Background

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is celebrating its 55th anniversary (RSAF55) this year. As part of the celebrations, the RSAF55 Open House (RSAF55OH) will be held from 9 to 10 September 2023 at Paya Lebar Air Base. Members of the public will have opportunities to fly with the RSAF to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the RSAF's assets and operations.

Participating Aircraft

Participating aircraft for the familiarisation flights include the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, the CH-47SD Chinook Helicopter, the C-130 transport aircraft, the Fokker 50 aircraft, and the Singapore Youth Flying Club's DA40 trainer aircraft.

How To Get Onboard Familiarisation Flights

From 20 July 2023 onwards, members of the public can obtain tickets via balloting through FormSG or via RSAF social media giveaways and contests. Tickets are strictly not for sale or exchange. All results will be released by end-August 2023. Figure 1 below shows the timeline for the application process:

Figure 1. Familiarisation Flight Application Timeline

1. FormSG Ballot

The FormSG ballot is the main method for members of the public to try and get seats on the familiarisation flights. The link to the FormSG ballot (https://go.gov.sg/famflightballoting) will be publicised on RSAF social media channels on 20 July at 12pm, and will run for five weeks till 22 August, 12pm. Eligible applicants can apply for up to four tickets in their ballot application, and all valid applications will go through a randomised electronic balloting system. Each applicant is entitled to only one ballot chance, with the latest submission considered as the final one.

The date, time, and aircraft type for the familiarisation flight will be randomly allocated as part of the ballot. Successful group ballots of more than one ticket will be allocated flights on the same aircraft. Smaller group ballots will be prioritised.

Successful applicants will receive digital e-ticket(s) marked with their personal details, as well as administrative instructions such as the reporting time, location and attire through the email address provided through FormSG.

2. Social Media Giveaways

The RSAF will also host Instagram giveaways on the RSAF's Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/thersaf). Two separate giveaways will be hosted from 21 to 27 July and 29 July to 4 August. Members of the public who wish to try their hand at winning a pair of tickets on a familiarisation flight will need to follow the RSAF's Instagram page, leave a 'Like' on the giveaway post, and tag three friends in the comments section. They will also stand a higher chance to win if they share the giveaway post via their Instagram Stories and set their accounts to public. 50 pairs of tickets will be up for grabs in each giveaway, and winners will be selected at random via electronic means.

3. Social Media Contests

'Find CPT Ted', an online contest, will be hosted on the RSAF's Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheRSAF) from 11 to 22 August. 50 pairs of tickets will be up for grabs through this contest. Members of the public will need to follow these steps to stand a chance to win a pair of tickets:

1. Find scenes with the RSAF's CPT Ted bear in five of the RSAF's latest YouTube videos posted from 21 May to 9 August.

2. Head to the RSAF's YouTube Community page to fill in an online form with the identified video titles and timestamps. The link to the form will be made available from 11 August onwards.

4. Digital Experience Webapp Augmented Reality Filter Contest

From 15 August, members of the public can attempt to win tickets by trying out the Augmented Reality Filter featured in the RSAF55OH's Digital Experience Webapp. Titled 'Sky Effect', users can upload screenshots or screen recordings of them using the filter onto their personal Instagram accounts, while tagging @theRSAF and hash tagging #RSAF55, for a chance to win a pair of tickets. Participating accounts have to be made public for their posts to be visible. 50 pairs of tickets will be up for grabs, which will end on 22 August.

Prerequisites

For flight safety reasons, the following groups will not be allowed to take the familiarisation flights:

1. Those with physical mobility conditions that may affect their movement in time-critical situations such as during an emergency.

2. Those with any pre-existing heart and/or lung conditions.

3. Those who are pregnant.

4. Those who have been advised not to take part in any strenuous activities.

5. Those who have been previously assessed to be unfit to fly by any airlines.

Members of the public who wish to board the flights must minimally be 5 years old and 100cm tall.

Other Terms and Conditions

The RSAF reserves the right to amend any part of the balloting, giveaway or contest processes, as well as approve or deny any members of public on the day of the familiarisation flights. All applicants should also note that the familiarisation flights are contingent on good weather and aircraft availability.

The familiarisation flights are for Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents only. Successful applicants will also need to complete an indemnity form before their balloted flight. They will be required to read and sign the indemnity form digitally through Singpass, or print and sign the hardcopy indemnity form that will be sent to their provided email address. Successful applicants below 18 years old will require their parent or legal guardian to acknowledge the indemnity form for them. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian onboard the flights.

Successful applicants will also need to bring along their identification document for verification purposes. The digital IC on Singpass is accepted as an identification document.