A four-minute air show for the Double Ten National Day ceremony in Taipei yesterday marked the largest warplane fly-by ever staged in Taiwan.
The aerial show began with helicopters flying in formation, including three S-70C air force search-and-rescue helicopters, three S-70C navy marine-patrol helicopters, six OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, six UH-1H utility helicopters, six AH-1W attack helicopters and three CH-47SD medium transport helicopters.
Six low-velocity aircraft, comprising three BH-1900 and three C-130H transport planes, passed by the Presidential Office after the helicopters.
Photo: Lu Chun-wei, Taipei Times
Those were followed by two 15-strong formations of the nation’s most modern fighters — five F-16s, five Indigenous Defense Fighters and five Mirage 2000-5s.
The event ended with seven AT-3 jet trainers from the Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team flying in formation and emitting red, white and blue smoke trails.
A total of 71 aircraft were involved in the show.
Photo: CNA
The military aircraft entered Taipei airspace from the Tamsui River (淡水河) estuary and flew over Boai Special District (博愛特區), the country’s political nerve center.
A parachute-jumping display followed the fly-by.
Twelve members of the army’s Dragon Group jumped from a CH-47SD helicopter at an altitude of 1,524m northeast of the Presidential Office.
The crowd was enthralled as the paratroopers floated down from the sky and applause erupted when six of them landed on the Presidential Office plaza.
However, only five landed directly on target on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, while one member landed safely in a control area on Chongqing S Road. The remaining six landed in three separate parks near the Presidential Office.
Military spokesperson Colonel David Lo (羅紹和) said air turbulence had compromised a precision landing, adding that a parachutist had sustained a minor injury to a leg during landing.
This was the first time in years a skydiving show was held as part of the Double Ten National Day celebrations. In previous ceremonies, the event had been canceled because of poor weather.
A ground parade was also held, which involved PAC-3 missile batteries; Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile batteries; Tien Kung III air defense missile batteries; Ray Ting 2000 multiple-rocket launch systems; unmanned aerial vehicles; 11,356 liter water purifier vehicles; nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicles; decontamination vehicles associated with chemical weapons activity; and various multifunction squad cars.
A total of 168 vehicles took part in the parade.
Additional reporting by CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS