TOFT, Kenneth Edward
Transportation in Singapore,
Accession Number 002579
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 13
Total Reels
- Patricia Lee
Interviewer
- 06:11:33
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 13
Metadata
- 17 Jan 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:26
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Born in 1937, Perak, Malaysia. His family background and genealogy. “Toft” came from the noble family of Denmark. His ancestors were followers of Martin Luther. Family was into the business of fine boat china. Possible connection between “Wedgwood” and the “Toft” family business. Reason his grandfather migrated to Ipoh. His father married a Thai and was excommunicated by his grandfather. Recollections of his growing years as an Anglo-Thai. Recollections of the boat ride to Batavia to escape the Japanese. How the ship he was in was bombed. His further escape to Colombo. His father worked with the Royal Air Force in Colombo. The return to Ipoh and Singapore after the war. His father and mother divorced after the war.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 2 of 13
Metadata
- 17 Jan 2002
Recording Date
- 00:30:31
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
His explanation of a mixed marriage that did not work. His limited memory of his Thai mother. His choice of following his father. His spirit of rebelliousness as a teenager. Description of his relationship with his step-mother. Attended the Far East Airforce School (1946-1951) and St Andrew’s School (1951-1955). Recollection of his schooling years in Far East Airforce. How he would go for joy rides with the pilots. His love and fascination with planes during his childhood days. Became a Sports Reporter with Singapore Tiger Standard from 1955-1956.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 3 of 13
Metadata
- 17 Jan 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:48
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Reason the Singapore Tiger Standard was shut down in 1958. His application to become a private pilot at the Royal Singapore Flying Club. Description of the tests he was subjected to. Description of the training he received. Recollections of his first solo. Volunteered at the Royal Singapore Flying Club as a “pay-drop” to the rubber tappers. Left for India under the Indian Colombo Plan Scholarship to be trained as a commercial pilot (1958-1960). How he was offered a job by Malayan Airways in 1959. Names of the pilots who received the Indian Scholarship. His impressions of the infamous Sunny Ang as a pilot.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Loading...
Loading...
Reel/Disc 6 of 13
Metadata
- 24 Jan 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:56
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
The Comet was painted with anti-Malaysian slogans. It was a protest against the merger of Singapore and Malaysia. How he was being confronted by the Indonesian military. He and his co-pilots had to fly without any radio aid. Sukarno proclaimed Konfrontasi the following day. He was promoted Captain in 1964. The beginning of the Jet era in the mid 1960s. How he was the Project Manager for the purchase of the Boeing 747.
Implications for the pilots when new aircraft were purchased. His experience flying an unpressurised aircraft. How weather was an issue in those days. Accident rates were fairly high due to technological reasons. Recent accidents were more due to systematic than technological factors. His view of the Silk Air Crash. The accident remained a mystery.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 7 of 13
Metadata
- 24 Jan 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:17
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
History of Boeing 737 aircraft. Hypothesis of the failure of the black boxes. Technical hypothesis void of legal evidences. An analysis of SQ006 air- crash. Qualities needed in a pilot. How the qualification of a pilot changed over the decades. How the number of staff in the cockpit had been reduced. The need to help pilots become computer savvy. Danger of relying on computers to operate the aircraft. A humorous incident when the toilet flush did not work. Description of the “bid-line” system practised by American pilots.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 8 of 13
Metadata
- 24 Jan 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:57
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Pros and cons of the biding system for the pilots’ flying schedule. Recollections of pilot-go-slow in 1979. Impressions of Devan Nair. Changes in the relationship between the Captain and the First/Second Officers over the years. Why Singapore Airlines would always need expatriate pilots. Recollections of flying with expatriate pilots. Role of a Captain on board the aircraft. Description of his little “black book”.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 9 of 13
Metadata
- 17 May 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:16
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Reasons for his migration plan to Perth, His father is in Perth. Increasing cost of living in Singapore. His opinion of its impact on young Singaporeans. He could still fly leisurely in Australia. Reasons that held him back from leaving Singapore. How flying an aircraft differed from the past. How the media has instant access to information on aircraft crashes. His view on the SQ006 crash. Taiwan is not recognised by the International Aviation Organisation (IAO). He was Technical Advisor to the Head of the Singapore Investigation Team. How the report concluded that it was the pilot's mistake.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 10 of 13
Metadata
- 17 May 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:35
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Citation/reproduction requires written permission from the source
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Objective of the SQ006 Crash Investigation. What caused the pilot to make the mistake. Difficulties he faced in obtaining information about the Taiwanese airport. Report of individual survey conducted by the International Aviation Organisation (IAO) on the Taiwanese Airport. His comment on the Accident Investigation Appendix 13 of IAO. Reasons the Taiwanese did not allow a Singapore representative in their investigation team. Description of the American and Australian style of investigation of the M185 Silk Air cash. His opinion on the lack of cultural intelligence in the investigation process. His argument against pilot suicide as a possible cause of the M185 Silk Air Crash. His opinion on the Taiwanese findings. How the Singapore team went about making its own investigation and analysis.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
