A well-known Australian aerobatic formation pilot has been identified as the person who died after a midair collision near Sydney on Sunday. Eddie Seve was a founding member of the Freedom Formation Aerobatic Display Team, a 16-ship group that performs in airshows throughout Australia, and well known for his work encouraging young people to get involved with aviation. He was flying in formation with three other members of the group when they came together. The other aircraft was able to land back at Napperfield Airfield but Seve’s went down in a wooded area. Both aircraft were RV-7s according to early reports.
The Freedom Formation confirmed the crash and said it was “supporting the team members and their families.” The Freedom Formation was formed in 2015 and claims to be largest formation team in the Southern Hemisphere. The group is made up of 15 various models of Van’s RV aircraft and a single Yak-55. A description on its website says the team “performs at major airshows and events across Australia, demonstrating the incredible capabilities of our aircraft and the exceptional skill of our pilots through meticulously choreographed routines that push the boundaries of formation flying.” A video of the team’s performance at the 2023 Pacific Airshow Gold Coast follows.
