FROM LAB TO COCKPIT

Captain (CPT) Joyce Xie lives life on her own terms. Initially destined for the lab, she left her studies in molecular and cell biology to become a pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

That was in 2004, after watching a documentary on relief efforts following the Boxing Day tsunami. "I saw how the Singapore Armed Forces contributed in a more meaningful way."

She now pilots the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. On how her family took this about-turn, CPT Xie said: "I think my parents always knew I was going to do something different from most people. They've always told me to pursue what I want as long as I am happy."

She was sent to the Peace Vanguard detachment in the United States (US), training with the Arizona Army National Guards for two years. "I learnt from veterans with years of combat experience, and it was one of the best training experiences I've ever had.

"As much as we hope that we do not have to use (these skills), we have to train the way that we would fight." CPT Xie is now a Staff Officer in the Air Training Department.

While in the US, she got to indulge her passion for fast cars. She drove on track-days and took the wheels of some of the fastest production cars in the world today.

The car which left an impression was the Lamborghini Aventador, which has 700 horses under the hood (still less than an Apache helicopter). "It's the speed and precision of these cars that I enjoy - that's also why I love being a pilot!"