Polish Air Force Commander: "T-50, an Aircraft I Would Recommend to Junior Pilots"

On the morning of the 28th (local time) at the D?blin Air Force Base in Poland, during the friendship flight between the Black Eagles and the Polish Air Force, Colonel Krzysztof Stobierski, commander of the 23rd Air Force Base, and Major Noh Gang-min, who were on the No. 7 aircraft together, are taking a commemorative photo after completing the flight. (Photo by Ministry of National Defense Joint Press Corps)

[D?blin (Poland) = Ministry of National Defense Joint Press Corps, Asia Economy Military Specialist Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The Polish Air Force, which is introducing the domestically produced light fighter FA-50, directly boarded the T-50B of the Republic of Korea Air Force's special flight team Black Eagles, which is of the same series, and gave a thumbs up.

On the morning of the 28th (local time), the Black Eagles conducted a friendship flight with the Polish Air Force at the D?blin Air Force Base following the airshow the previous day. Supporting the export marketing of domestic aircraft to Europe, the Black Eagles flew with four senior Polish Air Force commanders in the rear seats.

During the flight, Polish Air Force 1st Wing Commander Brigadier General Maciej Trełka boarded the Black Eagles' No. 3 aircraft, 4th Wing Commander Brigadier General Grzegorz Silusarz boarded No. 4, 23rd Air Base Commander Colonel Krzysztof Stobierski boarded No. 7, and 1st Wing Deputy Commander Colonel Piotr Iwasko boarded No. 6 for flight experience. Colonel Iwasko told reporters just before takeoff, "I am very much looking forward to the flight."

Flying alongside the Polish Air Force special flight team Orlik's PZL-130 (KT-1 class) aircraft, the Black Eagles emitted red and white smoke over D?blin base, drawing the Polish flag in the sky.

Later, in a separate mission airspace, the Black Eagles aircraft showcased the performance of the domestically produced aircraft to the Polish Air Force pilots seated in the rear. After about 50 minutes of flight, Colonel Stobierski, when asked about his impressions, replied, "It was brilliant."

He said, "I carefully observed what kind of feeling I would get while flying, and this aircraft was completely different from the MiG-29 I fly," adding, "The interface between the aircraft and the pilot was entirely different from the MiG-29." He also said, "It was very easy to fly" and "It was a very good experience."

Colonel Stobierski's main aircraft, the MiG-29, is a Russian 4th generation fighter operated by about 30 countries, including Russia, former Soviet bloc countries during the Cold War, and pro-Soviet and pro-Russian states. North Korea's main fighter is also the MiG-29. Since the T-50 is a relatively newer aircraft, there are differences in flight convenience, instrument panels, and control sticks, according to him.

Following that, Brigadier General Trełka, who disembarked from the aircraft, also described the flight as "fantastic." The 1st Wing commanded by Brigadier General Trełka is the unit scheduled to operate the domestically produced FA-50 aircraft. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to deliver 12 of the total 48 contracted units to Poland starting in the second half of next year.

Brigadier General Trełka has experience flying not only the MiG-29 fighter but also the Suhoi (Su)-22, which performed strike missions during the Cold War. He said, "The T-50 was completely different from the aircraft I have flown," and added, "The computer-based system and fly-by-wire were impressive."

Fly-by-wire (FBW) refers to control by electrical signals rather than mechanical control. Older aircraft relied on mechanical structures and hydraulics, but modern aircraft are developed so that the computer interprets control signals and provides electrical signals to the hydraulic system. Fly-by-wire ensures flight accuracy by having the computer calculate before the pilot's judgment, thereby reducing the pilot's workload.

Brigadier General Trełka said, "Computers enable pilots to do a lot," and "The latest equipment on the T-50 was impressive and seemed similar to the F-16." The T-50 is an aircraft jointly designed by KAI and the U.S. Lockheed Martin based on the F-16. In June, KAI signed a teaming agreement with Lockheed Martin to conduct joint global marketing.