Flying the Flag up High

Finally had my chance to go up in the aircraft that I've been seeing and hearing for a whole year. Tein (AOSS) and I and some other pax were in the Flag flypast Chinook today for CR6 of the NDP.

We walked out to the Chinook after the crew had started up and done their preflight checks. As I approached the rear of the aircraft, I could feel the blast of the exhaust. Freaking hot sia. It was a bit like having an iron on max heat a few inches away from your face. We boarded and took our seats, buckled up and waited for the pilots to taxi the aircraft onto the runway. The inside of the aircraft is pretty bare and has not much in way of comfort but everything is meant to be functional.

When we finally took off, we started flying a sort of holding pattern waiting for the right time to enter the CBD (dun need ERP hor). Me and Tein managed to get the seat next to the open hatch where the Flag was slung, so we got a pretty good view of the proceedings. It gave you a really good feeling when you look down and see scores of people on the ground stopping whatever they are doing to look up at the flag going past. 22 people on a football pitch stopped play and look up at us flying overhead. It's a good feeling of affirmation that even the little job that I do in sqn helps this to take place. The pride of the nation flying the flag up high.

It's a pity that I was not able to get some pics for you guys but I can tell you that the view from up there is pretty awesome. People were just little dots on the ground and even the trees seemed much smaller.

Would like to thank the sqn management for the opportunity to be brought up on such an occasion, the aircrew and groundcrew for making it possible and the pilots today for bringing us back to base in one piece. lol.