Air Displays UK

It was too good to be true when rumours began to swirl that the Republic of Korea Air Force would be attending some UK Airshows with the 53rd Air Demonstration Group; The Black Eagles, but it was to come to fruition, much to every aviation enthusiasts joy in July, injecting some much needed anticipation and excitement into the UK airshow scene after two trying years from the smallest fly-ins, to the biggest airshows. The Royal International Air Tattoo eventually made the announcement when news from Korean news outlets confirmed the team would be making a European Tour to help promote the team and the KAI T-50 “Golden Eagle” supersonic trainer which the team displays. The announcement saw RIAT being the main showpiece event for the team over the weekend of the 15th-17th of July, with their full aerobatic demonstration to be flown, with the July 9th and 10th Southport Airshow to benefit from the visit with a shortened display of around 8 minutes, whilst Farnborough would have had a shortened aerobatic routine across their trade week from the 18th – 22nd, which later, unfortunately, wasn’t validated and meant flypasts all round at the event. Furthermore the team made a surprise display appearance at Old Warden for one of their Evening Airshows on Saturday 16th of July, as well as a number of flypasts across the country. This exclusive article will have accounts from our Air Displays UK team and colleagues, and from a number of the Black Eagles pilots on this special, once in a decade visit.

The team (under a different guise) were officially formed on October 1st, 1953, and flew four North American P-51 Mustangs, until a second team was formed, named the Show Flight, equipped with T-33a aircraft. Following a number of further name changes, aircraft changes and disbandment’s, the modern-day Black Eagles flew again on December 12th, 1994, flying six Cessna A-37B Dragonfly. The team began flying the T-50B in August 2009 following a hiatus to display flying whilst they transitioned to the T-50s.

Prior to their arrival in person to the UK, it was announced the team would be based at MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, with the first of three Lockheed Martin C-130s bringing over supplies and personnel to the air base a week before the aircraft arriving. Meanwhile, on the 20th of June, in Wonju, Gangwon Province, South Korea, the nine T-50Bs were being disassembled and loaded onto Boeing 747 cargo aircraft to be flown the 5,500 miles to England via Thailand and Turkey, to be unloaded, transported by road, and reassembled at Boscombe Down ready for their opening airshow appearance at Southport. The whole exercise was a massive undertaking, taking several weeks just for logistics to be managed and everything, and everyone, to arrive in Wiltshire in a safe and timely manner. Once in the UK, with the pilots briefed and the aircraft in one piece again, training began over the skies of Boscombe Down, with the first 8-ship flight taking place on the 4th of July.

The team consists of Nine (one spare) aircraft and eight demonstration pilots, which is broken down into smaller sub-teams which make up the majority of the display sequence. #1 is Leader, Major Yang, Eun-Ho and calls the large 8-ship formations, with Captain Gil, Doo-Hyeon as #2 Left Wing and Major Park, Sang-Jun as #3 Right wing forming with Major Choi, Geun-Ho #4 Slot, making up the front four in the team. #5 and #6 Synchro are flown by Captain Jeong, Han-Wool and Major Lee, Ho-Seong respectively, as they work through various 2-man formations and aerobatic manoeuvres, as well in larger 6-ship formations and passes. At the rear of the team is Solo #7, flown by Major Noh, Kang-Min and Solo #8, flown by Captain Park, Yong-Ha who, as the title suggests, give the various solo passes during the display. All of this builds into a complex and highly technical routine which puts them amongst the best formation display teams in the world. The first half of the display sequence shows off the large formations, whilst the second half highlights the high energy and dynamic passes and manoeuvres including The Orchid, Double Helix and the beautiful Taegeuk; which sees the emblem of Korea drawn in the sky above the display area. The team is overseen by Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Shim, Kyu-Yong, leader of the Black Eagles, and former #6 (2012-13) and #5 (2014) in the display team.

The Korean designed and built T-50 was one of the primary reasons for the tour, to help promote Korean Aerospace and hopefully attract overseas air forces to buy aircraft from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), the maker of the T-50. I spoke to Black Eagles #5 – Captain Jeong, Han-Wool, who told me what it is like to fly the T-50B:

“The T-50B (derived from the Supersonic T-50 (F-50) fighter) is powered by a single General Electric F404 after burning turbofan, allowing the jet to reach speeds of Mach 1.5 and up to a ceiling of 48,000ft. (Being) supersonic means it allows for good thrust, hence making barrel rolls in (an) 8-ship possible. The good speed keeps the intensity (of the display) high throughout, moreover allowing for fantastic manoeuvrability for the various loops, high-speed passes and, indeed, low speed passes. The harmonious black, white, and yellow paint scheme, which was selected by the People of Korea, along with the smoke generators (capable of producing red, blue, and white smoke), wingtip visible lights and the pin camera is what differentiates the T-50B different to the standard T-50 fighter.”

