SHAH ALAM: The newly established GIAAN Flying Academy (GFA) - at the Skypark Regional Aviation Centre (RAC) within the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang - is offering flying lessons for leisure or a serious career as a pilot.
GFA chairman Datuk Sirajudin Mohamed Mydin told the New Straits Times that he had ventured into the business through a RM20 million investment from a private funding initiative.
"Our aim is to provide affordable flying lessons for all ages.
"Subang is a very suitable location for general aviation and easily accessible to the public.
"They can easily travel from their homes or other accommodation within the Klang Valley," said Sirajudin, who is also chairman of the Kayu Group of Companies' restaurant chain.
The name 'GIAAN' was chosen because in Sanskrit it means someone having exalted divine knowledge and spiritual wisdom.
"Thus, GIAAN is part of meeting the industry demands of pilots worldwide, providing Malaysians an avenue to gain skills and knowledge in the aviation industry," said Sirajudin, who began flying lessons for the first batch of students on March 21.
Last June 7, he organised a familiarisation flight for 48 secondary school students from the Scout Association of Malaysia's Bukit Bintang district.
Each of them received their 'Air Scout Honour Batch' and certificate from Sirajudin.
He added that a recent study had revealed that the global commercial aviation industry needed nearly 225,000 pilots by 2027.
"And half of them have yet to train at all.
"With the industry opening following the two-year global Covid-19 pandemic's lockdown, there is an urgent need by airlines needed to recruit pilots.
"Rapid fleet expansion and the premature retirement of senior pilots owing to Covid-19, has pushed demand to develop 180,000 first officers to become captains in command of flights," said Sirajudin.
He said pilot training, recruitment and development programmes would require new and innovative career pathways to meet industry demands and ever-changing safety standards.
GFA is manned by a qualified team of experienced pilots who had previously served with the Royal Malaysian Air Force and various airlines.
One of the key GFA officials is former RMAF Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri pilot Major (Rtd) Ahmad Radzi Hashim, who heads the training department.
"Our full-time cadet pilot programme provides training and testing through both our integrated Commercial Pilot's License with Instrument Rating (CPL/IR) and 'frozen' Airline Transport Pilot's License (ATPL) – for the candidate to pursue a pilot's career with an airline or other organisations.
"We also offer courses for private pilot's license (PPL), flight instructor's license or license conversion purposes, and diploma and degree in aviation through a twinning programme with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia," said Sirajudin.
GFA's PPL involves 45 hours flying and 100 hours of ground school over three months at a cost of RM60,000.
The CPL/IR course covers 200 hours of flying and 850 hours ground school, over 20 months for RM398,000.
The Flight Instructor's course costs RM78,000 over three months; an abridged course RM187,740 over ten months; and a licence reactivation course for five hours over five days goes for RM6,500.
Sirajudin said that the specially tailored 'frozen' ATPL course consisted of 165 flying hours on a single-engine aeroplane and 35 flying hours on a twin-engine over 20 months - at a total cost of RM360,400.
"Students can get a diploma in aviation by paying an additional RM20,000 for a four-month course and transfer their ATPL subject credits to the Malaysian Qualification Agency Level 4.
"Our course fees are tailored to assist students with term-loans from local banks, where scheduled payments can be made through five instalments.
"We have collaboration with local banks and also scholarship bodies for eligible students.
"We will accept students only after confirmation of their ability to pay the course fees, so that none will stop their course abruptly," he said.
GFA has two intakes of 20 students each, per year, and is equipped with four four-seater PA-28 Piper Cherokee single-engine piston and four six-seater PA-34 Piper Seneca III twin-engine aeroplanes, and one Redbird advanced aviation training simulator.
Ikmal Hanafiah, 25, one of GFA's pioneer PPL student, has completed his basic PPL and is upgrading his license with instrument rating, to fly in all-weather.
"For aviation, the number one priority is safety. From day one of my first flying lesson, I was given the responsibility as a real pilot-in-command.
"This is unlike training at other academies, where you have to wait after you complete circuit flying for six lessons before being given the opportunity to take-off and land the aircraft," said Ikmal, the owner of Fat Kids Barbecue restaurant.
Although a little nervous at first, he soon overcame the jitters.
"At such a busy aerodrome as Subang, there is plenty of pressure, as you have inbound and outbound commercial flights, besides private aircraft traffic to account for.
"Ensuring that you do not hold up hundreds of people trying to get somewhere every hour is an experience of the stresses of flying.
"All these lessons – from in-flight emergencies, bad weather and operational exigencies - are to ensure you become a competent pilot.
"The lessons learned at GFA truly puts it at a standard above all," said Ikmal.
Another PPL holder, Izzat Syafiq Husaini, 33, said he was eager to complete his PPL with instrument rating, so that he could fly cross-country to anywhere in Malaysia.
"I am also aiming to get more ratings for night flights, multi-engine flights and aerobatics. Hopefully, someday I can buy my aeroplane!" said Izzat, who runs a cleaning services company.
