Firebird Aerobatics - Towards The End

Towards The End

After the Rover sponsorship ended in 1997, the two Rover-marked Extras were sold and Firebird took the decision to focus on its partnership with Microlease. Brian Lecomber went on to spend the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons flying solo displays in the Microlease Extra 300. Building on this success, in 2001 Firebird returned to the format of a two-ship aerobatic team by launching the Microlease Aerobatic Team with two brand-new Extras. Once again the pilots were Brian Lecomber (leader) and John Taylor (wingman), and as in the days of the "Rover Duo" the team blended a range of unique figures together which exploited the full performance of their Extra aircraft. During the Microlease Team's first few weeks of displaying, in June 2001, the team won two awards - the Shell Trophy for 'Best Team Display' at the Biggin Hill Air Fair and the 'Best Overall Display' at the RAF Waddington International Air Show.

The Microlease Team operated for two highly successful seasons, in 2001 and 2002, and were due to continue into 2003. Unfortunately, early in 2003 John Taylor was involved in a road accident, obliging Brian Lecomber to fly a season of solo displays. At the end of this season, Microlease decided to pull out its long-running sponsorship. Firebird could not find a replacement sponsor, and so in December 2003 the decision was made to shut the company down.

Firebird operated for 23 years, during which time they completed over 2800 solo and formation displays in front of an estimated total of 90 million spectators. They gave displays in 15 countries, and had a 100% safety record. They will be remembered as one of the UK's most successful professional civilian aerobatic display company.