, Do you remember the time when you first swapped your film camera for a handy digital one? You were probably filled with anticipation and worried of the consequences if you pressed a button wrongly and spoilt your new toy.
Lieutenant (LTA) Alvin Chow, a trainee pilot from 124 Squadron (124 SQN), fully understands such sentiments. He was among the first batch of trainees to fly the new EC120Bs, which were inaugurated in a ceremony held at Seletar Air Base on 26 Jan.
“It took us some time to get used to the EC120B, because it was something different,” said LTA Chow. “But it should be easy for the new generation of pilots to get accustomed to it.”
Unlike its predecessor, the AS550 Fennec, the new platform boasts a glass cockpit environment and instead of steam gauges, all the information that the pilot needs can be found on a digital screen.
The Fennec was drawn down last December after 14 years of service in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).
Chief of Air Force Brigadier-General (BG) Ng Chee Khern officiated at the inauguration ceremony together with Commander, Flying Training School (FTS), Colonel (COL) Lim Chye Poh and 124 SQN's Commanding Officer, LTC Lee Hock Hua.
As a symbolic gesture to welcome the helicopter into the RSAF, BG Ng unveiled the logo of the Air Force on one of the five EC120Bs in the squadron.
He said there was a need for a more effective trainer, with the RSAF having “more advanced and capable platforms such the Chinook and Apache.”
He also added that the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model that RSAF employed allowed the Air Force to focus on training while Singapore Technologies Aerospace Engineering (STAe) provided the infrastructure and training facilities.
Under the PPP arrangement, STAe owns the aircraft and leases them to the squadron for use.
“This innovative move has enabled the Air Force to operate a new generation, hi-tech helicopter trainer that is able to bridge the platform transition gap while simultaneously achieving an operating cost of about 20 per cent less than that of the Fennec,” said BG Ng.
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