SYFC Aug 2011 Newsletter - Singapore Youth Flying Club

RSAF
OPEN
HOUSE
2011
SYFC PPL Wings
and Aviation
Awards Ceremony
F-16 Familiarisation Flight
04 06 07
Singapore National
Aeromodelling
Championship 2011
10
Young Artists
Contest
11
Visiting RSAF Flying
Training School
National Day 2011
Celebrations
12
August 2011 Issue
MICA(P) 027/09/2011
Since 1971

Th e re’ s a n ex c it i n g w ay t o s o a r h ig h
A N D I T B E G I N S W I T H A D R E A M
w w w . c a r e e r s . r s a f . g o v. s g H o t l i n e : 1 8 0 0 2 7 0 1 0 1 0

Foreword
The Singapore Youth Flying
Club (SYFC) is very pleased
to participate actively in the
RSAF Open House (ROH) 2011
held from 26 to 29 May 11 at
Paya Lebar Air Base. It is the
first time that the Club had the
opportunity to showcase our new generation
trainer Diamond DA 40 aircraft to the general
public with a flypast in Diamond Formation
in the aerial display, and to offer many joyride
flights to parents and youths to experience the
thrill and excitement of flying. Our participation
in the ROH has enabled the Club to reach out
to many more youths in our community on the
flight training programmes offered by SYFC, and
to interest them in taking up flying as a career.
Students participating in our Private Pilot Licence
(PPL) programme not only get to experience the
thrill of flying the DA 40s equipped with modern
avionics, they can also look forward to getting fun
rides on RSAF’s aircraft such as the F-16s, PC-21s,
Chinook helicopters, C-130s and F-50s. The parttime
flying programme conducted by SYFC will
enable young Singaporeans to experience the
excitement of flying an aircraft on his own and to
obtain the PPL before the completion of his/her
studies in the Junior Colleges or Polytechnics.
SYFC aims to provide a strong foundation to
youths who are keen on pursuing a career
in flying. The Club will not only impart flying
skills and knowledge to the students, but also
develop their leadership and communication
skills. We hope to see more youths participate
in our flying programme and benefit from the
experiences in SYFC.
COL (VOL) Andy Tan
General Manager
Singapore Youth Flying Club
August 2011
Contents
AviAtor
02 RSAF Open House 2011
04 SYFC PPL Wings and Aviation Awards Ceremony
06 • F16- Familiarisation Flight
• RAF Veterans visit SYFC
07 Visiting RSAF Flying Training School
08 Welcome New Pilot Trainees
• 183BFC
• 184BFC
• 185BFC
09 My First Solo Flight
AeromodelliNG
10 • Singapore National Aeromodelling
Championship 2011
• Community Service
11 • SYFC Aviators’ Programmes
• Young Artists Contest
12 • National Day 2011 Celebrations
• Explore the Frontier of Aviation
Elective Programme
RecRuitment • publicity • otheRs
13 • Breitling - A new High For Jetman
• Spot the Planes Contest
Editorial Committee
Advisor : COL (VOL) Andy Tan, General Manager
Editors : Ms Lucy Chua, Administrative Manager
Mr Jason Ong, Assistant Editor
Members : Mr S Beber, CCA Manager
Ms Cherie Ng, President SYFC PPL Alumni Committee
Mr Preetwant Singh, Ground School Instructor
Take Off is the official newsletter of the Singapore Youth Flying Club. While every effort is
made to ensure accuracy, the Editor, the Club and its Committee cannot accept liability
for any damage, personal or material, arising whether directly or indirectly from any
matter published in this newsletter. Views or opinions expressed here are entirely the
contributors’ and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Club or members of the
Editorial Committee.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the Singapore Youth
Flying Club. Copyright 2001 by Singapore Youth Flying Club. All rights reserved.
Singapore Youth Flying Club 515 West Camp Road, Singapore 797695.
Tel: 6483 5621 Website: www.syfc.sg Email: info@syfc.sg
Designed by Equity Communications Pte Ltd. Printed by Hock Cheong Printing Pte Ltd.

