NDP '08 NE Show 1



So last Saturday, i managed to catch the NDP parade, though not the actual one, live for the first time in my past 23 years.

2 things about the parade brought me a trip back to the memory lane: the formal guard of honour parade, and the black knights performance.

Needless to say, the parade reminds me about my commissioning parade back in Dec 2006. Recalling how excited we were on the parade day itself, how we finally gonna put on our infamous "one chocolate bar". So i was telling my gal, at least for my commissioning parade, the rehearsals and long period of standing was worth it, as compared to those in the marching contingents for NDP. For they are just serving NS and probably just a little of pride to have been in part of the NDP show.

Come to think about it, i'm fortunate and glad to be selected to undergo OCS, of course minus the fact that i have extra few more years of reservist to do as an officer?

The second thing was the spectacular performance by the Black Knights; the only aerobatics flying team in Singapore. As i'm explaining to my gal about how it seems so fun watching them doing all the dangerous stunts and maneuvers, the pilot in the cockpit has to fight G-force and keep a cool head. Of course, i'm just speaking as an amateur used-to-be pilot trainee with 10 flying hours.

Looking at how they display their skills in the few stunts, i can't help think what would it be if i have passed my airgrading back in my airforce days. So i guess the best thing for me now, is to just share some of the things i do know about being a fighter pilot.

Back in the days when i was at AirForce school waiting for my trip to Australia for Airgrading, we had lessons and sharing by seniors. One of the seniors actually got back from his advance flying course as a fighter plane trainee. He blacked out during one of his solo sortie (a training flight in flying terms), and almost crashed head on.

He managed to recover about seconds from crashing and pulled some 3-4G, and safety pulled the aircraft back up. I can't recall why he suffered blackout, probably due to skipping his breakfast just before that day's sortie or badly countering the G-Force, but just hearing how he relate his personal experience was freaky enough. Not just that, i think he was removed from fighter course and put into rotatory course; helicopter pilot, after that mistake he committed.

So a blackout can happen to a pilot when he's flying upwards or making a sharp turns, and what he experience is G-force, 1G is 1 times your body weight. So when your blood from your head gets push down, you blackout and lose consciousness. What the pilot has to do is to perform counter G-force maneuvers, some kind actions whereby you flex the body muscles, especially in the abdominal muscles, to prevent the blood from all rushing to the lower half of the body.

Another kind is Redout, usually when you nose dive at a high speed. Then in this case you will suffer red vision as all the blood is rush up to your head. Similarly it will cause you to lose consciousness, and probably causing damage to your brain.

Also the term spatial disorientation, whereby a pilot loses his orientation usually during night sortie when vision is low. I have heard stories about pilot thinking that his plane is on the right side up, and pull his plane up, only to find himself crashing into the land, for that he's actually inverted, facing the land.

And also, if you guys have watched Tom Cruise's Top Gun, a scene whereby he "busted" the airport tower by flying low and near it, and powering his afterburner, causing a cool thundering sound and some shakes, some pilots in Singapore actually do dangerous low flying of the aircraft too. Especially near Sentosa and those nearby small islands. Well, no prizes for being caught, as a matter of fact, AirForce pilots in Singapore can get de-winged for bad conduct and doing stupid things.

So much about my walk back to the memory lane, i think this year's NDP wasn't that bad. Probably the Black Knights performance interest me alot. Of course the accompany makes alot of difference too.

Alright, that's all i have to share. All personal, so if anything i mentioned is inaccurate or unjustified, please do not hestitate to close this window. Lastly, big thank you. for those who are still viewing my blog. Guess my blog has to live over his 5th year. Stay tune for more updates.

Till then.