PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - For Captain Alvin Leow, fulfilling his ambition as a qualified flying instructor was not just a personal decision, but one which also involved his family of four.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) officer had to persuade his wife to take a two-year break from her bank job to relocate to Perth, where the air force conducts training at Base Pearce in the suburb of Bullsbrook.