‘Parilutists should slow down, avoid changing direction’

He said that parachutists landing in crosswinds should immediately slow down, avoid changing direction and brace for landing by adopting the feet knee lock tight position, and they should break their fall by rolling.

You are unable to change direction because it is too low. It all happens in a split second. He stated that there was very little time to react.

The display of parachutists can often have to land in small areas, like centre stage at The Float, according to Mr Tan. Mr Leow said he has jumped into the pool at the former Big Splash, the Chinese Garden and other smaller stadiums as part of skydiving displays.

The distance of landing is so short, so they are trying to land within that distance. So I think a lot of factors have to be adjusted accordingly, according to Tan.

It's different from an airfield where the drop zone is really large. You can manoeuvre and land farther away, but you need to walk longer. In a Facebook post in 2019 the ministry of defence said that the Red Lions have to land close to the centre of the stage so that everyone can get a good view regardless of where they sit.

Landing at Padang is no easy feat, according to the ministry. The Red Lions have to steer away from trees and buildings due to the sudden wind rush when they enter the designated drop zone. Mr Tan said that the Red Lions are using sport chutes that are smaller than conventional military chutes. He said that these sport chutes are more manoeuvrable, but they are more susceptible to strong winds.

The heat from the asphalt in the landing zone - significantly warmer than the air above - could also rise and create currents, leading to turbulent conditions at low altitudes, Mr Tan said.

It is hard to realise these complexities when seeing the Red Lions jump successfully year after year, and Mr Tan said this is also why the SAF places a lot of emphasis on training its parachutists and making sure their skills are up to date.

He said that sometimes you just do your best, and hope nothing will surface.

I think most of the people there in the Red Lions are experienced enough to know what is going on, but just that s happens. These are external factors that nobody can predict. In a 2009 essay on the Red Lions, Mr. Lam Shiu Tong, who was Chief Commando Officer from 2006 to 2011 said the parachutists often jump in rarely favourable environments with strong winds and urban obstacles.

He wrote that he would have to follow the stack sequence and pilot his own parachute to land within 10 m of the landing strip once the Red Lion opens his canopy.

In this case, the difference between a good landing and a broken limb may be metres or inches away. Everything at this stage is purely dependent on the assessment and decision-making skills of the parachutist. There is no help at this point! Mr Leow said he has seen more than 6,000 jumpers break their legs in world skydiving meets and experienced parachutists with more than 6,000 jumps.

There is a risk, he added.