The Global awards were created with the objective to encourage companies to follow the strategy of ISO, Branding and Achievement. The award is open to all companies, big and small. Amongst the criteria to win the award, a company should be in a steady business growth with concrete future plans. APFT was awarded the Diamond winner in the Distinction category.

Aircraft Type: Robin R21601
Date & Time: September 19, 2009 at 1310hrs

The student pilot had completed two satisfactory dual circuits with his instructor to Runway 36, in good weather conditions and light winds. The instructor then briefed him to fly two more circuits on what would be his second solo flight. The first circuit was uneventful but during the landing after the second circuit the student flared too early and levelled the aircraft several feet above the runway. The subsequent landing was hard and the aircraft bounced back into the air. The aircraft bounced twice more before finally touching down and departing the runway, coming to rest on the grass to the left of the paved surface. The student pilot was unhurt and was initially unaware that the aircraft had suffered any damage. On instructions from the fire crew who attended the scene, he shut the aircraft down and vacated it normally. The nose landing gear and propeller had been damaged and the engine had been shock-loaded. There was no fire.

Aircraft Type: Piper PA-28-180
Date & Time: July 31, 2009 at 1325hrs

The pilot reported that the weather was good but that the wind was variable in direction. She had departed from Runway 09 at Andrewsfield and on her return to the airfield the wind favoured Runway 27. During the landing on Runway 27 (grass) the aircraft bounced and the left wing rose. The left wing then dropped and the left wing tip struck the ground. The nose wheel also struck the ground, heavily, before the aircraft came to rest. The pilot assessed that the accident had been caused by a sudden gust of wind. She noted that a line of trees running along the south side of the runway was locally known for causing the wind to change direction. The wind at the airfield was recorded to be from 210° at 8 kts, 35 minutes before the accident, and from 170° at 7 kts, 25 minutes after the accident.

Aircraft Type: Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk
Date & Time: September 24, 2009 at 1052hrs
Whilst flying a consolidation solo circuit, the student pilot had to execute an ‘S-turn’ on final to maintain separation from the aircraft ahead. This destabilised her approach, resulting in her aircraft being higher than planned as she neared the runway. The pilot reduced power to achieve a steeper glide angle, but she considered that the aircraft was still too high as she passed over the runway threshold. The aircraft then touched down heavily on the runway and bounced. The pilot applied power again, but this failed to prevent a further heavy bounce. As the aircraft touched down for a third time, the nosewheel collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a halt at the edge of the runway. The pilot felt, in retrospect, that she had not applied sufficient power to recover the landing following the initial bounce.

ATC Briefing

On the 2nd of June 2010, our guest speaker, Encik Wan Muhaimin Wan Jamil, Manager Department of Civil Aviation, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport gave a talk at the Crew Residence. 
    

En. Muhaimin presented a brief history of how Air Traffic Controllers come about after World War I, when air travel and air traffic started to pick up. It was done so as to manage air traffic and to obtain an orderly and safe flow of flights. Since than, Air
Traffic Controllers have become an important part of the Aviation World to such an extent that we can consider them like the 3rd person in a modern airliner cockpit. Their job is to ensure the safe conduct of flight through their airspace. To do this, they have to think like aviators. As aviators they must rely on their training, attitude, skills and experience to get flights safely from it departure point to its destination.

An Air Traffic Controller on the other hand will use all those abilities to make predictions about situations or conditions the aircraft may encounter along its flight path and the possibility ofavoiding unwanted air accident
Air Traffic Controllers like all aviation organisations, have to conform to an international  standards  set  by  the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO.
 

The function of an ATC is based on the different services provided by them. The  Ground Control controls ground movement of the aircraft on the apron. Aerodrome Control or Tower Control controls traffic landing, taking off or any traffic within the aerodrome area. Approach  and  also  Radar  Approach Control will ensure adequate separation between all aircraft. The controls are to enforce all Air Laws that are in place. Quote: “Everything has a procedure & there is a procedure for everything.” This means that in whatever we do, there is a certain way to do it and also before we do anything, be on the ground or in the air, we have to obtain the relevant clearance from the relevant Controller, so as to inform them of what you intend to do. When it comes to student pilots and also maybe some experienced pilot, Air Traffic Controllers fear the Unpredictable Maneuver. This event usually occurs due to a lack of understanding of a clearance given by the ATC in Standard English Phraseology. Therefore it is important that not only ATC personnel understand this form of communication but also the pilots in the air because it is the standard form of communication as set by the ICAO.

