LANGKAWI: As the sun began to make its way down from its zenith, the engines of a single jet fighter fired up.
Soon, it would be streaking across the sky above the Langkawi International Airport and Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.
It was a Royal Malaysian Air Force F/A-18D Hornet, opening the afternoon session of the airshow on the last day of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition 2023 (Lima '23).
It was the beginning of the end, so to speak, for this year's Lima, the biennial exhibition in its 16th edition.
Other aircraft would follow the F/A-18 of the 18th Squadron, the "Mighty Hornets", but it seemed fitting that the last session of the airshow would be opened by a Malaysian pilot.
The throng that gathered to watch the show were thrilled. It was a short flight, but you could hear the gasps as the pilot pulled his aerobatics.
And what a huge crowd it was. Yesterday, the first day of the show, drew in 90,000 people.
Today, there were far more.
Tens of thousands of people moved in and out of the hall, inching their way forward.
As always, the RMAF booth was a hit, as were several others. But the big winner today was the Lima merchandising booth, with items like T-shirts, umbrellas, pins, stickers flying off the shelves.
A sign in the front showing what items were being sold had lots of red writing on it, saying "Sold Out".
Malaysians will now have to wait for another two years before they get to enjoy the spectacle that is Lima. But, it is no denying that they will be waiting eagerly.
