Korea's Air Force Black Eagles wins top prize at RIAT airshow

Korea's aerobatic team Black Eagles won two top prizes at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) airshow, one of the world's largest military airshows held in the United Kingdom.

According to the Korean Air Force on Monday, the Black Eagles was awarded with the ‘As The Crow Flies’ trophy for the best overall flying demonstration at the RIAT held in Fairford, Gloucestershire, the U.K. from Friday to Sunday. The airshow this year was joined by 38 teams from 34 different countries, drawing over 170,000 spectators. The Korean Air Force team participated in the show for the second time since 2012, clinching the two top awards at both times. The Black Eagles reportedly staged a 25-minute performance daily for three consecutive days starting from Friday.

On Friday, the first day of the show, the Black Eagles pulled off some complex air maneuvers called the Taeguk sequence in which their jets draw the shape of the Korean national flag and the "wedge roll" in which eight fighter jets align themselves in one. On Saturday, the team conducted a tribute performance in skies above the Korean War memorial in Burton upon Trent, honoring the sacrifices and dedication of the war veterans who fought to uphold Korea's freedom. The Korean Air Force said the team also took part in a joint flight with the British Red Arrows on Sunday in a show of friendship between the two countries.

"No words could fully describe how proud I am of you today," Air Force Chief of Staff Jung Sang-hwa told the team at the show.


Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com