JOURNEY OF A BLACK KNIGHT

Captain (CPT) Devdutt Sasidharan, the youngest member of the newly formed Black Knights, takes PIONEER through his training journey.

At just 28, CPT Devdutt is considered one of the best fighter pilots in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). The true test of this? The simple fact that he was offered the opportunity in 2013 to join the Black Knights.

For the honour of being in Singapore's only aerobatic team, CPT Devdutt willingly put his studies at the National University of Singapore on hold.

"I've always wanted to be a Black Knight!" said the F-16D+ fighter pilot of 145 Squadron (SQN).

His passion for flying was already apparent during his days in National Junior College when he was a member of the Singapore Youth Flying Club. Even before he sat for his A level examinations in 2003, he had signed a contract with the RSAF.

Level up

Despite having a head start with over a year of youth flying experience in the Piper Warrior jet, CPT Devdutt found fighter pilot training extremely tough. Flying in a fighter plane which can move at supersonic speeds was a whole new challenge for him.

"It was difficult getting used to the fast-paced environment - multitasking in a cockpit like targeting, making radio calls, looking for other aircraft, working on the radar and trying to build a mental picture of what's going on around me," explained CPT Devdutt, who underwent the NATO Flight Training in Canada programme, a fighter pilot induction course.

For a year in Canada, he trained under instructors from the NATO nations, flying the CT-155 Hawk, before returning to Singapore to train on the F-16D+.

The bar was raised even higher when he joined the Black Knights, where he has to fly in formation with other F-16C Fighting Falcons just metres away from him.

Recalling his first aerobatic training flight, he said: "Initially, there was a little bit of fear... Because we are in such close proximity with each other for an extended period of time, we cannot afford to lose focus even for a split second."

Mental rehearsal

To meet the high demands for precision, the Black Knights' training begins with everyone knowing exactly what everyone else will be doing. Before every training flight, the six Black Knights would huddle and go through a 20-minute visualisation exercise, where they run through the entire flight sequence in their mind to synchronise their moves.

"Our hands move, our fingers move like we are manipulating switches as though we are in a real aircraft," said CPT Devdutt.

"We also make any calls that we would need to make. The more we visualise, the less uncertainty we have once we are actually flying."

After the mental rehearsal, the team would go for their training flight which lasts 40 to 45 minutes. Upon touching down, they would do a self-assessment of their performance, and watch a video recording of their flight. The entire process is repeated when they head for their next flight.

"We are our own critics," he said. "If I didn't do a particular manoeuvre well, I would know it immediately."

The Singapore Airshow 2014 will be his first performance as a Black Knight.

"I feel very proud whenever I strap into a jet donning the national colours. I hope that whenever we perform, we can inspire someone in the crowd, who looks up and sees the Black Knights, to join the Air Force," said CPT Devdutt, who is also an F-16 pilot instructor in 145 SQN.

The Black Knights, who are operational fighter pilots and instructors, only go into full-time aerobatic training three to four months prior to an air show. For CPT Devdutt, the multiple challenges that come with being an RSAF fighter pilot make it the best job in the world.

He said: "I don't see myself getting tired of my job, I can do this for a long time."

"Doing aerobatics like barrel rolls and loops with five other aircraft around you is a whole different ball game. It takes an added level of concentration, stability and finesse to make the manoeuvres look good."
- CPT Devdutt