The moment Lieutenant-Colonel Mohd Norazan Othman saw 7-year-old Sharifah Elayna Syed Fadley among the crowd at the Langkawi International Airport's tarmac, memories came flooding back from three decades ago.
The little girl's appearance in a full Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) pilot uniform reminded Norazan of how the Langkawi International Maritime and Aero-space exhibition (Lima) has impacted his life.
"I wanted to be a pilot ever since I was in Standard Three, but it was the first Lima in 1991 that cemented my determination to become a fighter jet pilot."
Langkawi-born Norazan told the New Sunday Times this as he was preparing to fly a Sukhoi SU-30MKM Flanker in the airshow at Lima '23.
"I remember how watching the airshow in the first Lima edition over 30 years ago, I was determined to fly an RMAF fighter jet in a Lima airshow.
"I decorated the wall of my bedroom with fighter jet posters, and imagining that I would be flying them one day," he said.
To pursue his dream, he enrolled in a technical high school at the age 16 in Ipoh, since none of the high schools in Langkawi offered science stream subjects at the time.
After passing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia with flying colours, he was accepted into RMAF's pilot training school, fulfilling his dream of flying fighter jets, such as the MiG-29N Fulcrum and now the Sukhoi.
He was later sent for an instructor's course at the Australia Central Flying School.
To put the icing on his illustrious flying career, Norazan was selected by RMAF to train as a test pilot at the International Test Pilots School in Ontario, Canada.
"It was a very costly. It is also a very tough programme with a passing mark of over 85.
"To complete the training, I had to present my project to the Test Pilot Society committee, made up of renowned test pilots.
"I am grateful that I passed the tough training with excellent results," said Norazan, one of only two test pilots in the RMAF.
He wishes that Lima would continue to have a similar impact on the following generation of children like Sharifah Elayna.
"Lima is beyond defence business and trade. It is also a platform to nurture talent for the nation's defence.
"Lima has all three core elements in our armed forces: army, air force and navy.
"It is not just all about becoming a pilot.
"We are talking about other careers in the military, from engineers to architects, technicians to ground crew.
"We are talking about an exhibition that exposes the young generation to the defence supply chain in the armed forces and in the private sector," he said.
In living up to Lima's role in nurturing future talent, some 120 students from 12 primary and secondary schools in Langkawi took part in a programme to introduce them to the aerospace sector.
"The focus of this programme is to expose the students to aerospace and to excite the next generation of space enthusiasts and experts," said Langit Kita Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Hafez Murtza.
The programme was spearheaded by the Malaysia Industry-Government Group for High Technology.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan affirmed Lima as an impactful platform in nurturing talent for the armed forces.
"This morning, I went to greet pilots performing in the airshow (at the tarmac).
"While walking back (to the hall), I came across some children and I asked them what they want to become when they grow up.
"They told me they wanted to become pilots. That is the impact of Lima on our children."
Mohamad said this was the impact that he wished to see, besides the biennial event's effect on businesses.
"This (Lima) will be a platform for our youngsters to get exposure to careers in the air force, navy (and) army, as well as our policies on nurturing the interest of young Malaysians to join the armed forces."
