The Turbulent Display Team

The first Tiger Club Turbulent Team display was in August 1959 at Fairoaks and the team has been a regular part of the display circuit ever since. The number of aircraft has varied from between three to nine and they have performed all over the United Kingdom , France , Belgium and Ireland .

The Druine D31 Turbulent was designed by Roger Druine, a French aircraft designer during the 1950's. Rollason Aircraft took up the design and after some modifications started to produce the aircraft in 1958, many of these were given to the Tiger Club. The Club immediately started using them for formation and stunt flying due to their splendid manoeuvrability. At an empty weight of 400lbs the Turbulent weighs little more than a large motorbike. Each Turbulent acquires its own unique colour scheme.

G-APTZ     The Red Turb

This aircraft first flew July 1959 and was purchased by one the Tiger Club pilots James Baring who then flew with the Turbulent team for many years. The Club purchased this aircraft in 1995 and it has again joined the team. In the 1960's the size of the team varied between 3 aircraft up to nine aircraft, this was for the Farnborough Air Show in 1961.

G-ARMZ   The Yellow Turb

This aircraft flew for the first time in 10 years in 1998 after having been found by a Club member in Lincolnshire in 1996. It had an eventful early life having only completed 17 flying hours when a Jodel taxiied into it and it required a new fuselage before flying again. RMZ was operated by the Tiger Club for some years before Rollasons the manufacturers sold it to its new owner Mr. N. Minchin at Fairoaks, Surrey .

John Day at Chessington rebuilt the aircraft in a year and it is now part of the team it flew with over twenty five years ago. It also sports its original colour scheme, it was owned by Club members John Mickleburgh and David Clark until mid 2005 when the Tiger Club purchased it from them.

G-ARGZ      The Light Blue Turb

First flown in March 1961 it was with the Tiger Club for a couple of years before being sold and moving to Biggin Hill in 1963. The aircraft re-appeared at Redhill in the early 80's when John Watkins bought it and flew with the Turbulent Team, it was painted yellow and black at the time. It was then sold again and ended up at the back of Rochester 's hangar after an accident. The wreck was bought and moved down to Devon and rebuilt before the Club purchased RGZ again in 1998.

G-APVZ

This aircraft first flew in 1960 and joined the Club fleet in the same year. It was sold on to a private owner at a later date. The Club repurchased it at the end of 2003, from its previous owner at Maypole, Kent. The aircraft is currently waiting to be refurbished, which will happen later this year. It is hoped to modify the cockpit sufficiently so that taller pilots will be able to operate the aircraft.