The military has been preparing for the upcoming presidential inauguration, where Taiwan’s largest national flag will make a triumphant return.
Video script:
The largest ever Taiwan national flag will be making a comeback this year at President-elect Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) inauguration ceremony. In preparation for the presidential inauguration on May 20, an army Chinook helicopter practices flying with the flag, escorted in the rear by two Black Hawk helicopters.
The flag, crafted by the Armaments Bureau's 209th Factory using parachute fabric, measures an impressive 18 meters by 12 meters. The flag weighs a substantial 45 kilograms and is a symbol of national unity and pride.
During the rehearsal at Taoyuan base on Tuesday however, some were concerned that the flag wasn’t unfurling correctly as the helicopters ascended. Colonel Hsu Liang-chun (徐良君) says that the direction of the tailwind affects how the flag unfurls. To counter this he says they will use forward airspeed to facilitate the flag's deployment so that the flag can be displayed optimally.
Military personnel have been preparing for the inauguration ceremony since mid-April. A total of 12 helicopters will take part in the show, including a formation of one Chinook and two Black Hawk helicopters forming the flag squadron, as well as three Apache and Cobra attack helicopters. Three Navy S-70C anti-submarine helicopters will also make their debut.
In addition to the helicopter lineup, the Thunder Tigers Aerobatics Team will take to the skies once again, trailing red, white, and blue smoke, to bring the ceremony to a magnificent close.