FLYING HIGH - By Joleen Lunjew
The excitement and the adrenaline — you can’t beat flying in a small plane!
We buckled up and began taxiing down the runway. The plane gathered speed and before we knew it, we were off the ground.
I looked in fascination at the moving flaps of the aircraft as it climbed.
I could even hear the mechanisms working over the hum of the engine. The ground was getting smaller and smaller as we gained altitude.
I couldn’t believe my good fortune of being in the co-pilot seat of a Cessna 152, a small two-seater, single-engine plane.
It is the plane most people learn to fly in, and for the first time in my life, I was experiencing “piloting” a plane, all thanks to an introductory and aircraft familiarisation programme.
“It’s a great way to get an introduction to flying lessons and a perfect way to see firsthand how to pilot a plane,” said Shirley Selvaraj-Dass, 37, director of Aerovantage, who manages the programmes.
Aerovantage, which works with various flying clubs in the Klang Valley, introduced the programmes last November to promote an interest in recreational flying.
“These introductory and aircraft familiarisation programmes are not new but it has been usually limited to potential club members or students and members of flying clubs,” said Shirley.
“We wanted to promote the interest in recreational flying to more people, people who wouldn’t have thought it was possible to fly otherwise. It gives them a taste of flying and who knows, after they’ve given it a try, they might pursue it as a hobby or career.”
The programme begins with the participants filling in a temporary membership form with the flying club. A pilot will then explain the safety measures, workings and controls of the aircraft. My pilot was Capt Dylan Morvryn Bhaskaran, 35.
Capt Dylan said the best time for flying was early in the morning from 7.30am to 9am, or in the evening after 4pm before sundown. This is because the weather is nicer then, winds are calmer and visibility is better. Only one person is allowed to fly with the pilot at any given time but the briefing can be done individually or in a group, depending on the participants.
There was another participant there at the time, Italian tourist Christian de Tomassi, 35, so I decided to join him for the briefing.
Capt Dylan started with a pre-flight walk-around check of the aircraft, pointing out the various mechanisms that work the plane. He explained what happened when the plane took off, when it climbed, turned and landed. He also taught us how to do an engine oil check and an external light check for safety reasons.
“Always remember not to enter or exit the aircraft from the front. This is for safety reasons as you might be injured by the spinning propellers,” he reminded.
After the walk-around, Capt Dylan invited us to take a seat in the cockpit and proceeded to explain the control panel of the aircraft.
We learnt how to read the altimeter, determine how fast we were flying, how quickly we were climbing or descending, how to move the plane in the right direction, determine our artificial horizon and check the fuel gauge.
He also explained the procedures before taking off and the radio communication between the traffic control tower and pilot.
“I have a backpack in the plane which has a first-aid kit, jungle survival equipment, rope, compass, map and a life vest — all we need to survive in case anything happens,” smiled Capt Dylan.
After briefing us for about an hour, Capt Dylan asked de Tomassi to hop in and take the co-pilot seat. I watched enviously as they taxied off the runway and climbed steadily into the air. They landed an hour later, with an elated de Tomassi grinning widely. It must have been a good flight; I couldn’t wait to experience it myself.
Finally, it was my turn. I hopped eagerly into the co-pilot seat. Capt Dylan taught me how to use the headsets and let me listen in as he communicated with the control tower.
There are two controls in the Cessna — on the left for the pilot and on the right for the co-pilot. The pilot has full control of the plane but the co-pilot can take over when the pilot allows him to.
After reaching a stable height of 1,500ft (457m), Capt Dylan briefed me once again on checking the altimeter, airspeed and directional indicator to make sure the aircraft was flying at the right speed at the right height and in the right direction.
It looked easy and fascinating — much easier than I had expected!
We flew from Subang and glided over Shah Alam and Port Klang. Capt Dylan gave me a little treat and flew towards Pulau Ketam to see the kelong. Pulau Ketam is usually not included in the flight route.
Capt Dylan showed me a few movements of the aircraft such as making medium turns and steep turns. Although it left me queasy, I was thrilled nonetheless as I had never experienced such G-force before. We headed back after a while.
He explained how pilots determined if it was safe to land and how they gauged where to land by looking out for the signal lights at the edge of the runway.
He stressed that the nose of the aircraft must not be too low as it might hit the ground, causing an accident. We had a smooth landing with not a single bump felt. An hour in the air had gone by in the blink of an eye.
I was a little disappointed that it was over so quickly, but Capt Dylan cheered me up by saying that I could experience this again if I decided to pursue recreational flying by being a member of the club. Hmm . . . tempting.
“I enjoy conducting these introductory and aircraft familiarisation programmes as I want to share the joy of flying with others,” said Capt Dylan.
“I’ve met many interesting people from all walks of life. Some are pursuing it as a hobby, some as a start to their flying career, some just because they were curious and some were trying to switch careers. I had a chef who decided he wanted to be a pilot and that was very inspiring.”
Capt Dylan’s hope is that eventually participants of the programme will join the flying clubs such as FAS Udara Flying Club and pursue recreational flying seriously. This particular programme costs RM590.00. To experience the Introductory and Aircraft Familiarisation programme,
Call 012 3800370 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 012 3800370 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email aerovantageinfo@gmail.com
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