Article and Photos by Peter Steinemann
This article appeared in the July 2000 issue of Code One Magazine.
The knight in the game of chess, the strategist’s ultimate game of war, represents an aggressive and maneuverable force. Its abilities to breach barriers and to move in nimble and strategic directions inspired the aerobatics team from the Republic of Singapore Air Force to anoint themselves the "Black Knights." The demonstration squadron, a source of great pride for Singapore, represents ideals and skills the RSAF is proud to display during Asian Aerospace, Singapore’s bi-annual air show held most recently at Changi International Airport.
History
The Black Knights debuted in 1974 during the Singapore Armed Forces Day celebrations, one year after the RSAF aerobatics team formed. Thirty thousand spectators witnessed this first Black Knights team fly aerial demonstrations with five Hawker Hunters. After a decade of public performances, the Hunter aerobatics team performed its last show in 1983. The team re-emerged briefly in the latter half of the 1980s in the F-5E Tiger IIs. Following the F-5E Tigers, the Black Knights reformed as a six-aircraft team in the re-engined A-4S Super Skyhawks. They performed in this configuration for the first time during the 1990 Asian Aerospace air show at Changi, and then again during the 1994 show. However, only a solo Super Skyhawk performed in the 1996 and 1998 air shows.
Asian Aerospace 2000, one of the first major air shows of the new millennium, inspired plans for another six-aircraft RSAF aerobatics team. This time, the team would fly an all-F-16 display. When only two F-16s were available, four A-4SUs were added to bring the team to six. This decision made the RSAF the first air force to combine these two aircraft types into one aerobatics team.
Preparations
The Black Knights began demonstrating in the mixed formation during Singapore’s National Day ceremonies in mid-1999. "We started by flying the Skyhawk accompanied by a single F-16B," said Lt. Col. Sham Chee Keong, a veteran pilot who leads the team. "We researched whether our maneuvers were compatible for the two types of aircraft. After a month of practice, we determined the optimum power settings and g forces."
Once the remaining team pilots passed a stringent selection process, the team members honed their skills on ordinary squadron aircraft. Six Skyhawks (including two spares) and three F-16s (including one spare) became available in early 2000. They were soon repainted and equipped with smoke generators. When the team reached the desired performance level, they treated Singapore’s deputy prime minister and minister for defense to a special preview at Pulau Sudong in February 2000.
Lt. Col. Keong brought the team to its current high standard. He is Black Knight No. 1, the team leader who also choreographed Asian Aerospace 2000. As the oldest team member, he leads the Black Knights team for a second time. He also led the Black Knights during the 1994 Asian Aerospace air show. A twenty-eight year veteran in the RSAF and current commander of the 143rd Squadron, he has flown the A-4, A-4SU, F-5E, and F-16A. To date, he has logged more than 6,000 flying hours—no mean deed for a fighter pilot. Before commanding the 143rd, Keong was one of the RSAF pioneers on the F-16 program. He also performed duties as the deputy commander of the Peace Carvin I detachment in the United States.
Action
The Black Knights fly in close aerobatics formation—no easy feat, considering that the smaller, subsonic Super Skyhawk accelerates differently from the F-16A. To compensate, the F-16A operates without afterburner throughout the show.
The Black Knights open their show in an Arrow formation. The left wingtip of Black Knight No. 1 and the cockpit of Black Knight No. 2 are separated by a distance of three feet as the aircraft return to Delta, Swan, and Kite formations. A barrel roll in a Swan formation is the most difficult maneuver, according to Keong. "It is very wide and requires all three axes," he explains, "with the speeds varying from 400 knots at the bottom, to 200 knots at the top, to 400 knots in the descent. During the entire maneuver, the inside F-16 pushes and the outside F-16 pulls."
Other highlights during the fifteen-minute display include the Bonsai Burst, the double Cuban Eight, and afterburner turns performed by opposing F-16s. In the Bonsai Burst, the team splits in every direction. In the Cuban Eight, the F-16s cross each other with less than thirty feet clearance between them. They then pull up and simultaneously perform a Cuban Eight. Coordination and communication are vital when executing these maneuvers.
The four A-4SUs perform a synchronized left aileron roll, called a twinkle roll, in a diamond formation as they pass 500 feet over the audience. Next comes the diamond maneuver in which each aircraft flies only five feet apart—leaving no room for error. After performing a mirror pass, the F-16s join the Skyhawks in an upward burst called Bunga Manggar, the Malay name for a local flower. The smoke trails emulate the open petals of the flower. The "Roaring 2000" closes the aerobatics demonstration as the four Skyhawks loop to leave the number two with three zeros in smoke. The two F-16s underscore the numbers with a low-level pass as the crowd recognizes the end of the display with thunderous applause.
Peter Steinemann is an aviation writer and photographer based in Australia