CCTS Evaluation.

Waited for so long to get this flight. Last time I flew was February and it was the Area A evaluation. 9V-BOQ has been dogged with problems lately, engine starter needed replacing and last week the pilot seat backing fell backwards.

I spent at least 2 hrs of last night on Flight Sim X practicing circuits on RW 03.
Spent the morning mental flying before meeting TC for brunch at Dempsey.
Later, wouldn't you know it, but at 1530 the active runway was 21 not 03 as I had practiced for. Uh-oh.

Take-Off went smoothly. Felt a little rusty, after not flying for 3 months. The wind was quite strong today as I saw the windsock was more than 3/4 extended. The first circuit was low and I had to drag the plane in. No-go. Never mind, just the first try. I'll get it right next.

2nd approach wasn't so good. The height was right except that a sudden gust of wind blew me off course as i was touching down. I was using the crab technique and couldn't compensate in time. Not a very smooth landing as I touched down, lifted back into the air and touched down again. Luckily its not a bounce.
"Uh...You sure you've got a PPL?" Darshan says while grinning. Damn.

3rd Approach, I had it wired and so it was onto flapless. Pretty low for the 1st and the landing was also a 2 touch. I pulled back on the controls a tad too much and the plane lifted off and I was like "Whoa damn!" before letting OQ settle down again.
2nd Flapless was fine and then we switched to glide.

The wind was pretty strong at about 10-15 knots and Darshan made me cut the engine a little earlier. So I cut into final and then we were a little high so I put flaps to 20. Geez...still high and the nose is still not low enough. Maximum flaps!
Ok, so now we're going down fast and the wind's still strong.... Just nice enough! I was on glide slope and settled down towards the aiming point where I had aimed to land at 1500ft. Spot on landing! YES! Now onto low-level approach.

That was quite ok as well. Darshan said he had no complains after we landed.
Good to finally get back my solo priveleges. One interesting thing that happened during the flight was that on one downwind leg, an eagle flew head on towards the plane and pulled up and away in time to prevent a collision. But still close enough to see its eyes. Cool! I love those birds. As long as they don't foul up my engine or splatter onto the windscreen.

It really felt good to be back in the air after so long. I'm back! The aviator, adventuror, daredevil spirit. is still very much alive. And so am I.

With pride.

I guess SISPEC isn't so bad a number after all.

When my morale is low, all I want to do is to get out of being a trainee and be in unit like MP, signals or Air force. I guess I still want RSAF cause I can be an ATC. I have experience in that. And its a shift job so I can go home after my shift is done. I want that!

Then again, sometimes when morale is high, I want to chiong swah and go to Guards.
I want the pride of wearing the Khaki beret. But the thing is I don't think I'll relish the pain. A trade-off is required. No Pain, no gain.

So I guess I will express interest in the Air Force and MP, but I'll still do my best so I will have a chance at Guards. And where they post me, I'll accept it.

Freedom.

Flew my first sortie since March. I was solo after about 3 months of not flying. Boy did I feel rusty when I stepped into the 9V-BOQ cockpit. The moment you perceive the control panel, the brain starts cranking into gear and whirls. "Uh-oh what's this knob? Oh its the mixture control...and this is the throttle...ah the Master switch..." and so on and so on. It was like being reacquainted with a loved one you've not seen for a few months. Not to mention of the joy of seeing her when I stepped onto the tarmac.

Darshan was flying with another student in the other Cessna. I was right behind and then they rolled onto the runway and took off just before I did. Felt some sort of weird feeling watching my instructor taking another student up right before I did.
2 years ago I was in that position. Felt like a old hand now though I am not.

I was really rusty at first. Could not keep ahead of the aircraft. She was flying me instead of myself flying her as Darshan would say. I was actually furious at myself for flying so sloppily. You don't feel good flying bad. Slowly though, as the minutes past, what I've been taught about flying just comes back. I start to regain the instincts so familiar to me since I before I last sat on this seat.


The first landing was quite sloppy. But as I did more circuits they obviously got better. I even passed the no-power glide landing standards! Both times I tried it! Wow. That's instinct and skill. Luck may have something to do with it too. Can't explain the feeling that I felt while landing the aircraft. Only that feelings of excitement, fear and joy had crept over me each time I was on final approach all the way to touchdown.

I wonder why some pilots stop flying. Sure, while in NS I was detached from the aviation world with the exception of seeing airliners coming into to land at Changi. Yet, I somehow also felt connected to it by the action of keeping an eye on the aircraft as long as I can till it passes out of sight. Some pilots just stop flying after a period of time when they are separated from the flying club. Why? Its easy to forget the magic that the feeling of flight gives while you are away. But when one is at it again back at the controls of his airplane, it all comes back. The excitement, the stress, the fantastic feeling of controlling one's destiny even if maybe for just an hour.

