Meet Our 807 SQN Air Force Engineers
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Our Air Force Engineers (AFE) maintain our aircraft and weapon systems in top condition as they are essential for our missions. However, some of them maintain a set of equipment that are also essential, that they hope will never be used.
ME2 Kwek Jun Jie and ME1 Toh Yi Jun are two AFEs from the team that does this important role - they deal with the F-15SG pilots’ survival gears such as their parachutes and survival kits. They also help to maintain and service the pilots’ personal gear for their daily flying.
The parachute increases the pilot’s chances of survival in an emergency. ME2 Jun Jie inspects them to look out for defects.
What is in the survival kit?
ME2 Jun Jie: A typical survival kit consists of more than twenty items; including water, food, flares and a life raft.
Why are there so many colours on the parachute?
ME2 Jun Jie: The different colours on the parachute are used for camouflaging in different environmental conditions. White allows them to hide in snowy conditions, brown for sandy conditions, green for forested conditions while orange is for attracting attention so that the Search and Rescue teams can spot them easily.
Items in the survival kit.
What are some of the gears that you maintain?
ME1 Yi Jun: Some of the important pieces of equipment that we maintain are the Anti-G Vest and Anti-G Trousers. The vest and trousers provide pressure on the lower part of the pilot’s body so that it will keep blood on the upper part of their body. This helps them to stay conscious in flight.
The Torso harness is also crucial as it is the only thing that connects the aircrew to the parachute and the survival kit installed in the aircraft. It also comes with a life preserver unit which will inflate when it comes in contact with water.
AFEs also ensure that the pilot’s personal gears are flight-worthy.
ME1 Yi Jun maintaining the pilot’s head gear.
What are the things that you have to look out for while doing your checks?
ME1 Yi Jun: We have to pay attention to every small detail in the equipment and aircraft as it may become a potential hazard to the pilot.
ME2 Jun Jie: For the parachutes, we conduct stringent checks for defects. In an unlikely event that the pilot has to eject from the aircraft, the parachute increases their chances of survival. It is the last line of defence for them. Hence, it must not fail.
These equipment are ready to go!
Our pilots too, push themselves to the limits in the air because they know that they can depend on our AFEs to ensure that their aircraft and gears are flight-worthy.
A big salute to our AFEs for their great job!
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