NAFPA - Pass

Female NAFPA test is only conducted every 3rd Wednesday of the month @ Toa Payoh Stadium, which is pretty inflexible especially if the candidates are already currently working.

Background: from Primary school to JC's NAFPA, I've gotten GOLD every year without much trouble. Not boasting or anything but I really did not have to put in any extra effort other than the normal PE lessons.. My best timing for 2.4km run was 12mins. 

So naturally, I would think that for this NAFPA test I would able to ACE it right? WRONG!

Without those school PE lessons (in university as well as my past 1 year of working life), it really does make such a big difference in my fitness level. For the last 1 year, I've been sitting down everyday at work, going home late for dinner, sleeping in on weekends. As a result I put on a whopping 7 kg  since I started work. I felt like I was doing NAFPA with a mini field pack..  Needless to say results were as follows: (LEFT SIDE)

please check your results, they initially keyed in my shuttle run timing of 122 s (right) instead of 12.2 s (left). They also spelt my name totally wrongly but they said it didn't matter as long IC number is correct. 

It's a BIG wake up call. Since the results,  I've been TRYING to go for jogs after work once a week. Hopefully it will slowly tune my up fitness and shed those pounds.

Oh, another thing to note was, surprisingly a PASS for NAFPA would suffice instead of SILVER, so I've "cleared" NAFPA test now and waiting for the C3 interview which I'm told would be sometime in April 2015 (last stage!)

Well I'm really counting down the days to my interview and apparently on the same day I will know if I made it or not. Yes those jitters are coming but I trust God that He will decide if this is the vocation for me. Finally, after all theses years of waiting, (since sec/JC time), I'm finally at the interview stage. At least the next time I go for an open house, I can tell myself that I tried and there's no regrets anymore.

I'm pretty stoked I'm finally chasing my dreams!

It's official

One part of me is upset yet on the other hand, I'm glad I tried my best. 

So now I'm still in the running for UAV Pilot, C3 and GBAD. Next up its the NAPFA test and minimum Silver is required. If I do pass then I would need to choose and go for the interview. 

After much thoughts, I might go for C3 after all. Although its a broad umbrella term and C3 can be streamed into many disciplines like controller or in the command centre... and much of which I'm streamed into depends on luck.. I guess I would still go for it and let God decide :)

 

My future self? :P

Clipped Wings

Although the aeromedical results are not officially out, I'm more or less prepared that I will not pass for WSO Ftr :( The aeromedical just confirms that I'm just too small to fit into cockpit, sitting height, arm length and leg length are all shorter than the minimum even though I'm 161 cm. I was really upset after the aeromedical, just wishing maybe if I was born a male, I would be able to meet the physical measurement requirements. Well, I have just to accept it and move on, at least I tried right?

Even if I don't get into WSO Ftr, I would still want to join RSAF! I'm still thinking alot about UAV versus C3 vocation and which one would suit me better (provided I do pass the aeromedical). I read online that C3 has higher requirements than UAV to get in so naturally if you do qualify, wouldn't you choose the "harder to get in" one? Well, that's what happened to me in junior college, I went into science stream just because the cut off was lower and I qualified. I regretted that decision because in the end I scored As for my arts and language subjects instead of physics and maths. I regretted cause in my heart I knew i loved the arts more than sciences yet.. I chose science stream just cause it was "harder to get in".

So as of now, I am highly considering UAV Pilot if given the choice. Reasons being...

1. It is the future warfare, there is going to be a higher demand for UAV Pilots
2. I get to fly a remote controlled plane (something I've always wanted to do!)
3. Get to go for overseas training more than C3? (not very sure if its true)
4. Currently RSAF uses UAVs for recon, but maybe in the future there may be UCAVs for strike missions?
5. Able to ensure mission success by providing ground troops vital information, potentially saving lives!


However my fears include..

1. TRAINING. As I mentioned earlier, I'm really bad with Maths and Physics.. I would suppose UAV theory training comes with loads of that.. eg aerodynamics, avionics, etc. (having a passion/interest doesn't mean aptitude). Even with hard work, there's a higher risk of failing the course.
2. Will the job become repetitive and boring? Maybe what I will be doing is just controlling a joystick and looking at a screen everyday?

Too many thoughts so I'm just going to park them one side and wait for my aeromedical results first, then revisit them again :)

pre Aeromedical

So after probing the guy on the phone for so long, I finally found out why: I'm still a civilian hence not able to disclose PES to me since its considered SAF's information/property.

Did quite alot of research on aeromedical and hence prepared for it so that hopefully I can clear it in one shot. Went to check my eyesight and yep, increased by 50 deg for both eyes. Took about 1 week to update the lens and already collected my "updated" specs last sat.

Went to the dentist today to fill the cavity and get a green light for teeth health - ow.

What's left is to.. hope that I don't fall sick again and all the best for this Friday! It's most probably the make or break for WSO Ftr vocation. Although I'm hoping against all odds that I'll pass, I'm more or less prepared to fail already - to small to fit into cockpit.

Probably going to continue my research for UAV vs C3.

Combat fit but PES is confidential?

So I went back to CMPB a couple of days back to complete part 2 of the medical tests. I think I spent more time waiting for doctors than actually undergoing the tests. I had to redo ECG cause they said the previous graph looked slightly weird and also take blood pressure again.


Fast track to today, I got a SMS to book the Aeromedical Test, which was good news to me since they've processed the CMBP medical test results pretty quickly (about 1 week).

Gave them a ring to check what was my PES status and was shocked to find out my PES STATUS IS CONFIDENTIAL. They only could tell me I was combat fit but unable to reveal the PES. I'm slightly worried cause I've never heard anyone NOT knowing what their PES is. I might ring them up again tmr to ask more.. IF I have the time to call during office hours.