National Day full-force air ladder rehearsed over Presidential Office

Taiwan's armed forces conducted a full-scale Double Ten National Day flyover rehearsal over Taipei on the morning of Oct. 2, drawing crowds along Ketagalan Boulevard as flag, rotor, slow and fast formations passed the Presidential Office Building ahead of the Oct. 10 ceremony, according to Central News Agency reporting mirrored in Taipei Times coverage.

The Ministry of National Defense began route surveys and related training on Sept. 23. After a first half-force rehearsal on Sept. 30, Friday's second full-force run is to be followed by a third full-force rehearsal on the morning of Oct. 5, CNA reported from the capital.

Around 6 a.m., an air force Mirage 2000 flew over the capital on a fixed-wing aerial observation task, followed by a UH-60M Black Hawk on a rotary-wing observation pass, giving early-rising residents the first cues that the National Day air sequence was underway.

At 7:05 a.m. an army CH-47SD Chinook carrying a giant national flag flew north to south over the Presidential Office plaza with two UH-60M Black Hawks. Spectators and waiting motorists recorded the pass as the flag formation marked the ceremonial opening of the flyover ladder.

A 12-helicopter rotor package followed at about 7:20 a.m., mixing three AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, three AH-1W Cobras, three S-70C anti-submarine helicopters and three UH-60M Black Hawks on the same north-to-south track over the Presidential Office frontage.

Minutes later the slow package from the air force Sixth Wing, one P-3C maritime patrol aircraft and two C-130H transports, crossed the same axis at about 7:22 a.m., bridging the rotor sequence and the fighter packages that followed.

Fast packages from the Second, Third and Fourth Wings then flew five-ship formations of Mirage 2000s, Indigenous Defense Fighters and Block 70-capable F-16 fighters in sequence from about 7:23 a.m., producing the loudest jet passes of the morning rehearsal over downtown Taipei.

At 7:40 a.m. the air force Thunder Tiger aerobatic team closed the full-force rehearsal with five Thunder Tiger advanced jet trainers flying west to east while trailing red, blue and white smoke over the Presidential Office, completing the National Day air ladder for the day.

Taipei Times, drawing on the same CNA facts, framed Friday's event as the full-scale Double Ten flyover rehearsal after Wednesday's half-scale run, with a further rehearsal still scheduled for Monday, aligning the English timeline with the Chinese-language primary report.

The sequence matters for readiness and public messaging: National Day air shows combine ceremonial display with rehearsed multi-type coordination across army and navy helicopters and air force trainers, transports, patrol aircraft and fighters operating on a tight downtown schedule.

For TaiwanDefence the Oct. 2 full-force rehearsal is a same-day air-force and joint-service indicator documenting the live formation ladder, smoke finale and remaining Oct. 5 rehearsal before the Oct. 10 National Day ceremony.

Readers should treat rehearsal reports as operational snapshots rather than announcements of new aircraft buys. The Friday flyover confirmed timing, formation composition and the Thunder Tiger smoke finale already scheduled within the National Day air training calendar.

This report was produced through TaiwanDefence’s automated publishing system and includes links to its supporting sources.