Golden Crown

The Golden Crown (Persian: تاج طلایی‎ Tāj-e Talāyi) was Iran's first national aerobatics display team and part of the former Imperial Iranian Air Force from 1958 to 1979. It was formed by Nader Jahanbani, an Iranian general, and mainly inspired by Sky Blazers, an American aerobatics team. During the cold war this team successfully performed in many competitions.

Golden Crown
Official Imperial Iranian Air Force Aerobatic Team
6 F-5Es of the Golden Crown display team
Active30 October 1958-11 February 1979
Disbandedafter 1979 Revolution
Country Iran
Branch Imperial Iranian Air Force
RoleAerobatic display team
Part ofpart of 1st Fighter Interceptor Squadron
Garrison/HQMehrabad (THR)
Khatami Air Base
Kushke Nosrat Airport
Colours
■□■
(three Colours of flag of Iran)
Commanders
head manNader Jahanbani
Insignia
Insignia (1972-1979)
Insignia (1960-1971)
Aircraft flown
Fighter4 – F-84 Thunderjet
6 – F-86 Sabre
6 – F-5E

The Golden Crown was officially founded in 1958. Fourteen Iranian pilots were sent to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany, in order to learn aerobatics in jet aircraft. Nine of them returned to Iran after a couple of months and the remaining five went on to undergo further flying training. After 72 training sessions, the team performed its first aerobatic display in 1958. It was equipped with four Republic F-84G Thunderjet aircraft. By 1959, they used nine F-84s.

The team performed near Mehrabad International Airport and later, at Kooshk Nosrat, 100 kilometres from Tehran.

During the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the team was disbanded after the dissolution of the Imperial Iranian Air Force.

IIAF ace, Yadollah Javadpour, was a member of the Golden Crown from 1975 to 1978. Other notable members include Mohammad Amir Khatami, Nader Jahanbani, Amir Hossein Rabii, Bahram Hooshyar, and Yadollah Sharifirad.

  • Farhad Nasirkhani member of Golden Crown IIAF puts on Golden Crown uniform 1972
  • F-5Es taking off from the Mehrabad Airport; 1970s
  • Right to left: Asghar Imanian, Abdolhossein Minoosepehr, Nader Jahanbani (leader), Nader Yoosefi, Bahman Bagheri, Ayat Mohagheghi, Fariborz Bayvar
  • Joint airshow with US Navy Blue Angels, 1973
  • Mohammad Reza Pahlavi visiting the Golden Crown members, 1976
  • An F-84G Thunderjet of the Golden Crown aerobatic team.
  • An Imperial Iranian Air Force F-86 Sabre, of the Golden Crown aerobatic display team.

See also

References
  • Alibabaie, Gholamreza (2004). History of Iranian Air Force. Tehran: Ashian. pp. 98–99. ISBN 964-7518-19-6.
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