Sometimes when you have been through a rough week, all you need is some comfort and laughter. While the above-mentioned would had been ideal if it came from someone special, the reality is that it came from the mates from the service.

With SAF Day being held tomorrow, it's apt that you share your thoughts about the fun and laughter, the blood and sweat, and, the heart-thumping moments of your service to the nation. You joined the organisation right after basic training and the organisation thought you were good enough for Basic Command and Vocational school. 

While you always lamented about the fact that you couldn't be a fighter pilot, the twist of fate has gained you life-long friends from the combat units you have served with. The camaraderie and "can-do" spirit gave you the strength to endure the high operational tempo. In addition, the temporary attachments to other Services for exercises gave you the opportunity to learn from the others and network. Adding to squadron mates were another group of career officers from different services as you attended tri-service and advanced command schools. It stood you in good stead as you progressed up the career and provided you with the necessary contacts to shepherd difficult and contentious concepts through the various approval forums.  

Looking back, it has been 3 years since you left this organisation. The organisation which nurtured you to realise your potential, entrusted the sons and multi-million combat equipment to your care, "issued" you a lovely girlfriend and gave you the opportunity to pursue your studies when your family couldn't afford it.

Today, they told you un-officially that they would be posting you back to take command of a NS combat outfit; one that's more suited for you rather than the mundane command post. But as a former public servant, nothing is confirmed until you see the official letter. So you shall wait and see.

Happy SAF day.

Besides Brexit which has caused financial turmoil around the world, the next big news today would had been the pre-dawn emergency landing and the ferocious engine fire, one which will put the wounded bird in the depot for a few months.

Before speculating on the investigating findings (which would provide useful learning pointers for all pilots), you opined that it would be apt to pen down the thought processes of the pilots when such emergency occurs. 

So what happens in the pilots' mind when such emergency occurs?

So in this event, the aircraft commander (AC) made the call to head back to home-base after an engine oil leak was detected. Why make the 2 hour return journey (and put the lives of 200+ passengers at risk) when there's a handful of airfields within the vicinity? 

Well, as a pilot, you guessed that;

1. Capabilities of Airport Emergency Services (AES)

While you refuse to be drawn into an argument of the abilities of the neighbours' AES, you would want the most responsive and best equipment to assist you in the event of a crash landing.

2. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

When such incident occurs, the acronym of Aviate (Can the plane still fly?), Navigate (Where is the current location?) and Communicate (Report the problem) comes into the mind of all pilots. The immediate priority would be ensure that the plane can still fly followed by addressing the emergency through the quick reference checklist. Nothing is left to the memory as studies have shown that people tend to forget critical procedures even though they are highly experienced. 

As the FO goes through the checklist, the aircraft commander would be determining their exact location and communicating to the ATC of the nature of the emergency. Once the checklist is completed and the crew has discussed the options, the aircraft commander would had initiated the return back to home-base and start the process of dumping fuel (that's why the smell of fuel in the cabin) to lighten the aircraft for landing.

3. Training

Training for such emergencies are part of any pilot's currency requirements. As such training cannot be replicated in the real world, the training is replicated in a full-motion simulator. In fact, training for such emergencies is much more stressful than handling it in the real life as the instructors will throw in multiple failures; low-oil pressure (which can lead to engine failure), engine fires, cabin de-pressurisation, etc to test the crew. You know it as you never felt so stressed out in your life.

4. Aircraft Capabilities

Was the aircraft in eminent danger of crashing? Nope. The incident aircraft has 2 engines and is able to fly on single engine based on International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) Extended Twin-Engine Operations (ETOPs) guidelines. It stipulates the maximum allowable single-engine flight time between diversion airports. In this case, the incident aircraft type is certified for ETOPs 180mins. So, the aircraft was within the operating requirements

So there you have it, these are some of the things that passengers may not know when an in-flight emergency occurs. The premium one pays for taking the National Carrier has once again been demonstrated in the excellent handling of this emergency by the flight and cabin crew. Kudos to the job well done!!   

A friend sent this to you on the things which a couple should do on a daily basis. 

Well, this is a good reminder to reinforce the relationship even if one has been together for a long time. 

With half of the 2016 almost over, perhaps it's now timely to look back on what you have achieved thus far.

Career - Even though it's looking good thus far with plenty of exposure at corporate headquarters and corporate business planning, the yearning to return back to the skies continue to remain strong. You feel caged like an eagle, unable to soar among the clouds. While you have gone (and failed) for 2 interviews and is hoping to be called up for the national carrier's interview, you haven't stayed idle. You have re-skilled yourself with a professional certificate for the work you are already performing. Once your weekend volunteer stint is over, you are going to start hitting the flying books again to get acquainted again. 

Personal - With a stable income, you are on track in the savings plan. While the penny-pinching efforts are at the expense of those far-flung (and expensive) holidays, the priorities are clear this year; the purchase and renovation of your own place. For now, you will just contend yourself with short trips around the region or stay-cations. In addition, you would also prefer to explore those far-flung places in the company of that special someone, which brings you to the next aspect of your life, love. 

Love - Despite having gone on various dates with different nice ladies, none has caught your eye. Even though many have commented that you have set your bar too high, you are taking it in your stride. You are the one who is finding the special someone, who you are going to be together for life. You won't settle down for the sake of settling down. Interestingly, you were looking at your horoscope today and the same thing came up; "There may be a few good possibilities in the mix, and it may be hard to know which to pursue. If you are confused, don't feel pressured into making a choice. Just date casually until you discover that particular someone who seems right for you." One whom you can mentally connect with, a partner-in-crime willing to try new adventures together, a confidant whom you can share your troubles with.

You believe that the second half of the year will even be better and make you a stronger person.

For the best is yet to be.   

