Saturday, February 23, 2008

Singapore Airshow 08

Woot!!! was at the Singapore Airshow on Saturday (23 Feb 08)...my favorite...

I think the organizers did not expect such a huge turn out....was alone today...as dear dear not very interested in planes, so don't want her to waste money just to accompany me there...then wy and zw not free plus sc also not interested...so ended up alone....which is not a bad idea...as I get to walk around OTOT....and take in the sights..(and the sun)

First...reached Pasir Ris MRT at 10.15am and started queueing up to take the FREE shuttle bus to Singapore Airshow....can't drive directly as need the car labels which is to be purchased using the family package of SGD100...

Was damn shocked at the snaking queue at Pasir Ris....it's very very meandering....
The queue is so long.......
This picture was taken when I was queueing up at the u-turn at the end of the MRT station nearest to the bus interchange...

Talked to an Indian couple and a Chinese man in the queue....coz bored lah..then they started talking...so I joined them..haha...helped each other to prevent people from cutting queue and looked out for each other...making sure our wait in the queue was worth it..

oh ya..there was another 2 Indian guys behind me...quite nice...he saw that I was slightly out of the queue at one point so he so called ushered me to the front of him...so that my place won't be taken up...

After nearly 1 hour 45 mins wait, we got up the bus...lucky thing it's SMRT Bendy Buses...they were queueing up to pick passengers to the airshow....so it's not a bad thing...as the queue is moving constantly...

but still...we needed 1hr 45 mins to get up the bus....despite a moving queue...so you can imagine how long the wait was...

on our way to the airshow...met with another queue...this time was vehicles queueing...

nearer the venue......i was trapped in the bus when the aerial display started..and the taxi drivers all stopped to watch the show...(after dropping off passengers)

Taxi drivers stopping at the road shoulder to watch the aerial display..even the traffic police too..@@

After a long journey...finally reached the airshow venue!!!
This was taken just outside the venue..the aerial display has started and everyone is crowding to watch the display before even entering the premises....cos everywhere long queue...look at the crowd at the far end of the picture watching the display from inside the premises..

I went in to watch...cos I want to catch the A380 flying display closer....haha...so missed some of the displays while inside a huge tent meant for security checks...

On to the aerial display...(All shots taken by: Nikon 55mm-200mm lens)

F15 Fighter plane: did a slow pass to showcase its landing gears and arresting hook...

F15: doing a rapid ascent..note the vaporisation trails over the wings from the cockpit area..


F16 fighter plane is far off at a distance...but look carefully...can see the afterburner in action...

F16: doing a fast pass showing off the top side of the plane...
The star of the show...A380...slow pass showing its landing gears all extended...
Flaps were activated at around 15 degrees I think..
A380: Retracting of the landing gears..
A380: The underside belly of the plane...
A380: doing a steep left bank..
A380: Head on!! Landing lights are switched on...

A380: A slight tilt to the left as a "salute" to the crowd below...
Single engine Prop-plane aerial display...more like stunt planes...haha..
A close proximity criss crossing...
An upside down mirror image...(some sort..haha)
A bomb blast pattern kind of display...

After the aerial display...was on to the static display....There were all sorts of jets, from fighter, to commercial, to business, to private, and even helicopters..
(static display shots taken using: Nikon 50mm lens, except A380 shots taken using 55mm-200mm lens)

Look at the crowd....so many people!!
RSAF's very own Boeing CH-47SD Chinook
RSAF's Lockheed F-16D Block 52+ Fighting Falcon
USAF's Boeing F-15C/D
F15C/D: The nose gear's landing and taxiing lights up close..
USAF's Boeing B-1B
USAF's Boeing B-1B (Side View)

USAF's C130 Hercules
USAF's KC135R Stratotanker
Fuel refuelling pod and boom on the KC135R Stratotanker
Seeking shelter under the huge body and wings of the KC135R Stratotanker

USAF's F16
USAF's F16: Afterburner and Airbrakes

Eurocopter EC135 P2/T2
Eurocopter AS365 N3
Eurocopter A350 B3
Hawker 4000 Business Jet
King Air B200GT
Avanti II business jet (note the Ferrari icon on the nose)

The Ferrari logo on the Avanti II jet...
Gulfstream G200
Gulfstream G150
Gulfstream G550
Gulfstream G450

Diamond Aircraft DA42 Twin Star
Diamond Aircraft DA42 Twin Star (Wing View)
Eclipse 500 Private Jet
Eclipse 500: The technology behind the navigation lights of the plane...using power LEDs
Citation CJ3
Cessna 400 Private Jet (single prop plane)
Grand Caravan with Cargo Pod
Cirrus SR22
Liberty XL2
Airbus A380 being pushed back to its parking spot after the aerial display
Tow Truck used by SIA Engineering Company for towing planes

The nose gear of the A380 connected to the tow truck
Action right before your eyes
(the wing passed right over me after this picture was taken)
Maintenance crew preparing the A380 for shut down
This is something that cannot be found on commercial airlines in operation. It's something that can only be found on this A380 that is flown in from France. It's used for testing of the tail section of the plane when the plane is pushed to its limits for flight testing on take off. This red portion will scrape along the runway when in the plane rotates to take off in the maximum angle allowed and measurements are taken from inside the plane by the engineers.

Main Landing gear of the A380
Flight test pilots in the cockpit

Head of the A380
Test Flight Crew of A380 disembarking the plane
The registration of the A380. WOW!!

After the static display outside, I took a break and went into the Aircon-ed warehouse look a like exhibition area....inside were aviation companies displaying their stuff to attract potential customers during the trade show...now is an exhibition area for the public..

Boeing's Future and Present Planes
Boeing's 747
Boeing's 787 Dreamliner
Boeing's 777
Boeing's 777 Freighter Version
Boeing's 737
Boeing's Business Jet (BJJ)

Airbus Future and Present Planes
Airbus's A380
Airbus's A320
Airbus's A350 XWB (XWB = Extra Wide Body)
Airbus's A320 Freighter Plane

A mock up of SIA's A380's Suite for Single Seater

At the end of the day, took the bus back to Pasir Ris MRT and it was still sooo packed!