BLACK KNIGHTS ALL SET FOR GOLDEN JUBILEE SHOWS

Despite stormy skies, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Black Knights still came out in full force to rehearse over the waters off Marina South on 3 Aug.

Watching them from the Marina Barrage were Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen, past Black Knights pilots and family members of past and present Black Knights.

Speaking to the media after watching the performance, Dr Ng said: "What we see them do is obviously entertaining, but as you can imagine, flying at these speeds and at each other while twirling and whirling in the air calls for a lot of practice."

"Singaporeans who see these performances will be very wowed by the awesome display of precision flying It's going to be a good show."

There are two new manoeuvres in the special 25-minute show: the Double Heart and Dedication Pass. The first will see four Black Knights flying a diamond formation before pulling up and splitting to create two hearts with their smoke trails.

In the Dedication Pass manoeuvre, four Black Knights will fly across the crowd in a diamond formation while the other two spiral around their smoke trails.

Explaining the move, Colonel (COL) Nalpon Patrick Selvan said: "The four in a diamond (formation) symbolise Singapore and the two aircraft twirling around them symbolise the legacy of what our forefathers have built. Together, they look ahead to what we can accomplish in the future." COL Nalpon is the chairman of the Black Knights flying display committee.

The team took about six months to perfect the show, said COL Nalpon. "Flying 22 manoeuvres in 25 minutes is a difficult thing to do, and the pilots have spent more than 200 hours each practising for the show."

The RSAF Black Knights are one of the rare teams flying combat-ready aircraft, instead of purpose-built aerobatic aircraft.

"Apart from modifications which allow the aircraft to emit the smoke trails, the Black Knights F-16s we use are operational aircraft and are also used for training," said COL Nalpon.

In a way, the progress of the Black Knights mirrors the evolution of the RSAF and Singapore, said Brigadier-General (BG) (Retired) Michael Teo. "Back then, all we had was the sense that we had to form a team and learnt as we went along.

"There was no such thing as YouTube where we could watch other teams!"

Added the 68-year-old who was a Black Knight flying the Hawker Hunter in 1975: "Today it's no longer about the basics of capability - whether we even have the ability to perform - but rather what we want to showcase and how best to do it."

For the current Black Knights team, their focus is on acing the show over the Jubilee weekend of 7 to 9 Aug. "I wouldn t call what I do a sacrifice, the team is honoured and thrilled to be a part of this," said Major (MAJ) Derek Chan, one of the six Black Knights pilots.

Said ground crew member and Full-time National Serviceman 3rd Sergeant (3SG) Koh Tiang Lip: "There's pride serving on the Black Knights team." He is an Assistant Dedicated Crew Chief working on the state-liveried F-16 aircraft.

"We've created friendships and memories together, so that s something I will always remember of my NS experience."

The Black Knights will be taking part in the National Day Parade on the evening of 9 Aug, as well as at 12 noon daily from 7 to 9 Aug. Members of the public can watch the aerial displays from vantage points dotting the Marina South area.

The event was also attended by Minister for Transport and 2nd Minister for Defence Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng, Chief of Air Force Major-General Hoo Cher Mou, members of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs and the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence.

Date/Time: 7 9 Aug 2015, 12nn daily
Where to watch: Various vantage points at Marina South (Refer to map)
Public can tune in to Power 98 FM and 88.3 Jia FM to listen to the live commentary broadcast.