After a week of not exercising due to the weather, you feel fat. Just when the weather seems to have turned better, you are sick from the flu bug which has the wrecked havoc among the team.

And so that was how the weekend was spent; sedated like an elephant and downing gallons of water to drown those sickening bugs. As you did your best to rest, your mischievous nephew's Oscar-award winning acts often makes it challenging. When you are having a drink, he will crawl over to you, grab your leg, stand up and want you to carry him. If you are sitted on the sofa tapping away on the notebook, he will crawl over, hold himself up on the sofa and play with your mouse. 

Even though you are sick, you are often amused by his antics and it has made the miserable weekend much more bearable. Interestingly, his weakness is the vacuum cleaner which sees him scurrying away in tears when it's brought out of the storage for the daily cleaning chores. Now you know how to discipline him when he is misbehaving. *Evil grins* 

But looking at the bigger scheme of things, you realised that you are not adverse to kids and can handle them without fumbling. Maybe, its a sign that you can be good parent. 

With the pilot application for the national carrier opening up again, it's time to submit your application again.

But you are in a dilemma. While you seek career stability and financial security to pursue your goals of home ownership, you yearn to head back up into the wild blue yonder as a pilot. The joys and freedom of flight coupled with a view which not many will see is something that kept you looking up. But yet this career has eluded you for the past 2 years despite having gone for 2 interviews.

Adding to the dilemma is the fact that your current career is picking up and you see a future in this company at the Corporate HQ doing what you are getting good at; People development, organisational restructuring and talent management. While the learning curve has been steep, you have been blessed with great mentors and colleagues to guide you along this journey.

But such is life.

One often has to make their choices, hope for the best and live without regrets.

So hopefully, the choice made will be one without regrets.

On a side-note, you dreamt of her again. You saw her backing out of a lot in a Porsche 911. Guess life must be treating her well these days.

While you have been on few dates, courtesy of friends who decided to take things into their own hands, something remains missing. Somehow or rather, you feel that the missing jigsaw lies in the ability to connect.

Even though some may challenge the notion that chemistry takes time to build up through multiple dates with the same person, you think you know yourself best. One can call you a hopeless romantic, but sometimes all it takes is just that one random encounter to find that special someone. 

You will know that you have found that someone when she is on the same wave-length as you in the language, values and character. But you have to be also cognisant that you don't bench-mark this unknown ONE with her. Everyone is unique in their own right and you shouldn't measure someone's love for you (if they do decide to take that leap of faith with you) with that same yard-stick.

As a good lady classmate whom you have known for almost 30 years (it's that long) once quipped, sometimes things happen for a reason. Perhaps its all pre-destined that the end of this special romance was meant to bring you to someone who will make it even more special. 

Yet, there are times when those memories come gushing back again. Those mesmerising eyes which speaks a different language at different times; of mystery, cheekiness, concern, anger and bliss which makes you understand her even more.

There you go again; delving into the past.

One should not dwell too much into the past.  You can’t be happy if you have regrets.

Recently, there's been a spate of news over the treatment of the less fortunate. From parents hoping for an inclusive society for special needs children yet not wanting their own children to be in the same class to the recent ranting of a deaf & mute cleaner, it really saddens you when the society these days are becoming less tolerant of the under-privileged. 

You asked yourself what has happened to the Gotong Royong spirit or, kampung spirit of helping one another. While the government and larger corporations have been on the forefront of caring for the less fortunate, much remains to be done on each and every individual.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to how values of compassion & tolerance are inculcated in each and every individual from young. And every inculcation starts from the family. You hope that if you do have kids one day, they would not turn out to be the monsters who are less tolerant and less compassionate about society.

With July coming, it means that friends still in the 社团 would have had received news on their promotion by now, including J. You wonder if she made it as she deserve the promotion for all the effort she has put in. It also meant that the month of July would be a month of free lunches or dinners as promotees "pay it forward" with the salary increment which comes with the promotion/upgrade.

You were happy to hear that some of your friends have received their well deserved promotion/upgrade after having put in all the hard work. In addition, to have been remembered by the brothers-in-arms when they invited you for a reunion and a promo dinner was a humbling one. As you spoke with them yesterday, you mused that this year would had been a good year for you, if you had stayed on.

You would had also been upgraded in rank grade and likely to be sent for an overseas Command & Staff college next year. But your brothers were right. One cannot never look back at the choices made and just move on the path you have chosen. 

Indeed, while you reminisce about the past, you are looking forward to a month of reunion and good food. 

No matter how well planned your schedule for the day can be, you are always at the mercy of Mother Nature. Indeed its true for while humans can write the rules, its always Mother Nature who makes the laws. 

Despite waking up at an ungodly hour on a weekend and spending 2 hours on the road (inclusive of 1.5 hours of Customs clearance), your plan to clock an hour of flying was thwarted by weather, AGAIN. Even before you left home, the weather radar have shown heavy precipitation over at Indonesia and slowly heading North.

After reaching the airport and discussing with your instructor on the flight, you set off to the aircraft for pre-flight checks. But alas, the weather came in rapidly and the red splotches on the radar confirmed that it wasn't safe to fly. So, as pilots, both of made the call to scrub the sortie and headed off for breakfast. The decision to knock-it-off was further re-affirmed by another instructor who went up with the student; they went up and turned around after finding the visibility was very bad. It was so bad that the runway glide-slope lights were only visible 600ft above the ground.

Even though you were extremely disappointed at not being able to fly, safety is more important than ego. There are times such as this when you wondered whether it's God's will that you will never fly again. But on the hindsight, you have reached the stage where you ego can no longer write checks which your body can cash. 

You don't know when you would soar among the clouds again, one day the wild blue yonder would be yours to conquer.