canadian aerobatic teams}}
{{Modern aerobatic teams|autocollapse}}

[[Category:Royal Canadian Air Force]]


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