Lima 2005

10 December 2005 (Saturday)
Langkawi.

LIMA 2005 opens to the public today (Saturday) and tomorrow. RM20 will get an adult in to gawk at high-tech weaponry and planes. Not a big affair compared to say the Paris or Farnborough air shows. Without Russian technology, there isn't much of a show at LIMA 2005.

The aerial display lasts for only an hour and the pilots of the Malaysian Air Force really did a marvellous show first with a two-seater F-18 and then in the end 7 MIGs doing loops and turns and group formations sometimes with bursts of fireworks in their wake. Other planes that made aerial show were a single-engined turboprop and two helicopters. The one helicopter with military colours did really amazing manoeuvres one would not expect from a helicopter. Very expensive machines these and the pilots must be having the times of their lives and all at the government's expense…. well, maybe not all of it for we did have pay RM20 each to get in. At a pilot training booth I found out that to get a PPL license one would need about RM28,000. That is a very interesting proposition but makes flying a very expensive hobby. Didn't have the time to visit the maritime exhibition, shall try in two years' if they still put up these shows..

After a tiring journey back from Langkawi by ferry and a 40 minute-journey to our house, we found out that we have no power in the house. Called TNB on 15454; it took two hours before before a TNB representative arrived. The main switch in the house got burnt, the guys simply by-passed the switch and told us to get in touch with an electrician as soon as possible to put in a new switch.