SEOUL, May 17 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team left the country Wednesday to join a biennial air show in Malaysia slated to kick off next week, the armed service said.
The Air Force has mobilized nine T-50B jets and three C-130 transport planes, as well as 110 personnel, to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) set to take place at the Langkawi International Airport from Tuesday through Saturday.
The team departed from an air base in Wonju, 87 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier in the day and is scheduled to arrive at the Malaysian airport Thursday via South Korea’s southern island of Jeju and the Philippines.
The team plans to stage a 30-minute performance, including 24 high-level aerial maneuvers, including drawing the “taegeuk” pattern, the signature symbol of the South Korean national flag, with smoke trails.
“(The participation) will serve as an opportunity for us to showcase South Korea’s air power and the excellence of the domestically produced aircraft,” an Air Force official was quoted as saying in a press release.
(Yonhap)