The Black Eagles visited Poland following the conclusion of their UK tour, wherein the Polish government announced the country would acquire forty-eight of the supersonic fighter to augment its existing fleet of F-16C/D Fighting Falcons. In this role the T-50 will operate as a frontline fighter, equipped to three squadrons, with deliveries beginning in mid-2023 when the first twelve aircraft will be delivered. The aircraft will be block 20 configuration, with Polish specific requirements such as the NATO identification systems (IFF NATO) and further advanced capabilities. Poland is the first European nation to purchase the KAI T-50, marking a landmark moment for the program, and marking the biggest export for Korea in its history, with Poland receiving a sweeping military package of aircraft, tanks, and weaponry in the deal between the two nations.

When the team performed at RIAT a couple of weeks prior to the trip to Poland, the Black Eagles showed off the highly polished routine to sold out crowds at the Air Tattoo, flying alongside the Red Arrows over the weekend. The display sequence saw them get awarded both the “King Hussein Memorial Sword” and “As The Crow Flies” trophies, as they were voted best overall flying demonstration at RIAT 2022. Overwhelming reviews since the show have lauded the Black Eagles as the highlight of the event, with the team being praised for the inventive display sequence, the precision and grace of the display, with plenty of noise and speed to thrill the crowds – including our own Air Displays UK followers. Captain Jeong told me what it was like to experience RIAT and be awarded the best display at the event:

“It was joyous to fly with the world’s best display teams on such a big international stage, (such as) RIAT. I felt a sense of excitement and elation at seeing these displays which I couldn’t see in Korea. Furthermore, it was a chance to cement the friendship and trust between the UK and Korea when we flew alongside the Red Arrows in the UK. Receiving the award for Best Display – I couldn’t believe it. Thank you for giving us the award, we, the Black Eagles, will not settle for just this though, and will continue to entertain audiences even more.”

Black Eagles #6 Synchro - Major Lee, Ho-Seong explained how it felt seeing and hearing the crowds at RIAT, Southport and elsewhere during the tour:

“During the three week (tour) I felt many people cheering our team (on), whilst we flew over the UK. Especially at RIAT 2022, it was a brilliant, terrific, and wonderful airshow experience for (all) of our team. It really was a fantastic and unforgettable memory. Thank you to everyone for cheering our team. We hope to see you again one day.”

Having watched the displays and flypasts in various forms, it was amazing to see the variation in display ideas. The whole display was around half an hour long with the elements broken down and delegated to the different team members, showcasing just about everything that the T-50B, and of course, its pilots can do. I asked Captain Jeong about the display build-up and what it takes to be able to fly with the Black Eagles:

“Being a member of the Black Eagles means each of the pilots can perform each of the manoeuvres, and to be a member of the display team, you need to get around forty-five sorties of flight training. My favourite manoeuvre is the Wedge Roll – this is an 8-ship formation barrel roll, maintaining a close four column formation. I believe this best showcases the Black Eagles pilots and the aircraft capabilities and teamwork.”

I concluded by asking Captain Jeong what he thought of England and how he found getting to explore the country from the air and if there were any highlights:

“I enjoyed every day of my stay in England, (it’s) a very beautiful country. One of the best moments (for me) is when I filmed the various British Landmarks from the air. I remember flying in formation over British cathedrals (such as) Salisbury and Canterbury, as well as the Seven Sisters and Sandbanks in Hampshire.”

