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American Eagles 2026

The American Eagles are a group of 4 ex USAF and commercial pilots who flew precision displays in L-39 Albatros jets.

This photo shows a tight formation as the team fly towards the airport, trailing smoke. The wind probably made their job of flying so close even more difficult than usual.

This team are famous for their formation flying at 600 kph, just a few metres apart. The pilots have thousands of hours of experience in many different aspects of flying. The aircraft are supplied and maintained by Fighter Jets NZ from Tauranga.

Use the controller to watch the American Eagles fly in formation down the runway. This is a moderately large video and might take a few seconds to load.

Aero L-39 Albatros Specs:
Length: 12.13 m
Wingspan: 9.46 m
Height: 4.77 m
Empty weight: 3455 kg
Power: Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan engine, 16.87 kN thrust
Maximum speed: 750 kph at 5000m
Ceiling: 11000 m
Rate of climb: 21 m/s

Sources: Warbirds Over Wanaka 2024 program, Wikipedia.

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