Taiwan's National Day air parade sends 15 fighters and 12 helicopters over the Presidential Office

Taiwan's armed forces flew 15 fighter jets, 12 helicopters and a formation of slower patrol and transport aircraft over the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on 10 October as part of the National Day celebration, the defence ministry's Military News Agency and EBC reported. The ministry supported the warm-up, the ceremony and the theme performances, which it said were meant to show the results of the military's training and its resolve to defend the country.

The fast-jet formation was the centrepiece of an air display that EBC said had been expanded this year. Five Mirage 2000 fighters crossed first in a wild-goose formation from north to south, followed by five Indigenous Defense Fighters and then five F-16Vs, the upgraded jets at the core of Taiwan's air-superiority force, according to the event's host as reported by the broadcaster.

Before the jets, a rotary-wing formation of AH-64E Apache and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, S-70C anti-submarine helicopters and UH-60M Black Hawks passed over the building, three of each type according to EBC. A mixed slow formation followed, led by a P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft with two C-130H transports behind it, which the ministry said showed the military's maritime patrol, airlift and support capabilities.

Earlier, during the ceremony itself, an army CH-47SD transport helicopter carried a giant national flag over the Presidential Office escorted by two UH-60M Black Hawks. The display closed with five AT-5 Brave Eagle advanced jet trainers of the air force's Thunder Tigers aerobatic team flying over the reviewing stand in formation and trailing blue, white and red smoke in the colours of the national flag.

Precise timing over the capital

Crews from the air force's 6th Wing, which supplied the P-3C and C-130H aircraft, told the Military News Agency that several aircraft types entered the target area at closely spaced times, so each formation was assigned a different altitude. A P-3C pilot, a captain identified only by the surname Lin, said timing was the main challenge: crews loaded each waypoint's coordinates and planned crossing time into the aircraft's systems and corrected course in flight by working out turn lead from actual airspeed.

A C-130H pilot, a major surnamed Li, said the biggest difference from routine missions was flying in formation with another aircraft type, which required joint planning of routes, airspeeds and relative positions with the P-3C crew. Over the city, crew members other than the aircraft commander watched for terrain, buildings, altitude and speed, he said.

Ground display and a map mix-up

On the ground, the Military Police Command's rapid reaction company rode 48 Indian Challenger heavy motorcycles behind a Mercedes-Benz lead car, forming heart and windmill shapes, EBC reported, while the tri-service honour guard performed drill with bayonet-fitted M1 rifles weighing 6 kilograms. The defence ministry's combined band and honour guard had also opened the warm-up programme, Central News Agency reported.

Separately, the Highway Bureau's southern maintenance office withdrew a traffic-control map for the National Day fireworks in Taitung after internet users noticed that the fighter icon marking the air force's Chih Hang Air Base had canards and looked like a Chinese J-10 rather than a Taiwanese jet, according to a Central News Agency report carried by TVBS. The office said it removed the graphic at about 11:18 a.m. local time, issued a corrected version about 20 minutes later and would take more care over image choices.