The Team Pilots:
Safir 1. Clas Palmberg ja Miikka Rautakoura
Safir 2. Hannu Halonen and Olli Kivinen
Safir 3. Martti Henriksson and Jaakko Nikkanen
Safir 4. Ari Saarinen
Safir 5. Tapio Pitkänen (solo)
The Team has versatile experience of aerobatics and formation flying. Most of the pilots have military background in the Finnish Air Force and also competition background. Three of our Team members, not seen in Vaasa, Jyri Mattila and Mikko Koli are also active pilots in our Team. Jyri is the Airboss 1 in Vaasa Airshow!
Saab Safir SB91D
The Saab Safir is Swedish made aeroplane, born in late 1940s. The Finnish Airforce bought Safirs and they served in the FIAF in 1958-1982.
The history of the Woikoski Safirs Team
Mr. Clas Palmberg, the owner of the company Woikoski Ltd, owns all the planes. He has been working for many years restoring these beautiful planes. Aeroplane mechanic Mr. Markku Käkönen has done the biggest job for these planes to get them back in service. The planes have the original FIAF colour code.
These planes have been restored in the past years and the formation flying started in 2017. Now there are five planes in service and three other ones are under restoring.
The program of the Team
In 2024 the Team has a formation display with 4-ship. In the display We will fly formation in different figures calmly and in a dignified way. The formation does not fly aerobatics. The Solo program consists of Sportsman level figures. The maximum G-force is 4G. We won´t harrow these old ladies!
The Woikoski Safirs will make honor for the planes and their service in the Finnish Air Force in 1958 – 1982. Many pilot generations in the FIAF got their primary training with Saab Safir before starting the jet training with the French two-seat jet trainer Fouga C.M.170 Magister.
Dear Audience! Welcome to Vaasa to the Finnish Aeronautical Association’s main airshow of 2024 and experience the Safirs in the sky!