An  ATC  communicates  with  the pilot, providing weather and aerodrome equipment serviceability when he/she is en-route to that airport. Among the information that is passed to the enroute aircraft is the runway visibility. This will help pilots plan whether they are going to do Instrument Landing or if the conditions and equipment are unsuitable, divert to another airport. The ATC also has to ensure that when the aircraft lands there are the dockservice ready to receive the passenger and also that the Fire & Rescue Service is operational and on standby for any emergency that could occur. Another important task is sequencing of aircraft landing at the airport. This is done altering the speed and / or the direction of approach of the aircraft as it makes its way to land. At major airports, they employ a method known as Flow Control, a long distance form of sequencing. In Kota Bharu, the separation distance is15 miles due as the landing aircraft have to backtrack along the runway to get to their appropriate taxiway exit. In terms of priority, here at Kota Bharu, Airliners have the highest priority, followed by helicopters  and  finally  APFT  Cadets. However t if cadets are doing their First Solo flight, they are given high priority for fear of the Unpredictable Maneuver
situation. Another important function provided by the ATC is the SAR service or Search & Rescue Service. The Search & Rescue for lost or downed aircraft begins with last known reporting point of the aircraft. From there based on the information passed by the pilot to the ATC, a search radius will be establish and the SAR Team will head out looking for the aircraft, passenggers and crew.

Career Guidance Talk

APFT  welcomed  En.  Muhammad Fadhly for a career talk to current APFT cadets from batch 19, 20 and
21,  who will be graduating soon. En. Muhammad Fadhly was an APFT cadet and he completed his flight
training in APFT on September 2009. En. Muhammad Fadhly is currently a pilot with AirAsia and we are very
grateful that he has kindly agreed to come and give the talk.

Among his tips to be successful in the airlines interviews is a good preparation   of   our   curriculum vitae(cv). According to him, it is very important to have the cv to be prepared as best as possible as this will be the first introduction to the employer. Besides that, he stressed on having a smiling face photo of applicants to be attached on the front page of the cv as this will further give a good impression to the would be employers. He advised that the cv should be prepared like a project paper with all the copies of the relevant information to be bound together like a book.

Although the current job market is tough and difficult, he encouraged us not to give up easily and to keep on trying as it is just a matter of time that an opportunity will come. He tried really hard and even sent all his applications by hand to all the would be employers in the airlines. Once he even saw his application thrown away in the dustbin, without being opened and reviewed but that does not deter him from keeping on trying.

Besides the good cv preparation, he advised to maintain the knowledge that was taught in ground school in all CPL and ATPL subjects as there would  be  a  test  on  these  subjects during the interview process. Subjects like Performance and Loading should not  be  neglected  as  well.  Skills  in instrument  flying  and  chart  reading are very much required and important. In terms of the practical aspect, he advised to grasp as much knowledge and skills in twin engine operations while still on training in flying school. He advised to read at least a page a day on all the ground school subjects so that these basic knowledge can be maintained at all times. As for further preparation he recommended to read the Ace Pilot Interview book as almost 70% of the book is very useful during the interviews.

After  a  successful  interview  and being given the offer to work with the airlines, En. Fadhly underwent various stages of intensive training that would take up to 5-6 months to complete before  being  a  fully  operational pilot. We thank him and wish him a successful career as an airline pilot!

By RAJIV JEYAPREHASAM - Batch 31/10 

My  name  is  Rajiv  Jeyaprahasam, 26 years of age, hailing from a township that  houses  the  only  other  leaning tower in the world, Teluk Intan. My life has so far been quite an interesting one. From completing high school in Teluk Intan, moving to Kuala Lumpur, the
capital metropolitan city to pursue and complete my diploma in accounting, and being in London, the ever-changing education capital of the world.

Never once before in my life, had I imagined that I would be pursuing a career in aviation, to feed my hunger for travel, although I always wanted to be a pilot, or a cheaper option, a traveling gypsy. I never thought my parents wouldagree to such a career, piloting of course, considering  the  fact  that  my  entire family has a total of 13, yes 13 doctors
in various field of specialties. I had asked my parents just over dinner, over the possibility of applying for a cadet pilot program, and to my surprise, they went along with it. And so began my journey into the unknown...

Scouting  and  investigations  were done, into the various options available, and  upon  considering  the  conducive and serene environment in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, very much similar to home, various positive feedbacks by previous cadets and instructors; I decided that the best place to come to achieve my ambition, was definitely, and surely, the prestigious Asia Pacific Flight Training School. Getting the medicals and all the  forms  submitted  was  not  much of a hassle. My letter of acceptance was  received  within 4  weeks  of  my
initial application. To be very honest, the excitement and anticipation, was something very new, kindergarden-like. Here’s just a little insight into the first week.

