SINGAPORE, Aug 3 — Although Singaporeans will not be able to enjoy the National Day Parade (NDP) in person at the Padang this year, they will be able to catch glimpses of the fighter aircraft flypast from the comfort of their homes.
For the first time in NDP history, the flypast, consisting of six Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F15SG fighter aircraft, will take place over the heartlands, while maintaining a delta or “V” formation, in celebration of Singapore's 55th birthday on August 9.
This year's flypast, dubbed the “roar of unity,” will also be the longest one to date — it will cover 314km, compared with past years' routes which typically cover around 11km.
The event is planned to last from 10.45am to 11.15am on National Day, starting at the Padang and ending at Paya Lebar Air Base. Its scheduled route consists of four passes which loop around the island.
Besides bringing the show closer to Singaporeans, the roar of unity was also conceived as a way to pay tribute to the country's essential workers during the pandemic.
Healthcare workers will therefore be the first ones to see this aerial display, where a total of eight hospitals will be covered in the first pass after the aircraft formation leaves the Padang.
For one of the pilots, Lieutenant Shidan Swah Yepeng, this first pass holds a special place in his heart.
The 26-year-old, who will be participating in his first NDP, shared in a media briefing on July 23 that the route is especially meaningful to him since both his parents work in the healthcare industry.
“It is my personal salute to them and to everyone in the healthcare industry during this trying time,” Lieutenant Shidan said.
“My favourite part will definitely be flying past Tan Tock Seng Hospital, because my mum spent most of her career there, and I spent a significant part of my childhood there.”
Following this tribute pass, the fleet of planes will complete the remaining three passes that circle around Singapore.
Safety measures
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Tan Boon Hong, 46, the flying display marshall for this year's parade, said that having aircraft of any formation fly over the heartlands is “not common,” adding that ensuring the safety of the public and the air crew took precedence during planning.
“We first carved out the airspace to make sure that no one else besides the pilots and the aircraft are in the air,” LTC Tan explained.
He said that there is also a contingency plan in place should the aircrafts experience any “hiccoughs” along the way.
Singapore's unpredictable weather is another challenge that the pilots will face, given the lengthy duration of the flypast.
“Pilots should not fly into thunderstorms, it is quite dangerous,” said LTC Tan. He said that parts of the route would be “truncated” if pilots encountered inclement weather along the way.
“That is why we have this route, so that regardless of the weather, we will be able to cover as much of Singapore as possible,” he said.
Training and planning for the flypast
Training for the pilots involved in the flypast began at the end of April over the South China Sea. Rehearsals were moved to Singapore after about two months.
LTC Tan described the aerial rehearsals in Singapore as “piecemeal,” adding that the pilots started off flying at the Padang before moving into the heartlands in subsequent rehearsal sessions.
Planning for the event has been in the works since NDP 2019 ended, but the decision to have the flypast route cover the hospitals and heartlands was only made when the Covid-19 pandemic began to take effect.
LTC Tan, who also worked with this year's NDP executive committee to plan the parade, said: “We started to think and plan the various options available to us. The executive committee decided that this modality would work and that we would be able to bring it safely to Singaporeans regardless (of whether) we get out of circuit breaker measures.” — TODAY
