Learn from Birds

As a sailor, we have so much to learn from nature around us. I learnt from old sailors that seamanship is nothing but common sense. If navigation being part of seamanship, it apply common sense most. I believe every navigator make use of wind and current for their advantage while navigating. So it is very important to let young sailors observe surroundings.

I often bring my naval trainees nearer to Changi Naval Base buoy and ask them to observe sea birds sitting on the buoy and railing and ask them why they all facing in one direction. I enjoy listening to their different answers and i feel happy when I hear sensible answers from some of them.

Often we can see a lot of sea birds sitting on mooring buoys or other marks in the harbour. If watch closely, can find that all of them facing the wind.

Birds fly and land into the wind for maximum lift and control of flight. All birds land into the wind, especially when they need a precision landing on objects like railings. So they land into the wind with maximum resistance against wind.​

Someone asked me once "why they face wind when they are not flying but sitting on a big buoy?" I answered with another question to my female trainee in the group, "Becky, do you like to stand facing a running fan or stand back-facing"? The whole group understood what I meant. No one wish to mess up beautiful feathers by strong wind.

So I asked pointing an aircraft landing at Changi airport, "Who taught these pilots how to land and take off...?"