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Achievements

One hundred and ninety Private Pilots’ Licenses

A total of about 190 Private Pilot’s Licenses was gained by the Club, of which 70 percent were licenses granted to Malaysians.

The Private Pilot’s License is still the basic flying license; even candidates who enter direct into a commercial flying school obtain a Private License at some intermediate stage in their training, and as a foundation for supporting more senior licenses it is still of great importance.

Five Full Flying Instructor Ratings (QFI)

The Club trained 5 pilots who already held Assistant Flying Instructor Ratings to the high standard of flying techniques and theoretical knowledge required for Full Flying Instructor Ratings and was gratified when the Ratings were granted by the Civil Aviation Department, Malaysia. Three of the recipients were Malaysian and one non-Malaysian.

Ten Assistant Flying Instructor Rating (AFI)

The Club trained 10 senior Private Pilots’ License holders for the Assistant Flying Instructor Rating which was duly granted by the CAD in all the cases. Seven of the candidates were Malaysians and two non-Malaysians.

Twenty-two Instrument Ratings

A total of 22 Instrument Ratings including renewals reflects the utmost credit on the Club and its training methods and techniques. The standard of testing by the Civil Aviation Department Examiners of Airmen is extremely high and the fact that all the candidates for Instrument Ratings trained by the Club passed the test would seem to indicate that the authorisation given to the Club by the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Malaysia, for the carrying out of I. R. training has not been misplaced. All 22 Instrument Ratings including renewals, were gained by Asians, mainly Malaysians.

In addition to the Ratings and Renewals mentioned above, the Club has also from time to time conducted Instrument Refresher Courses for the benefit of local Commercial Pilots.

Ten Multi-Engine Ratings

The number of 10 Multi-Engine Ratings does not include any such Rating gained in the course of Instrument Rating training. Most of the recipients were senior Private Pilots selected to fly on the Club’s Social Flight service. Nine were Malaysians and one non-Malaysian.

Approximately thirty Night Ratings

The exact number of Night Ratings gained cannot be definitely stated but it is considered that the estimate of 30 is near to the actual figure. Records available indicate that about 70 per cent of the Night Ratings were gained by Malaysians.

Employment of Club Trained Pilots in Malaysian Aviation

The following is the position as regards pilots who received all or part of their training at the Sabah Flying Club and then gained employment as pilots in Malaysian Aviation:-

(a) Fifteen (15) joined the National Airline.

(b) Six (6) secured employment in Malaysian General Aviation in Peninsular Malaysia.

(c) Six (6) secured employment in Malaysian General Aviation in Sabah.

(d) Four (4) Three secured employment in Malaysian General Aviation in Peninsula Malaysia as helicopter pilots and one joined a General Aviation Company in Sabah also as a helicopter pilot.

These 26 pilots were, of course, all Malaysians.

The Sabah Flying Club feels that it can look back over the past 25 years and view its achievements with satisfaction, but not complacency, in the knowledge that it has striven hard in the cause of flying training and general aviation in Sabah and has left its mark.

The continued operation of the Club has been in some doubt during the past few years since the obstacles it faced in the form of

(a) high cost of aircraft maintenance and spare parts,

(b) increase in the price of aviation petrol (AVGAS), (500 per cent increase since 1964),

(c) the rising cost of Aviation Insurance,

(d) several unsatisfactory leases of the Club premises which resulted in debts being left behind for the Club to pay, all combined to present a formidable obstacle against which the Club’s small income derived from flying and other sources could not prevail. However, although there has been no reduction in maintenance, fuel and insurance costs, the leasing situation has now become favourably stabilized and the Club feels that it can now look forward to a future conducted on modest lines, which will nevertheless enable it to carry on with training for the Private Pilots’ License and associated Flying Ratings, for some time to come.

The Club, incidentally, always welcomes new Members, whether or not they wish to train as pilots, in which context the very low Entrance and monthly subscription fees are worthy of note.

Significantly, the Club improved its financial standing and then embarked on an ambitious plan to build its own hangar. The hangar which is adjacent to the clubhouse is now in use for the maintenance of the Club’s plane in a partnership with a General Aviation company.