02 AVIATOR / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AUGUST 11
RSAF OPEN
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence at the
opening of “RSAF Open House 2011”
Crowd in the exhibition hall
Shiny enough for the show
Young enthusiasts
Another one for the
family album
Diamond formation flight
Having a break between flights Our helpful volunteers
Visitors going for the Chinook joyride
RADM Ng Chee Peng, Chief of Navy
with GM SYFC
Ensuring a safe joyride
Staff answering enquiries

AUGUST 11 / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AVIATOR
HOUSE 2011
Hmmm, this is comfortable
Ops relocated to PLAB Full concentration on
his simulation game
Former SYFC students visiting
the show
SYFC’s student pilots posing with F15s aircrew
Another one for the family album
F15s & F16s in formation COL (VOL) Andy Tan with
his son John-David
Diamond formation flight This small aircraft is excellent Engrossed in simulation flying
03

04 AVIATOR / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AUGUST 11
“I am very pleased to be here today to celebrate the achievements
of the 23 students who have attained the Private Pilot License (PPL).
The PPL course is an exciting journey that many students have attempted,
but only a handful succeed. Let me commend each one of you for your
hard work, perseverance and commitment in fulfilling the demands of
the PPL programme. The attainment of the PPL is a strong testimony of
your flying ability, possibly heralding the beginning of an exciting and
fulfilling flying career for the graduand.”
Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee, Minister of State for Defence
7 May 2011

SYFC Best in Flying
Lee Xi Ping, CJC
SYFC Best in Ground School
Wang Andai, HCI
AUGUST 11 / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AVIATOR
list oF ppl Recipients
Tan Ming Wei Jeremy ACS(I) ACS(I)
Lee Tong Sheng CJC Chua Chu Kang Sec
Kwan Hong Min CJC Mayflower Sec
Lee Xi Ping CJC Whitley Sec
Wang Andai HCI Hwa Chong Institution
Zhang Yuwei Rayson NJC Commonwealth Sec
Ng Si Ying NJC Nan Hua High
Chan Wei Jie Colin NP Serangoon Sec
Mohamad Faisal
Bin Mohamad Aziz NP Hillgrove Sec
Lim Jia Sheng Joshua NP St Andrew's Sec
Tan Tian Hao Terance NP Xinmin Sec
Koh You Jia NP Woodlands Ring Sec
Tan Jun Guan NP Bt Panjang Govt High
Koh Wei Liang Janzen PJC Dulwich College
Pan Shang Hua RI Raffles Institution
Lee Wei Benjamin RI Raffles Institution
Dinesh Christopher
Rajendram RJC ACS(I)
Wong Jun Long Glenn RJC Raffles Institution
Low Jian Xiong Leonard RJC St Joseph's Institution
Wong Wen Yu Nigel SAJC St Andrew's Sec
Phan Jun Wen Hector SP Catholic High
Soh Wei Tong Daniel SRJC Serangoon Sec
Yeo Yuan Bo Alvin TP Dunman Sec
Wang Weiheng TP Maris Stella High
Koh Jia Ming Benjamin TP St Hilda's Sec
Pung Junxiang Daryl TP St Andrew's Sec
Hou Boyi Eugene TPJC Zhonghua Sec
Foo Ren Yu Graci VJC Anglican High
Low Wei Yang Julian VJC Anglican High
leow Ewing Keith YJC ACS(Barker)
Lee Xi Ping CJC Whitley Sec
Wang Andai HCI Hwa Chong Institution
Official Opening of the SYFC’s
Youth Aviation Gallery “Skylark 71”
by Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee, Minister of State for Defence
05

06 AVIATOR / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AUGUST 11
F-16
Jun Hao
We are indeed very fortunate to have the
opportunity to go on a familiarisation flight on the
F-16 with courtesy of 143 Squadron. The experience
was exhilarating, enriching and inspiring. When we
took off with afterburners, we were pushed right
into the seat. At that point, we knew this was not
Leon Lee
The mere thought of sitting in an airborne F-16 stirs
up a lot of vivacity but it had always seemed a distant
dream until 21 Jun 2011. It was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience as the afterburners came on. From then
on adrenaline was pumping through various air
RAF
Veterans
visit SYFC
SYFC played host to 70 British
veterans who visited us on
24 Mar 2011. This was a biannual
affair where British
soldiers who once worked at
Seletar Air Base came back to
walk down memory lane.
Familiarisation Flight
going to be any ordinary flight – we were on the
F16s! The air exercise was an eye-opener for us as
we had the chance to experience dogfights, lowlevel
flying, and, of course, 6.5Gs! It was like no other
feeling we felt before. We even had the chance to go
supersonic! It was absolutely fulfilling.
exercises - dog fights, low-level high-speed flight and
aerobatics, we were literally blown away. It could not
have gotten better when we hit supersonic and we
did 6.5g turns! Thank you, 143 SQN, for giving us the
wonderful opportunity.

