Fly High
FLYING HIGH By Feby Cheriya
My name is Brian Sudrajat, let's call me Brian. I come from a simple family that is said to be not so rich, but has a dream of reaching for the sky. Now I'm at the end of high school. Since childhood I aspired to be a Pilot. Every time I see a Pilot at the Airport, my soul is immediately called, especially when I see a plane in the air. Since childhood, my dad often bought me a toy plane and said " In the future, you will drive it, that's why you have to study diligently, Brian". The National Final Examination in high school will be held next week, and I have prepared well.
The day of the exam came, with a bold step I entered the Exam room to prepare to finish this high school period and pursue my ideals. Finally, the National Final Examination in my high school was over, which means that I have to wait for the announcement of my exam results. While taking the exam results out, I started enrolling myself in a pilot school in my city. At least five flight schools I enrolled in. One month after waiting for the end, the results of the National Final Examination declared me to have graduated from high school. I was so happy to hear that I was declared passed. Time after time I passed while waiting for the results of the announcement from the pilot's school that I had delivered. Finally, one by one emails from the flight school that I sent me began to send out the results of my registration, how sad I was when I saw five flight schools rejecting my registration papers. Both of my parents then encouraged me to keep trying, but on the other hand they also advised me to go to college knowing that the cost of flight school was so expensive.
Finally I decided to try to find an enrollment in the University. While on my way to enroll in the University, I saw an advertisement for the opening of a government-owned pilot school where the cost was borne by the state and once I graduated it was directly channeled to the airline company. I then contacted my parents that there was an opening of a government-owned pilot school, and then my Father agreed to my intention to enroll myself in the government-owned pilot school. However, my Mother didn't approve of it because she was afraid that something would happen to me later. I said to my mother, "Mom, everything has been arranged by God, we must surrender, I love this profession". Then heavily my Mother agreed to it.
Step by step I walked to the test site at the government-owned pilot school. Then I fell silent at the sight of an inscription at the entrance that said "The Best Pilot Are Trained Here", where the word built my passion to become a pilot. Step by step I went through the admission test for prospective cadets of pilots in government-owned schools. The most difficult test for me was the flying aptitude test where we had to fly a training plane accompanied by an instructor, where I had no flying experience at all. I said to myself, "Wow, this is how it feels to fly", until then I was declared graduated and accepted as a cadet at the government-owned pilot school. In my heart
I said, "Let's start this journey". I love this profession so much, so happy that I can't say anything.
The educational schedule to become a Pilot finally begins with the orientation period carried out by the school and then continued by the seniors and of course it has become an open secret among official schools. All the orientation activities I went through without any obstacles. Every once in a while I also contacted my parents to just tell me how I was doing.
From the distance of my room, I saw a training plane parked and said in my heart, "You're going to fly it". The education period begins with basic theoretical education for 8 months and continues with flying practice for 1 year and 4 months. During the 8-month theoretical education period, it was both joyful and sad and the time came that I had been waiting for all this time, namely the practice of flying. In this flying practice education, we are required to be able to fly aircraft while developing our airmanship to face various dynamics of task challenges when we fly and also work in airlines later.
An aviator then deserves to be called a pilot when he is able to fly his plane alone or often called flying solo. I carried out my solo flight during my 9th flight hour. It was a remarkable record for a cadet of pilots. I then contacted my parents to let them know that I had successfully flown my own plane without the company of an instructor. Both of my parents were proud and spread the happy news to everyone that their children could fly their own planes.
Finally, I was at the last time of my education. After this, my friends and I will be directly admitted by the state-owned airline company. Without me knowing it, my dream will slowly be realized soon. I then graduated from a government-owned pilot school, bagging 210 flying hours. Then the closing of the education ended with a graduation which was witnessed by the parents of the cadets and also the important ranks of the transportation department and also the Minister of Transportation were also present at our graduation ceremony.
