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Retired Air Force Major Chen Shun Liang fondly remembers his first flight, where Singapore's first female Air Force pilot, Koh Chai Hong, took him up in an SF260MS trainer aircraft. Before landing at Paya Lebar Air Base, he caught a glimpse of his housing estate from the air, describing the experience as "wonderful." Tan's interest in the Air Force was sparked in Secondary 4 when a senior in an Air Force uniform spoke about military life at his school. After passing his O-Level exams, he kept his options open by applying to the Air Force, the Commandos, and the Diploma in Marine Engineering programme at SP, receiving offers from all three. However, his passion for aviation led him to choose the Air Force, which he joined in 1981. By 1983, he became a helicopter pilot, eventually flying his dream aircraft, the Super Puma, three years later. Tan noted that training in the Air Force back then had higher attrition rates and was less structured compared to today, often limiting trainees from reaching their full potential.

[Lianhe Zaobao]