4th of April was the date I was due to report. As planned, my parents and I arrived on the day before, after a 6 hour drive. On the morning of the 4th, we gathered at the Kota Bharu Airport terminal together with the rest of my batch mates, Batch 31. 21 of us, all equally eager to start this new path, with undoubtedly  lost  faces,  not  knowing what to expect. Once everyone had been accounted for, we boarded the school bus the crew residence, where we will be residing for the rest of our scheduled18 months. After a quick briefing and
registration  of  documents,  we  were shown our villa’s, consisting 6 rooms.
 
The rooms itself were quite cozy and  chalet-like,  with  basic  amenities consisting  a  fridge,  heater-equipped bathrooms  for  common  use,  a  bed, cupboard and a desk for basic needs of an  individual  personally.  Cleanliness, which is an essential living condition for my self, was up to mark. The living quarters,  named  after  the  various airports in Malaysia, are well-arranged and spacious. After settling down and moving in all my boxes into my newly-designated comfort zone, all of us cadets had to be measured for uniforms and peak caps, which would be our daily outfits during our tenure here. 
 

We  were  also  introduced  to  our housemaster, En. Saiful and his crew of men, whom we found out later at lunch, were very capable of cooking healthy and delicious meal, which again, would be our staple food during our stay here. Kudos to them. En. Saiful was also kind enough to organize transport for us to the nearest hypermart, to purchase our needful  basics,  ie;  brooms,  buckets, rugs, hangars, etc. The purchases were
coordinated easily since I was living in with another 6 newbies as well. The first day flew by quite quickly. Before we knew it, it was time to tuck in, and prepare for the next day.

Day 2 was the first day we stepped into the ground school. We were all ushered  into  our  permanent  ground school classroom and were briefed by the registrar on the basics of daily life and education provided and expected of us. It was back to school again for me after such a long time. Books were distributed and various instructors had visited us for brief introductions. No studying, was a luxury we only would enjoy on this day. 
 

Back at the crew residence later that night, all the senior cadets had gathered to give us a warm welcome to the APFT family. Each and every one of us, had to step up and introduce ourselves to the rest of the guys, who were very much more  friendly  than  expected.  From that day onwards, many of the seniors were always at hand to assist with any personal or education-related worries that anyone of us came across. It was a nice feeling to belong to such a big wholesome family.
 
Day 3 started, with classes in all the basic subject of aviation, ranging from principles of flight, basically how
any single object can float in the air, to  navigation,  on  how  to  find  your bearings and reach safely at the desired destination, which is quite essential for an airline pilot. The first few lessons into most of the subjects were very enlightening.  I  never  knew  so  much detail went into flying, in the eyes of an  admirer,  a  fine  art  of  wonderful
proportions…

Since day 3, life has not changed much. Its school from 0715 hours to 1545 hours daily, Sunday to Thursday. Every day, each and every instructor assigned would impart onto us, ample knowledge, unselfishly, continuing the magical cycle of flying, maintaining the continuity of this truly amazing art. The wonderful instructors here, i have to say, are such amazing masters of their craft.

I have started on this journey, and in  short,  would  very  much  hope  to excel and make my school, instructors and of course, parents, proud of future endeavors and achievements. I would very  much  intend  to  complete  my apprenticeship, in this wonderful eden of knowledge, and follow in the footsteps of previous masters, to match and maybe exceed expectations, to grow wings and fly proudly with the other winged angels of the sky. I have taken this step to realize my dream, when will be yours…

Batch 28 Tuan Ahmad Humaizi bin Tuan Muhd Kamal had an idea of organizing a  pilot  association  called  Malaysian Youth Pilot Association (MYPA). The objectives of MYPA are to give the youth in Malaysia regardless of their age a better understanding of the career as a pilot. This will be the first youth pilot association ever set up in Malaysia. Tuan Ahmad Humaizi wrote an official letter to YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Junaidy Abdul Wahad,  Political  Secretary  to  the Minister of Youth and Sport Malaysia to invite him to attend the opening ceremony of the Malaysian Youth Pilot Association.  The  application  was  a success and every cadet of APFT was looking forward for the day.

On 1st June 2010, YBhg. Dato’ Dr Junaidy visited the academy, had lunch with the instructors before the opening ceremony. In his speech, he hoped that the committee of MYPA do their best and not disappoint the youth.

Futsal Match between YBhg. Dato’ Dr Junaidy and Batch 28 cadets together with the instructors was held at Massa Futsal court.

The Kota Bharu Flying Club was established  in  December 2009  in
collaboration with APFT. The club was set up to bring people of all walks of life to come together and share their passion for flying.

The protem committee of the Club are as follows:
President  : En. Arif bin Faruk
Secretary  : En. Saiful Akram Khan bin Saidullah Khan
Treasurer : Pn. Rosyuhaidah bt.Mustapa
Committee Members:
Maj(R) Dato’ Mohd Khalid bin Ali
Capt Mokhiyiddin bin Abu Bakar
Capt Maniselvam Thirumalai