SINGAPORE - He is a commercial pilot, but on Aug 9, Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) (NS) Ong Swee Chuan will be navigating an F-16 fighter jet through a challenging manoeuvre that will make its bow at this year's National Day Parade (NDP).
He will be one of two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 pilots who will be engaged in a turn at close proximity to each other while undergoing high g-force (gravitational force equivalent) before doing a vertical climb.
Such a manoeuvre had been previously done only by a single jet at other NDPs.
LTC (NS) Ong, 50, on Tuesday (July 5) shared with the media some of the challenges he will face.
He said: "It's not an easy task because under high g-force, we cannot move our heads... At the same time, we got to strain against the g-force, because if we don't, all our blood will flow to the legs and we will black out. We have to do that while flying in formation."
Since he left the RSAF about eight years ago and became a commercial pilot, LTC (NS) Ong spends 40 days a year as an operationally ready national serviceman (NSman) to maintain proficiency and currency as a fighter pilot.
He began training for this year's NDP in April, and the father of two is looking forward to taking part in this year's parade.
He said: "As this year is NS55 (55 years of national service), being part of the celebrations of the nation's independence is a pleasure."
The RSAF will be reprising some of its crowd favourite elements this year, including the F-16 jet fly-past segment in the heartland and the bomb burst at the heart of the celebrations in the Marina Bay area.
A total of 15 aircraft will be involved in the celebrations on the day, including a C-130, eight Apache and Chinook helicopters, and six F-16 jets.
A C-130 aircraft will also be involved in the Red Lions parachutists' free fall on Aug 7 in the heartland.
LTC Stanley Selva, 47, who is the deputy chairman of this year's air participation committee, said the experience has been quite challenging as most of this year's aerial demonstrations are happening on a single day, unlike recent years.
But despite the challenges, LTC Stanley, who is also this year's "mother goose", or the flying display marshall, said it will be fulfilling when everything comes together.
He added: "It's an opportunity to show the rest of Singapore what type of equipment RSAF operates. We find these are good opportunities to show our new equipment up close for the rest of Singapore to see."
Among the highlights will be the RSAF's new Chinook helicopter - the CH-47F - which will be on display for the first time.
It will be seen during the Total Defence Display segment when naval divers jump from the helicopter into the waters of Marina Bay.
In another first, the F-16s will be led by a female officer - Senior Lieutenant-Colonel (SLTC) Lee Meiyi, the commanding officer of RSAF's 140 Squadron.
This will be SLTC Lee's second time participating in an NDP after she was part of the SG50 celebrations in 2015 when her jet was part of 20 which formed a "5" and "0" during the fly past.
The 37-year-old said she hopes this year's show can showcase the professionalism of RSAF, that its pilots can fly state-of-the-art aircraft, manoeuvre them with precision and maximise their performance.
She added: "To be the first female fighter lead for this component is definitely an honour. I'm tasked with this because of my team's capabilities and my capability to lead. So I'll do my part to make sure we perform to the standards required."
Another RSAF regular who is looking forward to this year's parade is Captain Yap Yu Chen, 26, who is the co-pilot of the lead Chinook helicopter that will be one of three aircraft carrying state flags.
He talked about some of the challenges he will be facing, including picking up the large state flag, which requires training and coordination, as well as flying into the show centre at a low altitude while being punctual.
Said Capt Yap: "A lot of intricate calculations and precise flying are required to make sure we reach the show centre at the correct time, in the correct precision."
On Tuesday, the media was also given a preview of how the state flags are prepared. There will be a total of 15 flags at the parade, including spares, that will be prepared at three different locations.
Rolling up each flag is an intricate operation that requires 25 men and can take up to two hours.
Military Expert 3 Law Wooi Pin, an air force engineer, who is in charge of the state flag party, said planning started last September, with about 300 NSmen recalled to assist with operations since April this year.
Though there are challenges in fronting such a mammoth task, ME3 Law, 46, said being part of the events of this year's NDP is significant.
He said: "My favourite part of being part of the flag party is when the Chinook picks up the flag and it unfurls. It is the most meaningful part, you will feel very proud."
