The F-15SG passes the Apache in the opening Sling Shot maneuver.
SINGAPORE—The cockpit of a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow is filled with chatter as the two pilots remain in constant communication to choreograph airborne ballet with an F-15SG fighter.
The Apache and F-15SG are headlining the aerial display segment at Singapore Airshow 2024 with 12 moves, four of which are integrated. Preparations began last September and have included simulator and flight training.
Maj. Ingkiriwang Reeve, AH-64D aerial display team lead, explains that since the Apache is the slower and less maneuverable aircraft, it is responsible for calling out the time on target (TOT); the F-15SG can accelerate or decelerate more quickly, with more “margin of play.”
“So that's the contract between us—we fly constant speed to achieve TOT, and the F-15SG will adjust their speeds to meet us at a photo moment,” Reeve tells Aviation Week.
While his role is to fly and keep “heads up” to look out for the F-15SG, Reeve relies closely on the front seat co-pilot Maj. Eugene Chua, who can also assist in the TOT calls and closely monitors the instruments.
The four pilots involved in the display, two in the Apache and two in the F-15SG, have combined 6,000 hr. of flying, averaging 1,500 hr. each.
Also flying in the aerial display are four international display teams—Australia’s Roulettes, India's Sarang, Indonesia’s Jupiter and South Korea’s Black Eagles—as well as the Airbus A350-1000 and Comac's ARJ21 and C919. There will also be a flypast from a U.S. Air Force B-52.
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