Kaset Green Hawk

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Kaset Green Hawk


caption= Green Hawk in SAREX 2008.
dates= 2007–present
country= THA
branch= Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation
role= Display
size= 4 to 9 aircraft
command_structure=
garrison=
garrison_label=
nickname=
motto=
colors= Green and white
colors_label=
equipment=
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anniversaries=
decorations=
commander1=
commander1_label=
identification_symbol=
aircraft_transport= 4 to 9 Cessna 208
aircraft_trainer=

Kaset Green Hawk is an aerial display team of the Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation (KASET) of Thailand formed from rainmaking aircraft and crews.

History

The Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation is a part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative of the Royal Thai Government. The organization is responsible for agricultural flying and rainmaking under the "Royal Rainmaking Project", headed by King Bhumibol. As a part-time hobby, the pilots from the Royal Rainmaking Project formed the "Green Hawk" display team, whose debut was at the 2007 Royal Aviation Festival in Tak province.

The Green Hawks are a part-time display team, flying when there are no higher priority missions. The number of aircraft in the team vary from four to nine, depending on how many aircraft are available at the KASET base.

Aircraft and Smoke System

The Green Hawk team normally uses the Cessna 208B Caravan as a main display aircraft. The aircraft, which is used to drop chemical powder in rainmaking, have no additional modifications and use the installed chemical dispersant equipment to create the smoke used in aerial displays. Colored powder is mixed with the rainmaking chemical to produce white, red or yellow smoke.

Performances

Royal Aviation Festival 2007

The debut for the Green Hawk team was in Tak province at which eight aircraft put on a display.

AREX 2008

SAREX is an annual Search and Rescue exercise involving all aviation units in Thailand. SAREX 2008 was held at Hua Hin airport, with the Royal Thai Police hosting. Four Cessna 208Bs of the Green Hawk team flying from the Royal Rainmaking base in Hua Hin performed for 20 minutes.

Royal Aviation Festival 2008

The Green Hawk team is scheduled to perform at the Royal Aviation Festival 2008 in Ubon Ratchathani province in November 2008.

Photo Gallery