JUBILANT KNIGHTS

Hear the thunderous jet screams of the Black Knights at the Marina Bay area when they perform daring aerial stunts over the Jubilee weekend of 7 to 9 Aug.

Singapore's very own - and only - aerobatics team is set to give the nation a special salute on its 50th birthday. For three days at noon, the Black Knights' state-liveried F-16 fighter aircraft will perform aerial displays lasting about 25 minutes over the Marina Bay area.

"We have devised new manoeuvres to entice the crowd (and) the area is easily accessible; it's a very good place for everyone to come and see us," said Colonel (COL) Nalpon Patrick Selvan, Chairman of the Black Knights Flying Display Committee.

For the pilots, aerobatic flying puts a strain on both mind and body. "The level of stress, focus and mental fatigue is tremendous," said Major (MAJ) Chang Haw Ning, 35.

The team started putting together the show in October last year, with two new members - MAJ Derek Chan and MAJ Kevin Lim, both 37. Experienced pilots, they each have clocked more than 3,000 flying hours.

Describing what he sees when he is in the air, MAJ Chan said: "The engine nozzle is directly above my aircraft nose. Sometimes I can even make out the screws and rivets on the other aircraft; that's how close we are. There's almost no margin for error.

"So it's all about building trust in the pilots flying next to you."

In the skies, the Black Knights fly as a team, and it is not about individual showmanship. "It's not about how good I am, but how well the entire team performs for the entire show," said MAJ Lim.

"We hope that the audience watching us can share the same feeling of pride we have, being part of the Black Knights."

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