Declassified is BK's deep-diving series, which explores the hidden and quiet history of the development of the Sabmadi Republic
Two of the Firebrands display their flashy new design before an airshow, credit: Azbel / drone 100000.
The Sabmadi Air Force’s Air Demonstration Squadron, formed officially under the direction of Superintendent Yorath in 302 AL, is the newest incarnation in a long tradition of unofficial and official flight demonstration throughout the Sabmadi Defence Forces. The legacy of over two hundred and fifty years of flight demonstration is not lost on these pilots; indeed, many of them have come from a family of pilots disciplined for just one too many barrel rolls while flying a flag or general officer to their new post.
Recently nicknamed the “Firebrands” after the famed orator and Senator, Victor Santiago, the A Flight of the Air Demonstration Squadron has specialised in fixed-wing flight since its inception, drawing gifted pilots from all branches of service. Multiculturalism and meritocratic processes had defined the Republic throughout the years, and the squadron is no exception. Their initial flights were a roaring success, being met with critical acclaim across the Republic and indeed within the military itself.
History
The history of flight demonstration in Sabmadi had a rocky start; although later highly praised, the first verifiable incident was within the newly-formed Sabmadi Military’s Air and Long-Range Drone Corps. A decorated pilot and drone operator, Captain Marivic Galang flew acrobatic stunts with improvised coloured trails over Tonderay Bay on a transfer flight carrying General Aldershot on a return to the capital.
Although the General was impressed, flight control operators and politicians were less so. Despite the objections of the General and several high-ranking Air Corps officers, Captain Galang was court-martialed and grounded for two years, reduced in rank to Lieutenant, and severely reprimanded. Under this harsh interpretation of the “dangerous flying” clause of the Armed Forces Act, the emerging culture of aerobatics in the Sabmadi military was stamped out before it had even begun.
It was ironically under the increasingly controlling Union State that flight demonstration and aerobatics took off. In 74 AL, the pilots of No. 0 Executive Protection Squadron undertook an unauthorised flight that had been months in the works. Over the continued protests and warnings of the controllers of Qaleat Alnasar Air Base, Captain Yawen led her flight in a daring set of manoeuvres across the skies of the city, to the delight of local residents. Their publicity and fame grew to the point that protests immediately erupted upon hearing of their court-martial, and their sentences were reduced to a mere reprimand instead of the reduction in rank and grounding they would have otherwise received.
However, the Sabmadi Union State could not afford such free-spirited individuals in its elite protective squadron, and the whole unit was redesignated as No. 0 Air Demonstration Squadron, taking on the duties of flight demonstration throughout the nation as well as training new pilots in the finer arts of flight demonstration. Some speculate that the morale boost from the squadron’s flying tours may actually have helped the Union State remain in power for a few years longer than they would have under other circumstances.
It is a dark stain on Sabmadi’s past that the veteran pilots of the squadron were, in 130 AL, ordered into combat in new fighters against the forces of the Free Zivan Republic as No. 12 (Aerobatics) Fighter Squadron, resulting in the deaths of every single pilot in the squadron save a young Lieutenant Félicie, who would go on to lead a reformed No. 0 Air Demonstration Squadron under the Sabmadi Republic.
The captain leading the squadron is, in accordance with historical precedent, responsible for the squadron’s organisation, logistics, and scheduling. Their current leader is Captain Evelin Anjali, a veteran of the Battle for Torix. Although some initially questioned the selection of a Torix War veteran to lead the squadron, the first tour she led put paid to any doubts about her abilities or performance.
The tours of the Firebrands have always been met with acclaim, each tour building upon the previous to reach ever-greater feats and aerobatic displays. Their previous winter tour prompted an offer from the Sabmadi Aerospace Corporation (SASC) to participate in a SASC-organised Aerospace Grand Prix, an offer the team accepted and is now in the process of training for.
Their next touring season promises to be the most spectacular yet, a claim made every year and yet one never proven false. Under Captain Anjali’s leadership, the squadron has gone from strength to strength, incorporating more techniques and manoeuvres every time they perform, and, as she says herself, “One can never finish striving for the sublime.”
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