AUGUST 11 / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AVIATOR
Visiting RSAF Flying
Training School
The nine of us looked forward very much to
13 Jul 2011. On that day, we set off for the RSAF
Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce, Western
Australia. This one-week visit hosted by the RSAF was
beneficial and memorable for us.
We saw for ourselves the daily activities the cadets go
through. Besides flying, they have to plan their own
flying programmes and conduct operations brief for
the whole squadron every morning. It takes a lot to
prepare and to present the brief confidently before
the students and instructors. All of us managed to
get a joyride on the PC-21. It was definitely a thrill to
fly in it. During the sortie, we went to their training
area which was much larger than our Alpha, Bravo
and Charlie training areas. There we managed to
pull some Gs and at the same time experience the
aircraft’s full capabilities.
Besides the hectic pace of training, the cadets had
lots of fun too. We were invited to 130 Squadron Mess
where we saw how the trainees let their hair down,
lighten up and enjoy the company of their instructors.
Over the week, our experiences and interactions with
the cadets gave us a clearer picture of what it is like to
be a pilot trainee in RSAF. It has mentally prepared us
for the training we will face in the future.
We are thankful to the RSAF and SYFC for giving us
this invaluable opportunity, and to Mr Chee PS for
taking good care of us and making the visit pleasant
and memorable.
07

08 AVIATOR / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AUGUST 11
WELCOME
New Pilot Trainees!
183BFC
185BFC
184BFC

My First solo Flight
A truly amazing
experience that one must
experience for himself to
know what it is like to fly
the first solo in an airplane.
Tariq bin Idil Adzha, 180BFC
The feeling of being alone in the aircraft was awkward
at first, but I got used to it soon after. Before I knew it,
I was already up in the air by myself. I have to say that
that was one of the greatest moments of my life.
The solo flight ended with a smooth landing, followed
by taxiing back and shutting down the aircraft. I want
to thank my instructors for their help in teaching me
the essence of flying.
Kenneth Chen Sy, 178BFC
AUGUST 11 / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AVIATOR
The most memorable
thing about flying the first
solo is when you clean up
the aircraft after takeoff;
it is then that the
realisation sets in that
you are now completely
on your own, and it is up
to you to get the plane
back on the ground safely.
Being able to do so at
the end of the circuit
definitely will be one of
the fondest memories
a person can reflect upon.
Woo BZ, 178BFC
My feeling so far has been good. The experience
I’ve had has just been amazing. Just being able to fly
has been so enjoyable. Before, I’ve had problems with
my landings but with the encouragement of
my instructor, Mr Siva, I was able to perfect my landings
and finally for first solo. It was one of the exciting
moments. Throughout the flight, I was smiling
because I realised that I have made it this far.
Now, of course, I’m aiming for my next goal: PPL!
Ryan Lim, 178BFC
09

10 AEROMODELLING / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AUGUST 11
Singapore National
Aeromodelling
Championship 2011
SYFC organised and conducted the Control Line Team racing and In-Door Radio Control events for
the Aeromodelling Federation of Singapore. The Singapore National Aeromodelling Championship
2011 was held from 18 to 26 Jun 2011. Hillgrove and Evergreen YFCs emerged as the winners in
the In-Door Radio Pylon Racing and Control line Electric Team Racing events respectively.
The overall results for the events conducted by SYFC are:
C/L Open Class A Rat Race Event \\\\\\\\\\\\\\
1 st David Su / Richard Ong - SYFC
2 nd Wong Jie Wei / Lim Jin Heng - SYFC
3 rd Paul Liew / Serbert Fong - SYFC
C/L Open Electric Powered Rat Race Event \\\
1 st Chew Bao Sheng - EGSS
2 nd Chen Yuning - EGSS
3 rd Desmond Soh - EGSS
Community
Service
As part of our service to the community, SYFC
staff brought a total of 40 students from
the MINDS Fernvale Gardens School for
an Aviation Enrichment outing to the
RSAF Museum on 12 and 13 May 2011 to
introduce them to the field of aviation.
The staff and students found the outing
very enriching especially seeing the
different aircraft and understanding how
aeroplanes fly.
C/L FAI F2C Team Race Event \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
1 st Wong Jei Wei / Lim Jin Heng - SYFC
2 nd David Su / Richard Ong - SYFC
3 rd Paul Liew / Serbert Fong - SYFC
Radio Control Fixed Wing In-Door Pylon
Racing Event \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
1 st Chua Cheng Wei - HGSS
2 nd Goh Zong Yuan - HGSS
3 rd Loh Han Yang - HGSS

