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Air Force plans fly-by in Taipei to celebrate `814'

The Air Force is organizing a fly-by over Taipei for Aug. 11 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Air Force Day on Aug. 14.

"We will get all our fighter aircraft in the air, including Mirage 2000-5s, F-16D Falcons, IDFs [Indigenous Defense Fighters] as well as the well-known Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team (雷虎小組)," said Lieutenant General Jason Liu (劉介岑), spokesman for the Air Force Command Headquarters.

"It has been 16 years since the last time we had a fly-by over Taipei. It is time for us to do so again because it is the 70th anniversary of 814 Air Force Day."

Liu made his remarks during a press conference at the Ministry of National Defense yesterday morning. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Air Force Day, Liu said five concerts will be held in Taipei, Hualien, Hsinchu, Tainan and Penghu, a photo exhibition at the Sun Yat-sen (孫中山) Memorial Hall on Aug. 13 and a group wedding for Air Force officers in Hsinchu on Aug. 10.

The fly-by will be at Taipei's Sungshan Command Headquarters on Aug. 11 and there will also be an open house at the base. The concerts will be held at Tainan Culture Center on July 24, Penghu Culture Center on July 25, Hualien Culture Center on July 31, Hsinchu Culture Center on Aug. 1 and Taipei's National Concert Hall on Aug. 9.

In addition to local media, many foreign correspondents, including Japanese journalists, were present at yesterday's press conference.

The atmosphere was a little awkward when Ministry spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) explained that the 814 Air Force Day was in memory of a major victory over the Japanese during air combat in Hangzhou on Aug. 14, 1937.

During World War II, the Chinese Air Force had approximately 300 aircraft while the Japanese had around 2,000.

The Chinese Air Force began to bomb Japanese battleships and marines' command headquarters in the Shanghai area On Aug. 13, 1937.

The Japanese decided to retaliate on Aug. 14 and assigned 18 bombers from Taipei to attack the Chinese Air Force's Chienchiao base in Hangzhou. However, three of the Japanese bombers were shot down by the Chinese Air Force, which suffered no casualties.

The victory encouraged Chinese pilots while destroying the myth that Japanese pilots were invincible. The Air Force decided to make Aug. 14 "Air Force Day."
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