Saturday, February 23, 2008

Footage from Singapore Airshow 2008.

Warning: Photo intensive post!! Non anime/Japan related post.

Today I bring some photos that I had taken when I visited the Singapore Airshow 2008 @ Changi yesterday (22nd Feb) morning. I had been given a "Trade Pass" (worth is S$150 but I got it free!) from my section and allowed to take the morning off to go visit it. The good thing about having a trade pass is that I can avoid the public crowd which would be gathering today and tomorrow (Sat & Sun) for the show. The bad thing is I only have half day (it's a week day and I'm still suppose to be working), and had to rush back to base by 3.00pm for a squadron event: Expo (Event site) to Seletar (Home), to drop off my camera and change to uniform, then to Sembawang Air Base is a very long journey -.-". Enough of talk, let's move on to the photos!

Photos taken using a Nikon D70 + Nikkor AF-S DX 18-70mm F3.5 - F4.5G aka Kit Lens.
The "exclusive" Trade Pass ^^. For those who doesn't know I'm currently serving National Service (3months left to go!!), and my vocation is with the Air Force, doing maintenance work on the AS332M/M1 Super Puma's rotor transmission (the gearboxes/rotor blades of the helicopter). It does gets weird at times working here as I'm the only NSF in the section(RSAF is experimenting the use of NSF in a Regular's working environment, though it's a good working experience), but at the same time I get the perks of a Regular, or at least they treat me like one, just with less responsibility.
Singapore Airshow 2008 site. I reached when the event just started @ 9.30am. I'll not bore everyone with the exhibition stuff, and just head straight to the static display.Singapore's very own AH-64D Apache Longbow. I see
this everyday in my base that I'm bored of it.
Elbit Hermes 900 UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)
The giant of the sky, Airbus A380. Looking at it up close, it's really huge.Nose view of the A380. I couldn't get access to the interior of the A380 sadly, as one would need another pass (Aircraft Visit Pass) to enter.
US Air Force's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.US Air Force's F-15C/D Eagle.One of my favourite bombers, the US Air Force's B-1B Lancer. Sweep-back wings are sexy ^^ (My favourite Aircraft is the F-14 Tomcat, also another sweep-back wings aircraft).
Artistic? view of B-1B Lancer's Tail. An aircraft's trail can be seen in the sky.
US Air Force's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV.
US Air Force's MQ-8A FireScout UAV.
Singapore's UAV, the Elbit Hermes 450B. In the background is our CH-47 SD Chinook, also see/flown on it until bored.
Some tail photo of a private jet. Not sure which, but I just like the photo.
Another private jet, not sure model, but there are Ferrari logos on it.
Embraer Legacy 600. I aim to have my own private jet in the future, and to also have my own pilot license so I can fly it ^^.Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter). I'm monitoring this aircraft's development closely, the fighter of the next century.
Front view of the F-35 JSF.
Nearing the time of the aerial display, everyone moved to get a good position to catch the action. While people were doing this, the A380 decided to make a run for it.
Going going gone!! It's actually moving to the Changi Airport runway
for take-off as it also has a segment in the aerial display.
Enters the Singapore's Aerobatic team, the RSAF Black Knights, flying the F-16C Fighting Falcons. Wished I had a 400mm lens for this ><, or a video camcorder. I'll just list the formation/manoeuvers done. Delta FlyBy.In the midst of performing the Twisted Loop.
Swan Roll.Palm Split.Entry into the Line Abreast Loop - Diamond Twist Out.
I would say this manoeuver is my favourite. Vertical Twist.Way of the Dragon.
Mirror Pass.
Start of the Flaming Heart.
Half way through.....
Flaming Heart completed!Entry to the last of the segment, the Curtain.
Curtain completed!
Sneak shot of the other photographers. Look at all the cameras they're decking. I'm soooo jealous!! I'm like holding the most noob DLSR among everyone. Even the lens is noobish!!

Sad to say I could only watch till the end of the Black Knights segment (12.45pm), and I had to make the run to the entrance to catch the shuttle back to Expo and make my way back to base. Eventually reached home at 2.20pm, dropped camera/changed to uniform and out of house by 2.25pm, grabbed a taxi and reached base at 2.45pm. Barely made it.

Overall, the event is quite well organised, and they're really clever at draining your money too. In order to use the shuttle bus from the hotels/expo to the exhibition site, it will cost you S$5.00 one way. Overall I spent S$10 on the shuttle, and S$6.80 for the taxi from home to base. Due to time constrain I couldn't even have lunch (the cost of food at the exhibition is daylight robbery as usual). Oh well at least the fact that the pass would cost S$150 normally is free to me, so I still benefit. Either way, enjoy the photos! Signing out.

Note: I didn't include any photos of the Black Knights cross-flight (as in they flyby each other with very little space between them) as none of the shots were nice. Also please ignore the black dots on the photos, I assume there's dust on the sensor (I thought it was just dust on the lens but it's not, as I had the lens cleaned when I saw the same dots on the Japan trip photos) so I need to send the DSLR for servicing (I don't have the equipment/knowledge to clean it myself). And also...pardon my noob photo-taking skills ><. I don't even know how to use Photoshop!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Woah, cool planes and gotta love your photoshoot. Really Good. I can tell you sure love planes a lot eh? ^^

Kawasumi Hirito said...

As my father was formerly from the Air Force, I had spent quite abit of time in airbases and all the airshow events in SG. Of course due to the exposure, I grew an interest with aircrafts, and had dreamed to be a fighter pilot. Now I still want to get a flying license, and hopefully earn to get my private jet, or if possible my personal F-14 (if it's possible lol).

Holly Jean said...

Hey ya.. yeah looks like the Trade days were better than the public day I went for... You had clearer skies too!!! Saturday was overcast.

gordon said...

too bad you couldn't stay longer. the skygirls' performance was next. ^^;

btw, u serving in the RSAF? a tech?

Kawasumi Hirito said...

Really wished I could had stayed all the way and see all the performance, missed out quite alot.

Yep I'm serving my NS with the RSAF as a Tech. At least it's better than out in the fields and getting dirty (tech still have to deal with lots of oily/greasy parts though).

Anonymous said...

The aircraft that you were not sure of is a Avanti P-180 or also called a Piaggio it is an Italian owned company and ferrari owns a share in the company.