On cloud 9: Gen Z Singaporean flies to Australia to realise dream of being a pilot

Mohamad Anaqi Bin Mohamad Rizal had a sense of what his dream job is early on in life.

His first flight as a passenger was onboard the Jetstar Airbus A320 at the tender age of six, during a family vacation. 

He told AsiaOne this experience left him so "intrigued with the flying motion" that becoming a pilot is the dream he wanted to pursue.

Fast forward about a decade later and he's on course to do just that.

On Thursday (Nov 1), the 17-year-old shared a TikTok post of his journey with Aeroviation, an aviation academy in Singapore.

Anaqi was on the Recreational Pilot Program and he attended his first day of ground class in January 2023.

It was only in May did he experience his first simulator training.

Not many people get the chance to try out a flight simulator and while it might seem exciting, Anaqi told AsiaOne how this segment of the training program was actually the most difficult.

"I often get reprimanded by my instructor if I don't do the right thing and I have to study a lot of the [flight] procedures when I'm flying on the simulator," he said.

It takes time, patience and skill to master essential exercises such as landings, doing steep turns and stalls.

Anaqi was not ashamed to admit that there were times he shed tears because of the intensity of simulator training. 

However, he takes these "setbacks" as good learning experiences that has paid off in the end.

But before taking control of a plane, Anaqi would first have to be a passenger again.

It was time to pack up, head off to Adelaide, Australia and earn his wings.

In the cockpit

"Lowkey nervous to be away from [my] family," shared Anaqi on his TikTok video.

That was in July, just before he scooted to Adelaide to complete his Recreational Pilot Program.

In Adelaide, the studying continued and it turned out well as Anaqi passed all his ground theory papers with flying colours. 

He also had multiple opportunities to fly a plane and before you know it, he completed his recreational pilot licence. 

Not only did he graduate from the program, Anaqi won the captain's award for outstanding student. 

He told AsiaOne that the entire course costs $12,000.

Ground theory lessons was $5,000 while the remaining $7,000 was for phase two training in Adelaide.

"To the next batch of aviators, always strive to be [the] best version of yourselves and always stay humble. Be the main character of your story," he advised future students.

When asked about what the future holds for him, Anaqi was optimistic and seemed to have a long-term plan in mind.

"I'm looking forward to probably taking my private pilot licence and commercial pilot licence because I would like to be an airline pilot one day," he shared. 

According to aerospace company WingsOverAsia, the typical course duration for a student to achieve readiness for their flight exam from the initial lesson is between four to six months.

As for a commercial pilot licence, a student will need an average of one to two years. 

For now, he's waiting to begin the next stage of his educational journey, which is likely to be a diploma in aviation management in a local polytechnic.

ALSO READ: 'I used to wear glasses': How this Singapore pilot is making his childhood dream come true

amierul@asiaone.com

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