Tuesday, September 05, 2006
fighter jets and helicopters
RSAF had an open house at Paya Lebar Airbase last weekend. I decided to play punk and not go to work on Saturday (yes, it was my office duty, but boss had graciously let me decide whether to work or not...). We popped by at my office, so that I could send out an email on the weekend work arrangement and we had breakfast at the canteen down the road from my office.
We then made our way to Eunos Bus Interchange, parked the car there and took the free shuttle to the Airbase. It took us an hour from the bus queue to the Airbase. In the bus, Matthew kept saying, "zhuo fei ji" or sit aeroplane (loosely translated to English) and took a short 10-min nap. When we finally reached there, the aerial display had already started. But we did not "prepare" Matthew for the loud noise from the passing fighter jets. He cried! Poor thing. We knew he was very scared of loud noises (but not thunder, strangely), but I guess there was nothing we could do to prepare him for that...
After the fighter jets, in came Matthew's favourite helicopters. We saw the AH-64D Long Bow Apache Attack Helicopters and CH-47 Chinooks in the air.
>> What caught Matthew's attention?
>> 2 Apache helicopters up in the sky.
>> Here's a Chinook above us.
Then the fighter jets returned to the airbase and landed on the airstrip, right in front of the static display area.
>> Matthew watching Charlie 130 landing on the airstrip. Can you spot the plane?
Up close with the helicopters...
>> the Apache helicopter
>> and the Chinook.
We queued to go up the Chinook and the Super Puma. The F-16 had long queues and it was simply too hot to queue that long.
>> Matthew and Mike in the Super Puma.
>> Matthew in the cockpit of the Super Puma.
>> Matthew and me in the Chinook.
Matthew had his lunch in one of the hangars that was converted into a big air-conditioned food hall. It was queueing time again and this time we went up the F-5 fighter jet.
>> Matthew looking so small in the big pilot seat of F-5. He simply loved the red button!
Matthew could hardly keep his eyes open after going up the F-5 and fell asleep in my arms and we made our way back to Eunos.
What an eye opener for me and Matthew! I haven't never been to a military airbase or seen a fighter jet up close and guess what? lots of handsome pilots too! hahaha... of course none of them more handsome than my beloved Mike and Matthew.. :p
We then made our way to Eunos Bus Interchange, parked the car there and took the free shuttle to the Airbase. It took us an hour from the bus queue to the Airbase. In the bus, Matthew kept saying, "zhuo fei ji" or sit aeroplane (loosely translated to English) and took a short 10-min nap. When we finally reached there, the aerial display had already started. But we did not "prepare" Matthew for the loud noise from the passing fighter jets. He cried! Poor thing. We knew he was very scared of loud noises (but not thunder, strangely), but I guess there was nothing we could do to prepare him for that...
After the fighter jets, in came Matthew's favourite helicopters. We saw the AH-64D Long Bow Apache Attack Helicopters and CH-47 Chinooks in the air.
>> What caught Matthew's attention?
>> 2 Apache helicopters up in the sky.
>> Here's a Chinook above us.
Then the fighter jets returned to the airbase and landed on the airstrip, right in front of the static display area.
>> Matthew watching Charlie 130 landing on the airstrip. Can you spot the plane?
Up close with the helicopters...
>> the Apache helicopter
>> and the Chinook.
We queued to go up the Chinook and the Super Puma. The F-16 had long queues and it was simply too hot to queue that long.
>> Matthew and Mike in the Super Puma.
>> Matthew in the cockpit of the Super Puma.
>> Matthew and me in the Chinook.
Matthew had his lunch in one of the hangars that was converted into a big air-conditioned food hall. It was queueing time again and this time we went up the F-5 fighter jet.
>> Matthew looking so small in the big pilot seat of F-5. He simply loved the red button!
Matthew could hardly keep his eyes open after going up the F-5 and fell asleep in my arms and we made our way back to Eunos.
What an eye opener for me and Matthew! I haven't never been to a military airbase or seen a fighter jet up close and guess what? lots of handsome pilots too! hahaha... of course none of them more handsome than my beloved Mike and Matthew.. :p