During the stay, as well as the three official airshow appearances, the team also made surprise flypasts as a number of venues, events, and locations around the UK, soaking up the landscapes and views. Part of that saw the team partake in the “Dover Tour”, this seeing the team fly from Boscombe Down, along the south coast of England, towards Dover, via locations such as Brighton, Beachy Head, Folkstone and Maidstone. In addition to this, they flew a surprise short display at Old Warden during the Shuttleworth Evening Drive-in Airshow – this booked to be a trio of flypasts, but clearly the team enjoyed the venue and the beautiful Bedfordshire skies that evening and gave a couple more passes for the crowds. Dominic Ward, Air Displays UK contributor and former media staff at Shuttleworth told us exclusively about how the Eagles came to appear at Old Warden:

“Once we had clocked the schedule (from the Black Eagles), and noticed a nice RIAT-shaped hole, it wasn’t hard to work out where they would be going – it was a fairly badly kept secret! We obviously didn’t know what they would have planned here though. Once we had realised the likely plans, I spoke to Bob Barton – the display organiser at Shuttleworth, we had a chat and a joke about how it would be nice to get them in; although a pipe dream at the time. From there we reached out to the RIAT organisers, and then the Eagles themselves.

We were aware that the July Evening show was the informal celebration of the 90th anniversary of Old Warden Aerodrome, and thus invited them to come along, from there we got a positive reply, and asked whether it could be worked into a further series of flypasts, including the memorial at Lichfield.

After that, it was the technical and logistical conversations between us, at Shuttleworth and the team at RIAT to get them away from Fairford after the Saturday show. Fortunately, us being the evening show, we could accommodate them quite easily. We were expecting three passes in a flypast slot, however we got six – something akin to a third of that which was performed at Southport and Farnborough. At the end I shook Bob’s hand and told him that all the arduous work paid off. It was really good fun to be involved with it all!”

A poignant moment of the visit came when the Korean team paid a visit to British War Veterans who fought in the Korean War, in a show of gratitude and Commemoration – something which meant a great deal to the team, allowing them to personally pay tribute to the Veterans, most of whom are in their nineties now. The Korean War was fought between 1950 and 1953, and saw 1,100 British servicemembers lose their lives, of the 60,000 estimated who fought in the conflict. The conflict was the first proxy war between the Soviet Union and the United States, with the latter backing South Korea, against the Soviet backed North – the British forces, along with fourteen other nations joined the conflict on the side of South Korea. South Korea lost an estimated 217,000 soldiers during the conflict, with a staggering 1,000,000 estimated civilian casualties during the conflict. The Black Eagles also took time to visit schools in the UK near Farnborough, sharing experiences and knowledge, and maybe inspiring budding pilots of the future.

“Having been lucky enough to see the Black Eagles when they last visited back in 2012, I was aware of what they were capable of. This made seeing their display at RIAT a must-see event. Once again they stole the show with their rapid formation changes, and their unique set pieces which set them apart from their European counterparts. My personal highlight was seeing the Korean Flag be drawn in the sky, as well as the typhoon break to land – there is always something happening.” – Chris Gurney, Air Displays UK.

The team tour will continue as they fly back to Korea. Making stops in the aforementioned Poland, before flying on to Egypt, and on through India and southeast Asia, and then up to The Philippines. The team are set to return to their homeland in Korea on August 19th. Unlike their trip to the UK, the pilots will fly their aircraft home, with the C-130s taking home the bulk of the equipment and personnel, arriving on the 21st, a few days prior to the pilot’s departure on the 25th of July.

Having the Black Eagles visit the UK this summer has been a treat for all involved, it has showcased the KAI T-50 as a very capable light fighter or training platform, as well as highlighting the skill and precision of the pilots within the Black Eagles display team. The buzz from their visit, as well as all of the displays and flypasts, with huge crowds turning out just to see them has shown how special the visit has been. Post pandemic, this has been the boost to the UK airshow and aviation community has needed. A big kudos must go to Peter Reoch and the whole Air Tattoo team who worked behind the scenes to make this happen. For me, the highlight was seeing the team pouring on the smoke as they gave Beachy Head a flyby, close to my hometown, and seeing photos from the team as they flew over in the skies above. Hopefully, with Poland ordering the aircraft, we may see a T-50 display in the UK again sooner rather than later, and maybe, down the line, we will welcome back the Republic of Korea Air Force, The Black Eagles, to the UK. Thank you for reading.

Words by Matt Silvaire

Photos courtesy of Synchro #5 Captain Jeong (On Board), Matt Silvaire (Farnborough and Beachy Head), Chris Gurney (RIAT), Harrison Whitman (Southport) and Dominic Ward (Shuttleworth)

Special Thanks to the ROKAF Black Eagles,Captain Jeong, and Major Ho-Seong, Chris Gurney and Dominic Ward

Additional Credits to the Ministry of Defence, Republic Of Korea Air Force, The Royal British Legion, Polish Ministry of Defence

Eagles Spread Their Wings!

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