Patricia flies a MiG fighter jet

bolt · Post time 15-12-2009 08:49 PM

Post Last Edit by bolt at 15-12-2009 20:55

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Tabik puan dan tahniah

Saya sudah tiada kesempatan lagi untuk ke Pulatibang

LANGKAWI: To visitors at the Lang kawi airport runway where aircraft of different makes and origin are displayed, all the members of a MiG-29 squadron standing together in their flying suits may look the same.

However, on closer inspection it is clear that one sports a ponytail.

She is Mejar Patricia Yapp of the “Taufan-Ganas” aerobatic team from the Kuantan-based 17th RMAF squadron that is taking part in aerial stunts during the daily air shows throughout the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) 2009.

The need for speed: Major Yapp, call sign ‘Foxy’, showing off her equipment in Langkawi Friday.

She is also the only female MiG fighter pilot in the current crop flying the Russian-made plane.
Yapp also has the authority to lead a fighter jet team into combat.

The petite 33-year-old joined the Royal Malaysian Air Force as a trainee pilot and graduated with honours from the RMAF College in Alor Star in 1997.

She attributed her skills to long hours of training and a fierce ambition to fly a fighter jet.

“I was lucky to be taught by commanding officer Lt-Kol Mohd Hakimi during my days as a cadet officer,” she said in an interview yesterday.

From Lt-Kol Mohd Hakimi, Yapp learnt how to handle tough situations and also to exceed requirements as a fighter pilot.

“I always liked high-speed flights, and I also have the freedom of movement in the sky, which is an experience that cannot be forgotten easily,” she said.

Yapp said she also loved the old British-made Spitfire aircraft. “It’s cute,” she said. Another MiG pilot in the aerobatic team, Mejar Sebastian William, 38, said he decided to become a fighter pilot in 1991 after watching the jets taking off and landing at the Butterworth air base during his school days in Bukit Mertajam.

“My family was surprised that I joined the RMAF because my father and two siblings are in the police force. But they are proud of my career,” he said.

William described flying the MiG as special because of its uniqueness.

He said the MiG instrumentation had to be converted from the metric to the imperial system to comply with international flight measurement systems.

“Many modern aircraft have pilot assistance equipment which certainly helps you in flight.

“But the MiG has lesser equipment. It’s a mechanically-inclined plane.

“You need to have good personal skills and quick reflexes to operate it, which means that the MiG pilot is always on high alert and your skills are increased as a result,” he added.

uboat · Post time 16-12-2009 12:47 AM

rser2 la kn,lpas ni Mejar Patricia jd pilot apa plak bla mig dipencenkn? su-30mkm, new fighter?

venez · Post time 16-12-2009 09:19 AM

as i bersembang ngan dia last week, dia pun xtau hala tuju dia selepas MiG, dia nak fly fighter selagi daya, xnak jadi pegawai staf or instructor but i think Sukhoi suite dgn dia... BTW dia akan berkahwin tahun depan, so sapa2 yang dok tackle dia kat LIMA baru2 nih xder harapan dah... kawin dgn skot sendiri, congrat to them, congrat to my skot...