From afar I saw my parents with tears of emotion and pride to see their children succeed in realizing their dreams. During the embedding of our graduation mark wing the pilot cadets, and parents ran to their children to pin the graduation mark wing to their children. My parents then came over and pinned the graduation mark wing on my chest. My father said, "Is dad dreaming?". Tears then fell from my eyes as I hugged my parents.
Two months after I graduated, I was immediately admitted to the airline company and officially became a pilot in their company. The airline company that I found, is an airline company that operates in the eastern region of Indonesia where I will face all challenges, namely in the form of hills, and also extreme weather. The main mission of the airline company I work for is to supply food and necessities for remote communities.
There was actually a sense of fear that enveloped my heart and the hearts of both my parents. However, I have to keep myself brave because this path I have chosen as my way of life. My other friends are widely accepted at passenger airline companies that use large and jet-engined aircraft which is not as extreme as the airline company I work for now which uses single-engine propeller planes and has to go through the mountains.
I said to myself, "It's working while giving alms". Flight after the flight was successfully passed while working in this company. I also gave some of my salaries to my parents and also donated them to the Humanitarian Foundation. I'd like to work in a company that has bigger planes later. I had to go through a long contract for 7 years in this company to be able to work in other companies. I then managed to build a larger house for both my parents and was also able to give some of my income to people in need. Because for me this life is only temporary, and treasures will not be brought by me on the day of my death.
I've been working for six years, and now I'm going to carry out tests from the company to be able to raise my rank to Captain. Of course, becoming a Captain is a dream for all pilots. It doesn't feel like this day is coming. My parents contacted me to keep praying before flying, especially since today will be a historic day for me where I will be a captain on this plane and then finish the rest of my year in this company so that I can fly a bigger plane later.
The roar of the plane's engines was muffling my ears. I flew accompanied by a Captain Instructor in my company who was in charge of assessing all my flying performance so that I deserved the title of Captain.
“Rajawali 110, Clear For Take Off, Good Luck New Captain”
Then I answered the command from the ATC,
“Clear For Take Off, Rajawali 110, Wait Me and Thank You”
In my heart, I said, "I leave everything to you Lord". My plane then went fast and then went into the air and of course, this was a sign for me to prepare for my exams as a candidate for Captain. This flying exam lasted for two hours and then we rushed back to the airport. The runway was already visible from afar, indicating that I was already at my starting point as Captain. The sound of the tires touching the runway then showed that I finished my exam and I was declared passed as Captain. I then contacted my parents who were far away there who I had passed as Captain. Tears flowed from my mobile phone when my parents heard this news.
The next day was my first day working as a Captain and my mission today was to bring food supplies to the people in the mountains. The weather was so clear the morning greeted me to start my flight. I started the engine of my own plane because for Pilots in Eastern Indonesia, it is common to operate aircraft with only one Pilot. That then signifies I'm about to start my mission today.
“Sentani Tower, Rajawali 001, Ready For Departure” Then the ATC Tower replied to my communication,
“Rajawali 001, Runway is Yours Clear For Take Off, Safe Flight”
Then I answered the command from the ATC,
“Clear For Take Off, Rajawali 001”
Then I added power to my plane which indicated I was ready to be in the air, little by little my plane was on the road and then preparing to take off. My plane was finally in the air leaving the airport, accompanied by communications from the ATC Tower,
“Rajawali 001, Continue Climb To Level 180, Over to Illaga” Then I answered the command from the ATC,
“Continue Climb To Level 180 and Over to Illaga, Rajawali 001, See You Again Sir”
My journey was about another 250 Nautical Miles to my destination, in the middle of the journey I was faced with such bad weather. The weather in the sky of Eastern Indonesia often changes quickly without being predictable. Then I entered a fairly thick cloud, I then focused on the Instruments on my plane from the altitude to the speed of my plane. I remember the faces of both my parents during the flight, there were about 30 minutes I was still in this thick cloud and decided to go back. Then I contacted the ATC Tower to ask for a road guide to go home.
