NDP 2026: Precision key for state flag’s first Kallang Basin flight

SINGAPORE – With just a portion of the National Stadium open to the sky, spectators will have a shorter time to catch the giant state flag as it flies past at the 2026 National Day Parade (NDP).

This means the CH-47 Chinook helicopter – which carries the flag – and the two escorting AH-64D Apache attack helicopters have almost no room for error as the aircraft fly 290m above ground, maintaining a tight formation despite having to make more turns.

The flypast will be conducted at a higher altitude than in previous years so that the flag will be visible to most spectators. At NDP 2025, the helicopters flew 243m above ground as they zipped across the Padang.

“Because of the small window of the National Stadium with the roofing closed, we need to be very precise to make sure that the flag appears at the right aspect, particularly from the president’s seat,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Cai Weijun, the flypast’s lead pilot, who will fly the CH-47 Chinook.

“If we fly too low, the bulk of the spectators in the stadium will not be able to see us,” added the commanding officer of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s 127 Squadron. This is because the western opening of the stadium is exposed only from the top rows of seats.

“We will do our best to present the flag for the longest possible (duration) across the window. If the flag appears smaller to some people, they can see it on the big screen,” said Cai.

However, the flypast will be a treat for Kallang residents as this is the first time the helicopters will fly over the Kallang Basin after taking off from Pulau Sudong in the south.

After entering the precinct via Marina East, the helicopters will make a left turn over the Kallang Basin and then take another prolonged left turn towards the Benjamin Sheares Bridge – all while maintaining a tight V-shaped formation.

“This requires more deliberate planning and rehearsals to make sure that we are able to manage the formation well, manage the winds, as well as timekeeping,” said Cai, 38.

The National Stadium last hosted an NDP in 2016, when the flypast was staged along East Coast Park to Marina Barrage.

Two additional Chinook helicopters carrying back-up flags and one Apache will complete the fleet.

Behind the six helicopters is a 90-strong ground team across Pulau Sudong, Paya Lebar Air Base and Sembawang Air Base who will ensure that each of the more than 300kg flags is in good condition before being rigged onto the Chinook helicopters.

Each flag measures 30m by 20m and needs shackles and three ballasts – each weighing over 200kg – to ensure the flag unfurls properly once lifted by the helicopter and stays in shape while airborne. Altogether, the helicopter bears around 1,360kg of the flag load.

During rehearsals and on show day, five rolled-up flags will be laid out at each of the three locations. While the three flags are usually collected from Sudong, the Paya Lebar and Sembawang airbases serve as back-ups in case of poor weather on the southern island.

Once the flags are dropped off at Sudong at the end of the flypast, the sun will have set. The ground crew – or flag party – will take around 1½ hours to de-rig the flags, take them back to the airfield, fold them up and gather the rest of the equipment.

While the pilots are unable to see the flag below the helicopter, aircrew specialists like Third Warrant Officer Kenny Ng, 30, will keep an eye on how the flag behaves.

Staring down the helicopter’s hatch, he will monitor the flag and alert the pilots if they need to change speed or make other adjustments to ensure that the flag is displayed perfectly.

As his son turns two in 2026, Ng looks forward to the toddler watching the flypast as the he gets excited whenever he sees an aircraft overhead.

“When the helicopter flies past, my wife can tell him, ‘Hey, daddy is flying over.’ So this feels really special to me,” said Ng.