Airshow Aerobatics

I was at the Airshow in the morning attending a Space Conference and managed to catch the flying display over lunch. The first item was by our RSAF Black Knights in their F16s splendor, cheekily teasing the audience with their formations. The familiar booming engines reverberated each time they flew by. There were 5 jets, and one of the formations was a heart-shaped cupid arrow. 2 jets outlined each side of the heart-arches, and the 5th pilot (Philip - Zoe's husband) flew a line through the heart like cupid's arrow. They ended their display with a 'curtain drape'. I felt an immense sense of patriotism, like a child watching national day display and wanting to cheer and clap.

Then there was a series of solo aerobatics by pilots from various countries - USA, Korea etc -spinning, rolling, and vertically climbing their different planes in the sky, executing tight-corner maneuvers. Next up was the A380, the Queen of the skies. True to its title, the A380 flew in, regal and majestic, to the strings of Pachebel's Canon in D. After the pulsating stunts of the previous fighter jets, the Queen was a sharp contrast. Like a fairy tale, it parted the clouds, slowly and surely, with an air of reassurance that you would safely reach your dream destination.

The last team display was by the RAAF's (Australian) Roulettes. They flew the Pilatus PC-9, a single engine turboprop training aircraft. The Pilatus PC-9 was unlike the F16, and much quieter. The team reminded me of teenagers out on a group date, shyly dating, with the occasional tease to catch the attention of the others. The 6 planes entered in extremely neat triangular formations, pulling in and vertically up in unison. From the ground, the planes looked like a 2-dimensional triangular kite, gliding through the sky, very fluid and graceful. One execution had 2 pilots flying in horizontally from opposing ends, and crossing each other in the middle. Another had 5 planes flying ahead, and the 6th doing tumbles (like horizontal cartwheels) behind them. I was reminded of a young brood of chicks strolling along, and the last playful one falling out of line, skipping along.

Salutes to the pilots and their hard training.