DRIVING from the concrete jungle into the green fringes of a suburban area in Rawang, Selangor, which took only 30 minutes, set the tone for the launch of a new club I was about to witness on a Saturday morning.
My destination was the Templer Park Country Club. The roads and surroundings leading to it, with their lush tall trees that are pleasing to the eyes, had a calming effect on me as I left the hustle and bustle of city life.
It was fair weather that morning at the sprawling and peaceful club. In less than an hour, it would be injected with great excitement.
It would be in the form of roaring engines of helicopters and winds created by its rotors, which did not deter nearby golfers from their games.
Set against the background of the Bukit Takun limestone hill were the club's two newly-acquired Guimbal Cabri G2 Rouge and Bleu helicopters, touted as The Little Big Helicopters, which had made their landing earlier on the greens to mark the launch of Malaysia's first private helicopter club.
Alongside the French-made two-seater helicopters that were put on static display were two others, namely the Robinson 66 and Bell 407, which whisked members of the media high up in the air for a ride.
Although brief, my eyes feasted on the stunning and priceless bird's-eye view of the golf course and its surrounding areas that I would never have seen while on the ground.
After alighting from the helicopter with my photographer, Asyraf Hamzah, it hit me why a group of passionate helicopter pilots, owners, retired aviation industry professionals and flying enthusiasts had banded together to form the MY Heli Club on Aug 3, 2018.
RECREATIONAL SPORTS CLUB
MY Heli Club president Captain Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the aim of setting up the circle, which is a non-commercial establishment under the Registrar of Societies, was not only to share its members' enthusiasm for helicopters but also offer a platform for them to become certified helicopter pilots at an affordable price.
The club, based at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport in Subang, is led by Ahmad Jauhari and a seven-member executive committee. It has recruited 28 members.
Among the club's members are senior captains who are Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) and European Union Safety Agency-certified instructors. They have vast training experience and clocked thousands of hours of helicopter flying in Malaysia and abroad.
"We want to encourage helicopter flying as a leisure sport and generate a wider interest in it in Malaysia, especially among the younger generation. We want to share our skills and impart knowledge of everything to do with helicopters. Our club has a little saying, 'We Fly, We Eat, We Helicopter'."
Ahmad Jauhari said the club's activities were similar to those of recreational sports.
"A few years ago, we realised that there is a need for a flying club to offer its members the best helicopter training available in the market at an affordable price. Helicopter training in Malaysia has always been expensive.
"Helicopter pilots are mainly trained in the navy or the air force, not so much on a recreational basis. We intend to make helicopter flying safer and more accessible to Malaysians. It is about sharing experiences where we can go to places that cannot be accessed by road vehicles."
TERBANG TERBANG CARI MAKAN
One of the club's recreational activities is "Terbang Terbang Cari Makan", where they fly to Bentong, Pahang, to enjoy the popular Lemang To'ki, Nasi Padang in Tanjung Malim, Perak, fresh seafood in Lumut, as well as visit farms and orchard in Perlis and Yong Peng, Johor.
The club's members have also participated in hiking at Fraser's Hill, Janda Baik and Taman Negara. Last year, they were part of the Putrajaya Fly-In Picnic, Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition and Kuala Kurau Coast Guard Open Day.
Ahmad Jauhari said the club, had on Aug 19 last year obtained approval from the CAAM to offer the Helicopters' Private Pilots Licence [PPL(H)] helicopter flight training programme to members.
The programme will see students learning to pilot helicopters under the watchful eyes of the club's vice-president and head of training Lieutenant-Colonel (Rtd) Khairudin Dahalan, as well as club captain and chief flying instructor Commander (Rtd) Mohamed Sabri Baharom and several others.
The Cabri G2 Rouge and Bleu helicopters, which were purchased by members with pooled financial resources, boasts advanced safety features and are well suited for training new pilots. They are leased to the club to conduct helicopter training programmes at a cost of about RM180,000 per student.
TRAINING PROGRAMME
As the club is a non-commercial entity and saves on operational costs, it can afford to offer the training programme at that price, far below the market price of RM500,000.
The authorities allow those aged above 17 to get a helicopter student flying licence.
A student must first be certified medically fit before being allowed to take 11 ground school theory papers on subjects, such as air law, the principle of flight, meteorology, maps and compasses within a year.
They must also clock in 53 flying hours as required by CAAM before they can get the PPL(H).
The club has a member who received the PPL(H) and three junior members who are learning how to fly.
On the cost of the training programme, Ahmad Jauhari said, "it can be financially planned and spread over two years".
He added that the club's training programme was reasonably priced and that this would make helicopter flying more affordable for Malaysians to enjoy as a recreational sport.
"Once you obtain the licence, you are required to fly three times every three months.
"Chartering a helicopter to fly could be about RM2,500, and you can share it with four people. More people can enjoy (the experience of helicopter flight) when the cost is spread out."