On Sat 15 June 2013, students from the
Diploma in Aviation Management & Services (AMS) went on a journey to the Singapore
Youth Flying Club (SYFC), however this was no ordinary journey as they brought
along with them a group of students who were extremely interested in aviation.
These students were from the Mountbatten Vocational School (MVS), a school that
specializes in teaching and developing youths with special needs. It trains
them to be ready for the workforce after graduation.
Most of the students have never had this
great opportunity to get up close with a real life aircraft before, let alone
sitting in the cockpit and having a feel of the aircraft controls. Though a
joyride in the flying club’s Diamond DA40 light aircraft would have made the
perfect experience, no doubt they still had an awesome experience learning
about airplanes.
As several of the AMS students were also
members of the Singapore Youth Flying Club, they were able to share with the MVS
youths the switches and controls of the aircraft, and how a pilot would fly the
aircraft using the control stick.
Furthermore, the students were also given a
chance to see the Flying Club’s simulator training facility. The simulator is a
replica of the Diamond DA40 cockpit and has a collimated screen supported by 3
camera projections. It is the closest the students could get in experiencing
how it is like flying the aircraft high in the sky.
The youths were also taught to fold
different types of paper planes that were able to either fly a long distance or
‘boomerang’ back to them. Thereafter they were brought to catch a scenic
glimpse of the entire airside of Seletar Airport where they witnessed aircrafts
of various types taking-off and landing.
After the morning activities were done, the
AMS student-volunteers and MVS youths had some delightful refreshments at the club
canteen. This was the time where all the students were able to mingle and chit chat.
And incidentally, amidst their midday meal that day, everyone present at the
canteen were treated to a vantage point view of the aircraft parking apron
where a Diamond DA40 aircraft was about to start-up it’s engines. Unforgettable,
sweet smiles of the youths from MVS standing by the fence with fingers
grappling the grills, the wind from the rotating propeller of the aircraft
engulfing their faces was a Kodak moment indeed.
Overall it was such a meaningful event where
these youths were able to discover something new and exciting. It was a
pleasure for the AMS students as well to host the youths from MVS as it gave a
whole new perspective in life. Everything that we can do is a gift and
blessing, and we should appreciate every little thing that we have.
A MVS youth having an opportunity to `suit up’ as a crew… up, up and away!!
In and around the
Diamond DA40 light aircraft....
`Designing’ an airplane
Come fly with me…
Prepared by:
Reuben Moey & Ray Quek
