Nationality Singaporean | ||
Known for First female pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force and one of first two women to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Singaporean military | ||
Koh Chai Hong (born 1959) is a Singaporean pilot who is known for being the first woman to qualify as a pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and one of the first two women to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Singaporean Army. She is also a former national champion in water-skiing.
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Early life and education
Chai Hong was born in 1959 and studied at Opera Estate Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Girls School as a child. She attended high school and completed her A levels at Raffles Institution. There, she was a talented athlete and played on the school's women's hockey team. Chai Hong's interest in aviation was sparked by a career talk she attended while at the school. She joined the Junior Flying Club in college despite parental objections and received her private pilot license within seven months.
In 1978, when the RSAF first allowed women to join, Chai Hong began training and obtained her pilot wings in 1979 after a year and a half, becoming the first woman to qualify. During her training, she was the only student to win all three flying trophies: best in basic phase, best in advanced phase, and best in aerobatics.
Career
In 1981, Chai Hong became a Flying Instructor.
In 1987, Chai Hong won a medal as a national water skier at the Southeast Asia Games.
In 1997, she was the first woman to be admitted to the highest level of formal military training in Singapore, the Singapore Armed Forces' Command and Staff Course. In 1998, she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Commanding Officer of Standards Squadron in Flying Training School. She was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1999, one of the first two women to do so.
Retirement and honors
In 2005, Chai Hong retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel. She is currently a simulator instructor employed by Lockheed Martin training RSAF Basic Wings Phase pilot trainees in Perth, Australia.
In 2015, Chai Hong was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.