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Seletar Aerospace Park

Singapore

By Mundane Babble

March 5^th, 2021

The former airbase of the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1928 to 1971 was home to Spitfires and Mosquitoes at some point in history. You are almost transported to the UK with road names like Piccadilly, Brompton Road, Regent Street and Sussex Garden. It must have been a busy airbase housing thousands of RAF personnel in its heyday.

In 1973, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) took over the airbase after the British pullout. Up till the mid-2000s, it was a restricted military area with civilian operations within its grounds.

I do remember the guardroom (photo below) manned by soldiers, where visitors had to sign in before proceeding further into the grounds. In the late 1980s, I had a short holiday stint working as a courier rider on a motorcycle. I had to deliver a parcel to an addressee within the airbase and it was my first time in the airbase. I was so taken by the colonial houses and the rustic feel of the place that years later, I brought my then girlfriend (now wife) to 'have a look' on one of our dates.

Since 2007, plans have been underway to develop Seletar into an aviation hub with purpose built infrastructures and buildings to accommodate the aerospace industry. The Seletar Airport has also been upgraded with a longer runway, new control tower and fire station.

All these changes means the place is becoming less rustic but I guess it is for the better. There are now cafes and eateries to bring in the crowds to an otherwise sleepy place.

This is one of many colonial houses in the area.

There used to be about 400 of them but about half of them were demolished to make way for the development of the aerospace hub. Some are now rented out as houses of residence while some have been converted into cafes and eateries.

Seletar Airport

This is the new Seletar Airport Terminal.

The airport handles mainly private planes and pilot training flights.

All quiet at the arrival hall in the middle of the pandemic. Right now, I do not think there is much activity except for medical emergencies.

Cafes and Eateries

Some of the hipster cafes dotted in the area.

Hampstead Wetlands Park

A little piece of wetlands in the middle of the aerospace park. It is quite a popular spot with the local birding fraternity.

When we arrived, the birding photographers were just chilling and adjusting their 'big guns' to focus on a specific spot on the tree in the middle of the pond.

Suddenly, someone shouted,"Lai liao, lai liao!" ('Here it comes!' in Hokkien dialect) and everyone sprung into action immediately. Clicks from the cameras were firing off continuously aiming at the bird perched on the tree.

It disappeared into the hollow of the tree and then the place went silent.

Then it came out for a brief moment and the firing of the clicks continued. Just as quickly as it came, the bird left to the dismay of the photographers who let off a collective sigh.