7 weeks in.

7 weeks in the army now.
Life sucks in there.
No freedom.
Brain is deterioting.
I like the soldiering.
I hate the regimentation.
I hate the politics.
I wish I could be a civilian again.

I don't care where I'm gonna be posted. Infantry, Guards, MP or whatever.
Its boring in there. There's no excitement that I thought there might be.
I want more missions. Instead of freaking PTs and SOCs which I so hate. I tear my hands each time I do the monkey bar or climb the low rope. I so despise the chao keng assholes. Integrity mean nothing to them. I;m glad I'm not like them.
But then again, my enthusiasm is waning. I started out full of fire and now after just 7 weeks, the bonfire is now just a candle flame.

On a lighter note. I learnt that cough mixture and wine is the perfect combination to get drunk. I had cough and after taking the codeine which the MO gave one night during book out. Wenbiao came over and we had a bottle of Trentham Pinot. After like 2 or 3 glasses I conked out.

End of Civvie. Start of Army/

4 hours from enlisting.

Today, I will start serving my country. All I know is that I'll do my best.
Part of me is excited. Can't wait to face the challenges. Can't wait to learn and train to be a soldier. Yet, another part of me is scared that I'll screw up and be less than the man I think I am or hope to be.

I'll stand by my values. Honour, Courage, Responsibility and Loyalty.
As long as I adhere to these principles, I can't fail.

So help me God.

I gave my body more punishment today than the entire Jan and Feb combined. I think I did about a 100 push ups or more today.Pretty little I know. But still at least I tried. As I will in NS.

I've decided. I want to be a Guardsman. Army Guards. The Khaki Berets. The Chopper troops. I've decided. If I'm going to fight. I want to fight with the best. After Commandos, Guards are the elite.

I used to think I want to join the Infantry. But I guess I rather be a Guardsman and get to go offense and kick ass than sit on my ass and get kicked. The Infantry I hear always get their asses kicked by the Guards. Armour or Arty wouldn't be too bad I suppose. At least they're specialised and get to play with the big toys.

I watched a video on MINDEF website about the 1st 100 days in NS. I felt pretty patriotic after watching it. Its really good propaganda. But I do believe in what LKY said. "If you who are growing up do not understand that we've got to defend Singapore. In the end I say we lose."

I do believe I'm serving my country. Not wasting 2 years of my life.
I do believe I'll do my best. Not go in there to chao keng.
I do believe I'll make a good soldier. Not a slacker.
I do believe I've got what it takes to lead and to be lead.

3 more days. Gotta go get my stuff ready.

3 days left....

God... I'm feeling so freaking shitty. As far as I'm concerned. My holiday is over. I'm already in the army. I'm giving myself calisthenics everyday. I'm forcing myself to wake up early.

Got all my stuff I think. Gonna start packing up tonight. After that maybe tekan myself again. Or I ought to get Dad to do it to me. Nah. Bad Idea. I'd probably laugh.

Brandon's gone in today. TC, Sam and a few other's tmr. Dan and Elonn on the 12th. Next will be me. Hope I don't get shitbirds, non-hackers or ten-percenters in my section. Or if I do. Hope they don't get the whole section into trouble. Probably will though. Gotta do the best I can to keep me and my buddies in one piece.

3 more days. Gonna really workout. Working out later at 5pm

10 more days.

It gets kind of depressing to know the life you lead is going to take an abrupt change in several days time. Losing the freedom that now after 3 months I'm so used to. Knowing that my ass will belong to the army. Knowing I'll be jerked around for 2 years. Knowing that I'm gonna suffer physically and mentally. Strange, I was wishing I was in the army during A levels. I guess I rather be in the army still than go thru A levels again. Now that's torture.

Part of me looks forward to the army. How many War movies I've watched, Black Hawk Down, We were Soldiers, Band of Brothers and the like. All these. They don't glorify war. They just show in dramatic detail the lives of the soldiers. The heroism. The pain. The comradeship. That made me want to be soldier when I was a little boy.

Now, huh! I dunno. I'm dreading going in. But I guess its the same with everyone else. Until one's in there and the realisation sets in that there's nothing he can do about it. That's when he starts to function and adjust. I hope it doesn't take too long for me. All I know is that I just want to be a good soldier and not let my buddies and country down.

I guess Dad's code of honour and patriotism has rubbed off on me.