AUGUST 11 / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AEROMODELLING
SYFC Aviators’ Programmes
To enhance the interest of our youth in aviation, several SYFC Aviators’
Programmes were conducted.
6 students from ACS(I)
participated in the programme
on 29 Jul 2011. Ms Ivy Goh, the
teacher in charge of the group
commented, “The students were
very proud being involved in
the programme as it gave them
a better understanding of aviation
and has a direct application to their
studies in physics on fluid motion.
I am looking forward to sending
another group of students next
year for this programme.”
19 students from SJI
participated in the programme
from 23 to 28 Jul 2011. Raphael
Teo shared, “The programme gave
me a better understanding of the
defence of Singapore and the
flight simulator flying was very
good in helping us understand
how aeroplanes fly. I am eagerly
waiting to sign up for the BFC.”
Young Artists Contest 2011
SYFC conducted the first Young Artists Contest in April
2011. The purpose is to hone the skill of youngsters
between the ages of 6 to 17 in poster drawing related
to aviation. The best 3 drawings were submitted
to participate in the international art contest for
youngsters organised by the Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale - FAI (The World Air Sports Federation).
Linked to the 50 th anniversary of Gagarin’s historic flight,
the theme for 2011 was “50 Years of Human Space
Flight”. Selena Chua from Compassvale Primary School,
Peh Jun Siang and Lim Pu Sheng both from Bedok
Green Secondary School emerged as the winners in the
respective age categories.
6 NCC(Land) cadets from
RI and 2 NCC(Air) cadets
from Chung Cheng High (Yishun)
participated in the programme on
24 Jun and 23 Jul 2011 respectively.
Kelvin Oh from Chung Cheng
commented, “The flight was an
eye-opener to see how small
Singapore is and the view from
the air was just exhilarating.
I am looking forward to taking up
flying with SYFC and have a career
as a RSAF fighter pilot.”
11

12 AEROMODELLING / SYFC NEwSlETTER / AUGUST 11
National Day 2011
Celebrations
Hwa Chong Institution Youth Flying Club students were
honoured to give a flying demonstration to the school as
part of their 2011 National Day Celebrations. Lee Cheok
Hon (Sec 4) and Shawn Wong (Sec 2) students gave an
impressive control-line flying demonstration. Cheok Hon
commented, “I initially felt a bit nervous but once the
aeroplane started, I felt very proud being able to give
a good flying demonstration to the students.
I thank Mr Philip Wong for taking time off to help
us prepare for the flying demonstration.”
Explore the
Frontier of
Aviation Elective
Programme
The Elective Programme conducted for the first time
for 24 IP1 students from Victoria Junior College was
held from 10 Feb to 28 Apr 2011. lemuel lok shared,
“I felt the course was an eye-opener in the field of
aviation. The flight was awesome in the DA40 aircraft,
viewing how small Singapore is from the sky.”
Students showed strong interest to participate in the
flying programme once they’ve reached the age of
16. Caleb Yoong commented, “The whole programme
was very exciting and I will certainly want to sign up
for the Basic Flying Course and take up military flying
as a career.”

AUGUST 11 / SYFC NEwSlETTER / recruitment•Publicity•others
DREAMS TAkE FLigHT
SPOT the PLANES CONTEST
Prizes: 10 book vouchers worth $20 each.
Please name the aircraft:
a. b.
c. d.
Name & NRIC No:
School:
Class: Age:
Address:
A
Tel:
B
Yves “Jetman” Rossy completes his first successful flight
in the U.S. with his momentous flight through Grand
Canyon West.
Equipped with his jet-propelled wing attached to his back,
he controls steering only by movement of his body. Rossy
launched from a helicopter at 8,000 feet into the breathtaking
arms of the Grand Canyon sky. Accelerating at speeds of up to
190 mph, Jetman sustained flight for more than eight minutes,
200 feet above the rim of Grand Canyon West. As a grand finale
to this flawless precision flight, Rossy deployed his parachute
and gracefully descended to the canyon floor.
With accolades from his successful jet-powered flights across
lake Geneva and the English Channel, he realises his dream
of flying through the Grand Canyon. “My first flight in the U.S.
is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences in my
life, not only for the sheer beauty of the Grand Canyon but
the honour to fly in sacred Native American lands. Thank you
Mother Nature and the Hualapai Tribe for making my lifelong
dreams come true,” Rossy fondly remarked.
C
Please submit a photocopy of this completed form to the CCA
Manager, SYFC, 515 West Camp Road, Singapore 797695 by
15 Oct 2011. Contest is open to students in Primary and Secondary
schools. One entry per student. The decision for winners by SYFC is
final. Results will be published in the next newsletter.
SPOT the Planes Contest Winners April 2011
1. Chia Song Jun
Bedok South Secondary School
2 Faiz hilman
St. Gabriel’s Secondary School
3 David Kuo Chuan
Presbyterian Secondary School
4 Fabian Lim
St. Andrew’s Secondary School
5 Tan Lim Ming En
Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)
For more information please visit SYFC website at www.syfc.sg now!
D
6 benjamin lim Jun hong
Serangoon Secondary School
7 Justin Tan
Xinmin Secondary School
8. Ameerban Bin Aman
East Spring Secondary School
9. Darren Png
St. Andrew’s Secondary School
10. Adel Tan
St. Andrew’s Secondary School
13