Black Eagle team
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[edit] History
The Republic of Korea Air force Black Eagle acrobatic team has operated in various occasions of national ceremonies and this has been fully encouraged and concerned by the nation. Black Eagle team started to work in October 01, 1953. operated the four F-51 Mustang. and once year until October 01, 1958. October 02, 1962 since than show flying team. Team name is Blue Sabre. and used four F-86 Sabre. 1967~1978 used seven Northrop F-5A. Black Eagle team of Refoundation is December 12,1994. Used eight cessna A-37B
[edit] Overview
The Black Eagle team is the Republic of Korea Air Force's aerial acrobatic team. The team's main aircraft was the A-37B Dragonfly, which they have performed with up until Seoul Air Show 2007.
The team is planned to be disbanded for a new acrobatic team by 2009. The A-37B used by the team will also be retired, and replaced with much modern T-50 Golden Eagle.
[edit] Aircraft
| Aircraft | Origin | In Service * | Service ** | reference column |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North American Aviation F-51 Mustang |  United States |
4 | 1953—1958 | once a year October 01 |
| North American Aviation F-86 Sabre | United States |
4 | 1962—1966 | once a year October 01 |
| Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter | United States |
7 | 1967—1978 | one aircraft is spare |
| Cessna A-37B | United States |
8 | 1994—2007 | Refoundation is December 12,1994 / two aircraft is spare |
| T-50 Golden Eagle | Template:Korean Aerospace Industries, Lockheed Martin | 6 ? | 2009-present | The A-37B used by the team will also be retired |
* Number of aircraft used by the Black Eagle acrobatic team.
** Aircraft service with the Black Eagle acrobatic team.
[edit] Accidents
On May 5th, 2006, in Suwon Air Base, the A-37B flown by Captain Kim Do-hyun, 33, crashed onto far edge of the runway during an air show that was intended to celebrate Children's Day. Cpt. Kim's A-37B, along with another A-37B from the team, just finished engaging the "Knife Edge" maneuver, but Cpt. Kim's plane failed to climb after the maneuver and ended up crashing the far southern side of the runway, 1.8 kilometers away from the crowds. Crowds ranging in thousands, including many children, witnessed the crash. Major Bae Duk-hwan later commented that "...the pilot could have escaped but held on to the flight controls until the end as he judged that the plane might crash into the stands. If the pilot had let go of the flight control stick, nobody would have known where the plane would crash." Cpt. Kim was buried with full military honours at the National Cemetery.
