When even the director of airshow flight operations says he's surprised the Eagle got the go-ahead to fly, you know you're witnessing something special.
Augustine Siew says show organisers had been lobbying the government for the last four years to allow UAVs to take part in the flying display. But progress was slow because civil aviation officials were not familiar with unmanned aircraft.
However, the recent addition of key staff with military backgrounds gave the organisers leverage in their negotiations.
Siew, a reservist lieutenant colonel in Singapore's air force who used to fly A-4S Super Skyhawks, says clearance came after approval by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, as well as the Defence Ministry.
It is the first time a UAV has flown at a major international airshow.
Safety was, understandably, a key consideration. But none of the parameters or limits for flying displays were changed for the Eagle UAV.
Siew says the Eagle will be flying at about 1,000ft (300m), well above the floor of 300ft for manned aircraft. Speed? An unthreatening 95kt (175km/h) for the single-engine push-prop. Distance from the crowd-line is the same as for manned aircraft - 750ft.
There was no need to curb manoeuvres, either. Siew says the Eagle UAV is mission-designed to fly in gradual, sweeping arcs for reconnaissance.
A major factor in the Singapore authorities' decision to let the Eagle fly is the fact that it is in service with the Isreali armed forces, which operate under extremely adverse conditions.
Israel, a pioneer and early adopter of UAV technology, is in the forefront of developing airworthiness certification standards and codes for UAVs. Singapore's armed forces, which operate drones, also had heavy input.
Oshri Bar-On, marketing manager, Asia for Israel Aircraft Industries' Malat division, which makes the Eagle, says the UAV has redundant flight control systems, GPS, twin generators and batteries.
Source: Flight Daily News
