Earning their wings, finding their purpose

She had memorised her checks, landmarks and flight procedures. But as Ms Elisha Chan prepared for take-off, her nerves got the better of her.

She keyed in the wrong radio frequency – twice.

The aspiring pilot was especially anxious as this was an important flight assessment that would determine if she could move on to the next stage of her Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC) Private Pilot Licence (PPL) course.

Thankfully, her instructor remained patient and reassured her to trust in her training.

“He simply looked at me and told me to breathe,” recalled the 19-year-old Temasek Polytechnic student. “Once we were airborne, I became much more comfortable handling the aircraft.”

That flight assessment proved to be a turning point in her aviation journey.

“After that flight, I stopped doubting whether I belonged in SYFC.”

Learning to love the pilot’s seat

While Elisha’s father – a former Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) pilot who operated the UH-1H “Huey” helicopter – encouraged her to join SYFC, she did not always see herself becoming a pilot.

“Initially, I joined mainly to see how far I could go, without expecting too much, as I knew how demanding the programme was going to be.”

It was during Elisha’s familiarisation flight that her confidence began to grow. Her instructor praised the way she handled the aircraft, and that encouraged her to keep going.

“That was the first time I told myself I have the potential to become a pilot,” she recalled. “From then on, I became much more committed to pursuing aviation.”

Throughout her SYFC journey, her father remained one of her strongest sources of support.

After every flight, he was always someone that she could speak to – whether she needed advice on flying, or when she simply wanted to share how her training had gone.

“He would help me reflect on what happened, and think about how I could improve for the next one!”

More importantly, he reminded her not to lose sight of why she had started flying in the first place.

“Whenever I became too caught up in wanting to perform well, he would tell me that SYFC was an opportunity to pursue something I genuinely loved,” said Elisha.

“He also told me that a certain amount of pressure can be motivating, but too much would affect my confidence and performance. I’ve kept those words close to heart throughout my SYFC journey.”

A new mindset

For Elisha, the toughest part of the PPL course was not just learning how to fly – it was learning how to manage expectations she placed on herself.

“There was a point during the course when I became too focused on performing well, that I stopped enjoying flying altogether, and the anxiety started affecting my performance,” she admitted.

After speaking to her parents and instructors, she realised that she needed to approach flying with a different mindset.

“Instead of treating every flight like a test, I started flying as though it was another opportunity to enjoy being in the air.”

Once she let go of the pressure to be perfect, she began to fly with confidence.

“It reminded me why I wanted to become a pilot in the first place, and it kept me grounded and motivated to continue pushing further.”

Now, Elisha hopes to take her passion for flying further by joining the RSAF as a pilot after graduation.

“I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself, so the opportunity to fly high-performance military aircraft is definitely something that excites me,” she said.

“To me, serving as an RSAF pilot would mean combining something I’m genuinely passionate about with the opportunity to contribute to Singapore’s defence – and that’s a career I would be very proud to be part of.”

From looking up to taking off

Like Elisha, fellow SYFC graduate Recruit (REC) Gareth Ang also hopes to serve as an RSAF pilot in the future.

For the 18-year-old, his fascination with aircraft began at a young age.

“It was the sheer power that the aircraft had, or just that magical feeling of being in the air, thousands of feet above the ground, which left an impression on me.”

The Full-time National Serviceman is currently a Supply Assistant at 41st Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment.

That childhood interest grew through visits to Singapore Airshows and RSAF Open Houses with his family.

“With aerial displays and static aircraft showcases (at those events), I was able to see aircraft up close and appreciate both their power and complexity,” he recalled.

“These experiences made aviation feel even more exciting to me, and helped turn a childhood fascination into a deep interest.”

In 2024, the St Andrew’s Junior College student joined the SYFC and took his first step in turning childhood dream into reality.

“SYFC gave me the chance to be a pilot. It allowed me to really fly and learn aviation with a real purpose.”

Pushed to do better

REC Ang’s hard work definitely paid off. He not only earned the Best-in-Flying award – given to the top graduand in the flying category – but was also named second runner-up for Best-in-Ground School.

He credits his instructors for playing a vital role in shaping his growth. In flying training, they set high standards and guided him from mastering the basics to becoming more confident with each flight.

And in Ground School, his instructors made the effort to explain concepts clearly and ensure that trainees understood the material, rather than simply doing rote memorisation.

“They were available, even at odd hours, to answer any questions we had,” he recalled. “They wanted to make sure we understood the theory well, before we applied it practically during our flights.”

These lessons helped him grow not just as a trainee pilot, but also as a learner who had to stay disciplined and keep improving.

Friendships that took flight

One of the most meaningful parts of REC Ang’s SYFC journey was the camaraderie he built with his coursemates.

A particularly memorable experience for him was the SYFC 130 Squadron (SQN) Exchange to Perth, Australia, where they had the chance to experience life as RSAF pilot trainees in the Basic Wings Course phase.

There, they ate Australian cookhouse food together, toured Pearce Air Force Base, and had the shared experience of flying the PC-21 trainer aircraft.

“Our nights in Perth were mostly spent together, huddled in one of our rooms watching movies, talking and playing board games,” he recalled.

“This was the trip that truly brought us all together and got us to understand each other as friends, rather than just coursemates.”

Looking to the skies

For REC Ang, the dream of becoming an RSAF pilot is no longer just a childhood fascination sparked by aircraft displays, flight simulators and videos.

“SYFC showed me a glimpse of what life in the RSAF would be like, and I believe that becoming an RSAF pilot will develop me to become the best version of myself that no other path can,” he said.

“It will let me serve and protect the nation that I grew up in, the one that gave me my life.”