NDP 2018: RSAF ‘hearts’ Singapore to mark its 50th anniversary

Singapore — To thank Singaporeans for their support of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) for the past 50 years, 26 aircraft — the most to perform over the Marina Bay floating platform — will participate in this year's National Day Parade (NDP).

Two F-16Cs will carve out a heart shape — with smoke trails — above the city's skyline, while another fighter aircraft — an F15SG — will engage in a knife edge vertical climb, where it will make a sudden turn before rising vertically into the sky above the floating platform. During the manoeuvre, spectators will be able to see the plane's special blue-and-white paint scheme, designed specially to mark the RSAF's 50th anniversary this year.

Although the number of participating aircraft this year is more than double that of the 11 which took part in the parade at the Marina Bay Floating Platform last year, it is less than the 50 which participated in the Republic's golden jubilee celebration at the Padang.

NDP 2018 will also see the naval divers perform a combat jump at the parade for the first time, alongside the traditional Red Lions performing the wingsuit jump during the pre-show, followed by the state flag fly past during the parade and ceremony.

Colonel Low Say Sim, 48, chairman of Air Participation who handles the aircraft for the parade, said: "Since it's RSAF 50, we wanted to thank the Singaporeans for all their support and confidence to help us grow … we decided to draw a heart shape using our two F-16s to signify our thanks to the country."

This is the first time the RSAF is reprising the act after it was first performed at NDP 2008 10 years ago.

Major Lloyd Lin, 34, one of the two F-16 pilots involved, said "during the heart formation, the most obvious thing to the crowd will be the symmetry of the heart, so that's the challenge, to make sure the pacing and cadence is correct every single time".

"We will be practising every weekend to make sure this is done properly," he added.

In the meantime, Captain Paul-Matthew Lim, 29, who will be piloting the F-15 for the knife edge act, said he has to overcome the challenge of performing amid the densely-built city centre.

While the manoeuvre is "fairly simple in essence" when done in an open area without any buildings or obstacles, he said performing it within the confines of the Central Business District, with high-rise office buildings, "comes with its own set of challenges".

"The buildings block the view of the floating platform from the air, so it's hard to position yourself in a perfect centre (to the platform)," he said.

The aerial display will also feature the bomb burst, with five F-15SG aircraft fanning out over the skyline as a salute to the nation.

Major Freddie Lim-Ng, 38, one of the pilots involved in the bomb burst formation, will be the only pilot in the aerial display who is an operationally-ready national serviceman (NSman). After retiring from the RSAF in 2014 after 15 years of service, he now works with Singapore Technologies as an aircraft simulator instructor.

It is his third NDP aerial display, but his first as an NSman.

Training and rehearsals for the aerial display started on June 15, and will happen every Saturday above the floating platform leading up to Aug 9.

The success of the airshow, however, is as much dependent on the training of the pilots as it will be on the weather.

"We have contingency plans for different kinds of weather," said Col Low, who is also a fighter pilot. "If the cloud cover is low, planes that need to fly at a higher altitude may need to be cut out of the show."

"But as much as possible, we will want to ensure that the planes will fly," he added.