Outdoor displays at the Singapore Airshow 2010

Following my blog post from yesterday, there are the photos I took of the outdoor displays at the Singapore Airshow 2010.

If I misnamed any of the displays, I do apologise for that and please correct me.  I’d appreciate that.  I took so many photos that after a while, I can’t tell most of the displays apart from one another.

I did my best to take photos together with the labels of the exhibits.  For those that I didn’t, I used a guide booklet that I got from the venue to identify the displays.  But sometimes the photos in the guide booklet are taken from different angles, that I still needed some guess work.

F-35 display by Lockheed Martin - a long queue of visitors were waiting at all times to have a chance to sit and pose for photos in the cockpit.

The massive crowd moving slowly along a bottleneck to enter the outdoor static aircraft display area.

RSAF CH-47 Chinook display.  You could go nearer to view its interior.  But to get near to all these RSAF aircraft, you needed to queue up to enter the cordoned section of the entire RSAF outdoor booth. 

RSAF AH-64 Apache display.  One of these Apaches performed a combined aerial display with a F-16 that day!  The Apaches also perform during our annual Singapore National Day in August.

Visitors posing with the military men at the RSAF AH-64 Apache display.

Visitors had the chance to sit and pose with RSAF men for photos inside the cockpit of the RSAF AH-64 Apache display.

Another long queue of visitors formed nearby to sit and pose for photos inside the cockpit of the RSAF F-16D display.  Generally people are more interested in the military aircraft.  I wonder if they can “feel” the “killer energy” emanating from these war machines?  Well I guess that’s part of “thrill factor”.

Airbus A330-200F display - the first time this plane is on public display.

I can’t identify this passenger jet display.  The main reason why I took its photo because of the next photo that follows… 

…visitors seeking shelter in the shade of the aircraft wings from the scorching sun!  It was indeed terribly hot that day.  A perfect weather with clear skies for aerial displays but sweltering for walking about on tarmac ground with no trees nearby!

I can’t identify this aircraft either.  The main reason for taking its photo is once again due to…

…the aircraft crew seeking shelter from our Singapore sunny weather!  It also shows how huge this plane is.

They call this mini helicopter “Little Bird”.  The name sounds rather cute until you see the artillery attached to the sides.  Then you wonder if it should be named “Lethal Bird” instead!

Anoher plane I can’t identify.  I took a photo because of the little red ribbon-like streams attached to parts of the jet.  They remind me of mini red couplets decorations for Chinese New Year!

Here’s another passenger jet on display.  Can you see the visitors sitting under the cockpit?

This sheltered area comes with a red carpet too!  It sure beats sitting on the hot tarmac ground!

The helicopter displays by Eurocopter.  They look like the ones used for the Grand Canyon helicopters tours  that I saw at Las Vegas in the US last year!

A closer view of a Eurocopter helicopter on display.

C-47J display - A very huge military plane.  You noticed how far I had to take this photo from so that most of the plane fits into my camera frame?

C-130J Hercules display - an even larger military plane.  I was informed that our NS men ride in one of these all the way to Taiwan for training.  They all had to sit knee to knee inside the cramped space for the entire trip!

One of the many games stalls at the outdoor family carnival area.  The kids were having fun racing one another and winning prizes for the efforts!  They didn’t seem to be bothered too much by the heat of the blazing afternoon sun overhead!

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I brought back some souvenirs (including sunburn) from my visit to the Singapore Airshow 2010.  Most of them were reading materials which I will send for recycling soon after I’m done reading them.  Without those brochures and booklets, most of the description of this blog post and the one yesterday wouldn’t be possible. 

The shuttle bus rides arranged by the organisers were comfortable and prompt.  No waiting time was required as I arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 3 at around 9am and left the Airshow venue at around 3pm during the second repeat aerial performance (I’d already seen the first same performance in the morning). 

Food and drinks stalls were readily available when you need them.  Queues to sit in the military vehicles and other interative displays were rather long but orderly.  There were ample clean washrooms in the air conditioned exhibition hall.  Overall the organisers did a great job to leave me a good impression for my first visit. 

Only the blazing sun and scorching heat of the day proved too much for some people like me.  You don’t see much of it in the photos, but the sunshine was super glaring and burning hot.  I received some souvenir sunburns on parts of my skin where I didn’t cover thoroughly with my sunblock.

This year, the aircraft performances were done by a single aircraft at a time, except for the Apache & F-16 combined aerial display.  I hope to see more spectacular group aerial displays for the Airshows in 2012 and beyond. 

I hope you’d enjoyed my coverage of the Airshow.  The Airshow will be back again in Singapore in 2012. 

Meanwhile the next military aircraft and naval display I can think of will be during our Singapore National Day in August, and on selected Saturdays leading to it.  If you love such performances, you can head down to the Marina Bay area to view them.  Just keep a look out in the local newspapers nearer to National Day for the exact dates and timings!