Fly high, see far

Remember when you first learnt to ride a bicycle? Those mixed feelings of fear and excitement as you rode without your training wheels?

That's probably how the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilots felt when they began operating the Searcher UAV back in 1994, having moved up from the very basic Scout Remotely Piloted Vehicle.

"It's like you used to drive a Mini, and now you're driving a Mercedes!" UAV pilot Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Ret) Francis Paranjody recalled with a chuckle. A pioneer of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) UAV Command and 119 Squadron's (SQN's) first Commanding Officer, 64-year-old LTC (Ret) Francis remembers fondly the early days of the Searcher UAV.

"From the Scout to the Searcher, the jump in capability was threefold. There were many gaps in the technology that we had to fix. A two-month overseas training course became five But we persevered," he said. "Within two years, we achieved Full Operational Capability."

Twenty years on, the UAV Command has grown in capability and expertise. The next generation of UAV pilots now flies the Heron 1 and Hermes 450 UAVs. The Searcher has since been retired.

While pushing the envelope of technology remains a focus, another characteristic that runs through the command is perseverance. Heron 1 pilot Lieutenant (LTA) Loh Aik Hau, a Full-time National Serviceman in 119 SQN, elaborated: "As technology develops, the system becomes more complex. It's a challenge (to keep up with new technologies). We have to refresh ourselves on our skills and knowledge while keeping abreast of new developments."

The 22-year-old said: "It requires a lot of perseverance and fighting spirit to not give up. So even though we may fail the flight, we push on and keep improving and looking forward. Then we can see the fruits at the end of the day."