Why do RSAF planes turn left?

[ethanz]

Turning left after take-off is a standard procedure for all pilots. It is a procedure to reach certain altitude and turn left to maintain that level of altitude. If you observe planes taking off in various airbases, you will see that all pilots turn left, regardless of the direction of take-off.

Good suggestions by you guys out there but for small jets like the F-5S/T, the jets are twin-engined planes and there is very low risk of both engines failed at the same time. However, jet crashes can resulted in many ways, such as avionics failure, ran out of fuel, malfunction in the rudders (vertical stabiliser) which may cause the jet to nose dive, loosing any wings or horizontal stabiliser or pilot lost of conciousness. Bird strikes may damage the engine(s) and will require emergency landing.

Having standard operating procedures to deal with emergencies are important and ideas like crashing unrecoverable jets into remote places or open sea is a good suggestion but it is very difficult to glide a small winged jet in the air, as the jet will become unstable without engines. An aircraft suitable for gliding in the air must have wings the size of a jumbo jet.

Dun worry, F-5 still can be recovered and land safely with only an engine working! That is the advantage of having twin-engined aircraft.

[ahteck]

basic highway code. right turn you need to giveway for oncoming traffic. safe to turn when there is green arrow.

[aimnfire]

turn right might enter malaysian airspace