5 things about South Korea’s famed Black Eagles

SINGAPORE: An aircraft from the Black Eagles, the Republic of Korea Air Force’s aerobatic team, skidded, crashed and caught fire while taking off at Changi Airport on Tuesday afternoon (Feb 6).

The KAI T-50B Golden Eagle plane was on its way to put on a flying display at the Singapore Airshow when the incident happened, and the pilot suffered minor injuries.

Widely known as one of the best flying display teams in the world, here are five things about the Black Eagles. 

STORY BEHIND ITS LOOK

The Black Eagles are instantly recognisable by the black, yellow and white paint on the planes. 

The colours and painting design, which are meant to enhance the aerobatic display, were chosen after a contest through the Korea Defense Daily, according to Airshow portal Airshowinfo.

NO STRANGERS TO OVERSEAS DISPLAYS

Composed of eight elite pilots, the Black Eagles are seasoned performers. According to the South Korean air force, the team takes part in more then 50 airshow events annually.

This is the third time they are participating in the Singapore Airshow since they were first invited in 2014. The team also won awards in the Waddington International Airshow and Royal International Air Tattoo in the United Kingdom in 2012. 

Just last year, the team was also part of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition. They also put up a stunning show in Kuala Lumpur in March 2017, forming a yin-yang – a nod to the South Korean flag – at one point. 

The team is currently led by Colonel Kim Yong-hwa. 

T-50 PLANE

The Black Eagles was first established in 1967, but it was not until 2008 that it started using the T-50 planes. 

The aircraft is a supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries with US firm Lockheed Martin. 

It has excellent stability and manoeuvrability and is able to hit a top speed of 430 knots, or 800 kilometres per hour, making it highly suitable for airshows. 

NOT EVERYONE CAN MAKE THE SQUAD

Pilots who want to be a part of the Black Eagles must clock at least 800 flight hours to be eligible, but even then, they are not guaranteed a spot in the squad. 

Only the top one-third of pilots who have passed qualifying examinations will be considered, while team leaders are drawn from the top 10 per cent of the cohort – which means they boast some of the highest scores in basic physical and flight training. 

The then-team leader, Major Lee Kyu-won, told Channel NewsAsia in an interview in 2016 that “there isn’t an application process to join the Black Eagles”. Only those who do well will be “head-hunted” and invited to the squad.

All nine pilots (including one spare) have to unanimously agree to be part of the team. 

CLOSING ACT FOR THIS YEAR’S AIRSHOW

The Black Eagles are supposed to be the final act of Singapore Airshow 2018, displaying various moves including its signature Change Turns and Scissor Passes during four flight shows through Sunday. 

According to an AFP report, the aerial display on Tuesday was cancelled following the crash. It is not immediately clear if their performance on Sunday will be cancelled. 

The Black Eagles are also operating a booth at the venue and had hoped to publicise the PyeongChang Winter Olympics that opens later this week. 

In a statement to Yonhap News Agency, the team leader said: “Through fabulous performances, we will contribute to efforts to enhance the global stature of the Republic of Korea and prove the superiority of the domestically made aircraft.” 

They are slated to return to South Korea on Feb 19.