Each NDP 2025 leap 'feels like 5km run': Veteran Red Lion
Nadine Chua for The Straits Times
After executing a perfect landing on a large open field in Bishan, Red Lion Leonard Tan was drenched from head to toe.
When asked if he was soaked because he went through clouds while free-falling through the sky, Master Warrant Officer Tan said: "Most of it is sweat. The stress and fatigue level of one jump is equivalent to a 5km run. Mentally and physically, I feel like I just ran 5km."
MWO Tan was speaking exclusively to The Straits Times on July 30 after a practice jump in Bishan. He is one of seven Red Lions taking part in the 2025 National Day heartland celebrations, and will jump from about 1,830m and land at the open field beside Junction 8 in Bishan at 4pm on Aug 10.
Despite being the most experienced Red Lion this year, with the highest number of jumps - 3,020 jumps over a 25-year career - MWO Tan, 48, said he reminds himself to never be complacent and to always keep focused on the jump ahead.
"The jump itself is around six minutes, but we have to prepare ourselves for around six hours. A lot goes behind the scenes," he said.
For instance, to prepare for the 9.15am jump on July 30, MWO Tan woke up at 3am.
"I had a small bite, attended several safety briefs and returned to our base camp to prepare our equipment. Then we headed to the airbase to coordinate with the pilots on how our jumps will be," he said.
"In the aircraft, I would visualise how I would exit the plane and execute the canopy moves, all the way until I landed.
"So by the time I land, I would always feel a lot of relief because of the humongous amount of stress there was before jumping out of the aircraft," he added.
Before each jump, everything from wind speed to the amount of clouds in the sky are monitored to ensure the safety of the Red Lions.
For instance, for display jumps, surface winds cannot exceed 13 knots (24kmh), which is classified as a moderate breeze on the Beaufort scale.
Visibility is another factor. MWO Tan said: "When we are on board the plane and can't see the show arena or the landing spot due to clouds, the plane will make another round... If we still can't see the arena, we will call off the jump."
Training is also key, and preparation for the Aug 10 jump began as early as April.
"Due to limited airspace in Singapore, the Red Lions pivot to high-intensity training in Thailand for about three weeks to rehearse the display routines. It takes at least 30 jumps to prepare for an event like this," said MWO Tan.
A childhood dream
All preparations now, no matter how tough, feel worthwhile to MWO Tan, who has dreamt about being a Red Lion since he was a boy.
"It's been a childhood aspiration of mine. When I was young, I lived in Bedok, and from my HDB flat, I could see the horizon above Bedok Reservoir. At times, I would see an aircraft flying over the horizon and it looked like it was (pooping), but it was actually a parachutist jumping from the rear of the aircraft," he said, with a laugh.
"I was very curious (about) what that was, and my parents told me that those were army parachutists doing their training. That really struck me, and inspired me to want to be a parachutist," added MWO Tan.
Eventually, he made the cut in 2000. But his first training jump did not go according to plan.
Smiling sheepishly as he recalled his first jump, MWO Tan said: "It was not a very positive jump because I didn't pull my parachute. So I was actually tumbling all the way from the aircraft.
"Luckily, there was (an) automatic activation device that activated my parachute. When I landed, I got a warning letter, and I was nearly out."
It taught him a valuable lesson "to be more consistent and not to be complacent, especially since parachuting is not for the faint-hearted".
"It is a bit of a risky sport if you do not know what to do, so we need to be very sure of our drills and prepare ourselves well."
Since then, MWO Tan has made more than 3,000 jumps, with National Day 2025 marking his 10th display jump to celebrate the nation's birthday.
One of his most memorable jumps was in 2006, when he landed at the former National Stadium in Kallang.
"It was iconic to me because the old National Stadium was shaped like a bowl. So in the air, it acts like a speaker and amplifies the crowd cheering. Even at 3,000 feet (914m) high, I could hear Gurmit Singh speaking as the emcee. I thought, wow, I'm so high but I can still hear the crowd, and that struck me - to do an even better show for the nation," MWO Tan said.
The jump on Aug 10 will be MWO Tan's first at a heartland event.
"In the heartland, you get closer to the audience, which is something I look forward to," he said.
Despite being so experienced, each jump for MWO Tan is still as exciting as the first.
"I enjoy every single jump, from the first to the last. I anticipate myself to be making another 1,000 jumps," he said.
When asked what Singapore looks like from above the clouds, MWO Tan said: "You can see the whole of Singapore from 10,000 feet (3,048m). It is a priceless feeling and, at times, even tearful because when I jump out, it brings back memories of where my roots are. I feel very appreciative of the people who brought me up to where I am today.
"So to me, whenever I jump out, the feeling is always the same. It is like jumping back home."
