Speech by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, at the Award Presentation Ceremony of the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition 2010

Principals and Teachers,
Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Afternoon.

I am pleased to be here again at the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC) Award Presentation Ceremony. The SAFMC provides a unique platform for Singaporeans of all ages and from all walks of life to explore the wonders of flight and push the boundaries in the creation and design of flying machines. I am therefore glad to hear that over 1,000 participants have signed up this year, which is more than a 40 percent increase from last year's competition. We have a whole mix of participants, with ages ranging from nine to 63 years, and teams that are made up of school mates, work colleagues, friends and family members. I am therefore glad to see that the SAFMC has evolved into much more than a competition, but also an important event for social bonding and recreation.

This year, to provide participants with an enriching learning experience, DSO National Laboratories and Science Centre Singapore also held workshops and clinics by industry specialists to advise teams and shore up their technical competencies. Teams were also given an account on LIVE@EDU, where they could create personalised logbooks detailing their experiences and sharing knowledge and information. In this way, participants were not only able to further their research but also engage other teams in debate and discussions by tapping on the growing SAFMC online community.

The primary objective of the SAFMC goes beyond fostering a sense of imagination and innovation. It seeks to inculcate in participants a daring can-do attitude, a drive to out-perform ourselves and a desire to succeed at whatever we are doing. These qualities are vital in the world of science and technology, where frustration and disappointment are as much a part of the process as the joy of discovery. The Wright brothers, for instance, faced many challenges in their early trials. Their wings did not have enough lifting power. Their gliders and airplanes often spun out of control. In their disappointment, the brothers even lamented that man would probably not be able to achieve the dream of flight during their lifetime. But their sheer determination and resilience in the face of these setbacks eventually won over. In their quest for a practical aircraft, the Wright brothers made over 1,000 glider flights, tested over 200 models of wing surfaces, and built seven flying prototypes before founding modern aviation.

I recently read about a Japanese man named Takuo (pronounced Ta-ku-O) Toda and his relentless efforts to better the world record for a hand-launched paper airplane. Now, in the world of competitive paper airplane throwing, any flight beyond 20 seconds is exceptional. Last December, Toda improved on his previous record of 24 seconds with a flight time of 26.1 seconds. Today, he is still seeking to better this achievement by aiming to break the 30-second barrier for paper airplane flying. Concurrently, Toda is also working with a team of scientists from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to design a paper airplane which can be launched from space and withstand the intense heat of re-entry. This example shows that there can be no end in wanting to do better, pursue one's dreams, even reaching into the unknown to find success.

Takuo Toda exemplifies the spirit of innovation, daring and tenacity that is especially important for Singapore if we are to produce the world's top talents in science and technology. As a small country with no natural resources and only the quality of our human capital to rely on as the key driver of our growth, we must continue to possess the hunger and drive to think out of the box and search for new and better ways of doing things.

I am therefore heartened to know that many teams from last year are here again to compete. And I also hear that several primary and secondary schools have chosen to participate in higher categories. This is an encouraging sign. It shows that you too are seeking to do better, sharpen your skills and build even better flying machines. For our younger participants, I hope that SAFMC 2010 will inspire you to be part of our dynamic science and technology community.

On this note, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to this year’s winners. To all participants, thank you once again for enriching the competition with your impressive entries. Do continue to work hard at achieving your dreams as you allow your imagination and creativity to take flight.

Thank you.