Pilots of RSAF aircraft in NDP aerial display say precision & trust are everything
When the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) takes to the skies this National Day, it will not just be for show.
To mark Singapore’s 60th birthday, 26 aircraft will perform in the aerial displays staged at the Padang, Marina Bay, and across the heartlands.
Image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO
But beyond the roar of the afterburners and the gentle unfurling of the State Flag are the men and women involved in executing the complex manoeuvres.
MS News speaks to the pilots involved in the upcoming National Day Parade (NDP).
An epic air show for NDP 2025
This year’s NDP aerial display is nothing short of epic — six F-15SG fighter jets will lead the aerial segment, joined by four F-16s, two C-130s, Apache and Chinook helicopters, and more.
They will perform manoeuvres such as the SG60 Tribute, Multi-Axis Flypast, and a synchronised formation with the Mobile Column on the ground.
Image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO
According to ME6 Patrick Wong, Flying Display Marshal, the profile was designed to be more immersive this NDP.
“We will fly through the show centre from different axes to allow the spectators at Padang or the show centre to have a better experience,” he said.
This reflects not just showmanship, but the meticulous planning behind each manoeuvre and the professionalism of the RSAF personnel.
“Trust is everything in the air,” says F-16 pilot
27-year-old Captain Rachel Wong, a pilot flying in her first NDP, is one such individual.
Captain Wong’s love for flying started young — her father flew in previous NDP flypasts, and her mother is a private pilot.
This coming NDP, it will be her turn to pilot the right wing of the diamond F-16 formation.
She shared that as a wingman in the diamond formation, her flight lead — the pilot at the apex of the diamond — is all she sees.
“When we are in a turn, I don’t see the ground, I see only the aeroplane, so trust is a big factor,” she said.
Image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO
“I trust that he not only keeps the spacing between the F-16s and the F-15s correct, but also ensures that we get over the show centre in the correct formation.”
Captain Wong shared that growing up, the flypast portion of the NDP was always her favourite.
“To now have the opportunity to fly in that formation is something that I treasure very much,” she said.
26 aircraft, zero room for error in NDP 2025
For LTC Muhammad Iskandar, who leads the F-15SG formation, the Multi Axis Flypast is his favourite manoeuvre to perform this year.
Video by MS News
“It is something new, and it has never been done before in the previous NDPs,” he said.
The manoeuvre consists of multiple F-15s coming in from different directions at high speed and low altitude, before they pull up into a climb.
And when they do?
“It won’t be a 90-degree nose up, but it’s quite steep. We are going about 60 degrees nose up, passing 5,000 feet with full afterburners,” added LTC Iskandar.
He said the challenge in this manoeuvre is that the aircraft will be flying head-on with vertical separation.
Yet, they will still need to meet on time, and on target, over the Padang.
“The flag weighs more than a car,” says Chinook pilot
While the jets take the limelight, the most iconic moment of every parade might still be the State Flag Flypast.
This year, it is led by LTC Tan Guan Yong, piloting the CH-47 Chinook.
He said that the entire assembly itself weighs close to 1,500kg, with the flag being about the size of about one and a half basketball courts.
“The pickup and the drop-off [of the State Flag] is a complex manoeuvre. Every single pickup, we are quite nervous,” shared LTC Tan.
Timing is everything, too, where every second counts.
“I have to show up, with the flag, in the Marina Bay area at a specific timing, accurate to the second,” he said.
Image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO
But LTC Tan is not alone in the air. He said: “There is a lot of coordination involved between me and my co-pilot… and the two Apache helicopters escorting behind me as well.”
C-130 planes finally take the spotlight for NDP 2025
Usually too high to be noticed, the public can finally see the C-130 Hercules in action this year.
LTC C Teeneshwaran, who leads the transport formation, is thrilled about the change.
“This year, in addition to the Red Lion segment, we are also flying the transport formation flypast at a lower height where people can actually see us,” he said.
Image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO
This is LTC C Teeneshwaran’s second time flying for NDP, with his first time being for SG50.
“Each opportunity to fly over the Padang is profoundly meaningful,” he said.
“The sense of pride you feel flying over the heart of the nation as Singaporeans look up in celebration is something that never diminishes.”
From dropping Red Lions at 10,000 feet to flying in tight formation with Fokker-50s, his team spent months rehearsing to make this look easy.
Safeguarding the skies behind the scenes of NDP aerial display
With all the excitement happening in the air, someone needs to make sure things do not go sideways.
Lieutenant Shermaine Tan, an Air Traffic Controller, is that someone.
“I manage and control the different assets across the air bases in Singapore,” she said. “My role is to ensure there is a safe separation between the aircraft.”
“The challenge this year will be the tight congestion airspace,” added Lieutenant Tan.
Meanwhile, 3rd Sergeant Nicholas James Rathband, 19, is a Tower Information Coordinator with the RSAF and one of the youngest personnel in his unit.
He told MS News: “It’s a great honour, I think, especially as an NSF. Not many people get to experience something like this.”
“There are definitely tense moments. I think one of the most intense is when the pilots get really close together, but we know that the pilots are very well trained.”
However, 3rd Sergeant Rathband — who is a fan of the Top Gun movie series — has a unique way of keeping things lighthearted.
“When the planes take off, music plays in my head. The Top Gun soundtrack,” he added.
Image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO
And if he could tell his younger self anything: “I never ever thought that I would come to a place like this and be an event so important. I think 10-year-old me would be immensely proud.”
More than a show, NDP aerial display is a salute
The RSAF flypast is more than just speed and spectacle. As ME6 Wong puts it:
This demonstrates the professionalism of RSAF personnel, which signifies an integrated SAF as well as a united Singapore.
For pilots like Captain Rachel Wong, it is also about looking forward.
“To me, this is an opportunity to pay it forward, having the chance to inspire the next generation and hopefully have the same experience as I did,” she said.
This year’s air displays feature intricate formations and pilot stories of precision and pride.
It takes trust and split-second timing to fly a perfect show, but also the heart and patriotism of the air force crew.
“This is very intense, and it unites all Singaporeans together,” said Lieutenant Shermaine Tan.
“The NDP showcases the safeguarding of our airspaces as well as the sovereignty of Singapore.”
Also read: ‘Now I can finally go!’: P5 students get hyped for NDP 2025 at NE Show
‘Now I can finally go!’: P5 students get hyped for NDP 2025 at NE Show
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Featured image adapted from photography by Prudence Lim for MS News and image courtesy of NDP 2025 EXCO.