“Sentani Tower, Rajawali 001, Request Return To Base Due To Weather Condition”
Almost 10 times I contacted ATC Towers but there was no response which meant I flew without any communication. Such intense turbulence hit my plane and every now and then I cried remembering the faces of both my parents. I decided to return to the original destination airport without being accompanied by the ATC Tower. My plane was still in a thick cloud where I couldn't see anything outside. I was besieged in this vast sky and also watched by mountains that I could not see clearly from the plane nor from my navigation tools that my company may not have updated. There was a small light from a distance that signalled it was a way out. On my way to the little light, I tried to contact the ATC Tower.
“Sentani Tower, Rajawali 001, Request Return To Base Due To Weather Condition”
Finally, the ATC Tower answered my call,
“Rajawali 001, Affirmative, Clear to Sentani via Flight Plan”
This indicates that I was allowed to return to the destination airport. In the world of aviation, all the things we decide must be within the approval of the ATC Tower. Then I continued my journey towards the little light. I did not expect that when I came out of the little light, there had been before me a very high mountain. I had no more time to dodge the mountain at such a high speed and also the height of my plane was far below the mountain.
I said in my heart as I flew to the mountain, "This is my way of life, The job I love so much, Goodbye My Dreams, Goodbye My Parents, I love you"......
"I dedicate this story to all pilots who work in Eastern Indonesia who bet their lives in the eastern corners of Indonesia so that the people there can eat and live like those of us who live in
the city. Some of them even died in carrying out their duties. Fly high the heroes of Indonesian aviation."
Some lists of planes that crashed in Eastern Indonesia, especially Papua, in carrying out humanitarian missions:
• November 17, 2006 A Trigana Air Service (TAS) aircraft with 9 passengers went missing in Puncak Jaya Papua. 9 Passengers and 3 crew members died.
• August 2, 2009 Merpati Nusantara Airlines Twin Otter type went missing in Papua. 15 people were killed.
• May 7, 2011 Merpati Nusantara Airlines MA60 crashed in the waters near Utarom Airport, Kaimana, West Papua. All passengers were killed.
• September 9, 2011 Susi Air's aircraft crashed in Pasema area, Yahukimo. 2 people were killed.
• September 22, 2011 A PK-UCE Pilatus PC-6 aircraft belonging to the Indonesian Aviation Services Foundation (Yajasi) crashed in the mountainous area of Paspalei, Yalimo, Papua. 3 people died.
• November 23, 2011 Susi Air's Cessna Grand Caravan crashed near Sugapa airstrip, Intan Jaya, Papua. 1 person was killed.
• April 8, 2012 A Trigana Air aircraft with registration number PK-YRF was shot by an unknown person while landing at Mulia Airport, Puncak Jaya, Papua. 1 person was killed.
• October 4, 2012 A PAC 750 aircraft belonging to the airline Tariku crashed in the central mountains of Korupon, Yahukimo Regency, Papua. 2 people were killed.
• April 9, 2014 A Caravan aircraft belonging to the AMA Papua Adventist Mission Foundation crashed near an airfield. Two people died and four were injured.
• August 12, 2015 PAC 750 XL aircraft operated by PT. Komala Indonesia failed to land on the runway of Ninia District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua. 1 passenger was killed and seven others were injured.
• August 16, 2015 Trigana Air IL267 aircraft bound for Sentani Airport-Oksibil Airport Papua, crashed into a mountain in Okbape District and crashed. 54 people were killed.
• July 5, 2017 A plane belonging to the AMA Papua Adventist Mission Foundation crashed on Mount Napua, Wamena, Papua. All passengers and crew of the crew were killed.
• August 11, 2018 Dimonim Air PK-HVQ aircraft crashed in the mountains of Menuk, Aerambakon District, Papua. 8 Passengers and crew were pronounced dead, and 1 passenger was found in a state of disrepair.
• September 18, 2019 Twin Otter DHC6-400 PK-CDC aircraft lost contact in Timika, Papua. All passengers and crew were killed.
• September 15, 2021 The PK-OTW Water Rimbun aircraft crashed and disintegrated on Mount Wabu, Papua carrying basic necessities. All of his crew died.
-----------------------------------------
Image: Canva