The MiG-17s are from a civilian aerobatic display team called the Black Diamond Jet Team
The Black Diamond Jet Team flies seven jet aircraft – five L-39s and two MiG-17s, all paint in arctic camouflage. The team is sponsored by United Bank Card, Inc. and is based at Lakeland, FL, USA.
![](http://aerobaticteams.net/images/black-diamond-jet-team/black-diamond-jet-team.png)
Some of the team’s pilots are well known air show performers as Team Leader Lt. Colonel Jerry "Jive" Kerby, USAF (ret.) and Lead Solo Performer in the single MiG-17 Captain Dale "Snort" Snodgrass, USN (ret.). Kerby and Snodgrass currently make up the two-ship civilian jet team Team MS760. Kerby was the first USAF F-4 Phantom Heritage Flight pilot in 2005 and has also flown the Vintage Thunderbird T-33 for the past five years. Snodgrass is well-known from his days as the F-14 Tomcat Demo Pilot and continues to fly with both the USAF Heritage Flight and USN Legacy Flight programs. Snodgrass recently flew the F-86 Sabre painted in Skyblazers colors. With over 20,000 hours of flight time and 25 years of air show experience between them as well as military flight training in the F-15 and F-14, Kerby and Snodgrass bring a solid base of skill, expertise, and showmanship to the Black Diamond Jet Team.
The team was officially announced as “Heavy Metal Jet Team” in the beginning of November 2010, as a five ship display team flying four L-39 and one T-33 planes, based at Lancaster, PA. Then the T-33 Shooting Star aircraft was piloted by Captain Dale Snodgrass.
In July 2011, The Heavy Metal Jet Team announced the addition of one MiG-17 replacing the T-33, which was grounded after maintenance problems.
Almost a year later in October 2011 the team changed the name to its present “Black Diamond Jet Team” and added another MiG-17. Then the team transited to new home base at Lakeland, FL.