The “Eagle” has landed – with destroyed engine.
With one of the two South Korean-made FA50 “Golden Eagle” of the Philippine Air Force non-operational – the country only has one fighter aircraft to defend the Philippine territorial sky.
The engine of one FA50 “Golden Eagle” procured by the Aquino administration was destroyed by a ‘birdstrike’ in March in the Clark Civil Aviation Complex.
The first batch of two FA50s arrived in November 2015. The Aquino administration has ordered 12 units of FA50s from the Korean Aerospace Inc. (KAI). Two more FA50s are set to arrive this year while the remaining eight FA50s will be delivered in 2017.
The government reportedly spent a total of P18.9 billion for the acquisition of the 12 FA50s from South Korea.
Various species of migratory birds coming from China are a frequent sight at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex. Most of these birds will proceed to the Candaba Swamp and will go back to China after a few months.
Birdstrikes had been a regular occurrence at the Clark aerodrome where commercial passenger airlines are now plying the route to local and international destinations.
The 32,000-hectare wetlands of Candaba is a haven for migratory birds. Bird watchers are still visiting Candaba town from the months of October to April to view various bird species such as the seven purple swamphen or the Chinese pond heron, wild duck and many more.