Black Eagle was an "old school" gyrocopter pilot, having served with Cobra since before the Gyro Vipers were identified as a specialty. Black Eagle doesn't so much lead the Birds of Prey, as point them in the right direction and pull the trigger. As a member of cobra that's been around longer than such "newcomers" as Dr. Mindbender and Firefly he's never felt entirely comfortable with the chain of command. As such, he never gives the team orders, only targets.

Partial to the open cockpit of the Fang type gyrocopters, having the wind in his face is nothing new for him. His jetpack is not as specialized as the other prototypes, however, it is generally believed to be the most reliable of the bunch.

"A jetpack is just like a FANG 1, except there's less around me to shoot at!"

Harrier is a country boy with a natural "dead eye" shot and an extreme level of comfort with most firearms. He could have been a sniper if he had the patience wait for the shot or the ability to stand in one place for more than a few minutes. He joined the Vapor's and flew Hurricane jets throughout the 1990's.

Harrier is unique among the Birds of Prey in that he actually AIMS his gun before firing it. His Jetpack has internal stabilizers that allow him real VTOL capability allowing him to be the most accurate of the team's gunners.

"All the firepower in the world won't help ya if ya don't hit anythin with it!"

Kestrel is one of those people that believe that firepower wins battles, wars and even the occasional card game. He has said that the Cobra Rattler would have been a more effective weapon if they'd crammed a few more missiles and bombs to the hard points. He flew anti tank missions in the Rattler for over 10 years, and never came back from a mission with a single bomb, missile or bullet left in his plane. He is widely considered to be unbalanced and dangerous.

Kestrel's jetpack is so packed with high powered weaponry that it's amazing that it can even stay aloft. If firepower can solve the problem, Kestrel is the man to use it.

"I believe in conflict resolution. I believe that it should involve a smoking crater."

The Birds of Prey are typically describes as having "impulse control issues". Merlin is the deep strike specialist in a team of fighters that typically would start shooting right off the launch pad. Of all the team members, Merlin is the least apt to be described as hotheaded, often waiting almost a full hour before he fires his first shot...

Merlin Flew the Cobra Condor for 4 years, and is the very model of the typical Aero Viper. He is strong, slow and able to stand the intense rigors of prolonged flight. Merlin's jetpack has prolonged flight capability that can keep him in the air in excess of 16 hours. His stamina keeps him in the fight longer than anyone else, any he may gain dominance over the airspace by simply outlasting the enemy.

"You guys done already? I'll stay up here and finish them myself!"

Peregrine was almost drummed out of the A.V.A.C. corps for his many complaints about how "slow" and "laden with safety features" the Firebat was. He disabled any remaining safety protocols on his plane, and refused to wear a parachute, because he considered them "bad luck".

Peregrine's jetpack is the fastest of all the experimental models, and also the most prone to catastrophic failure. Peregrine has started the pack at less than 100 feet to the ground in a stall out dive, and still survived to tell the tale. His need for speed is only balanced by a survival instinct that can only be described as "dumb ass luck."

"Live Fast, Die Young. Anything else is too boring to contemplate."