‘Fun Fliers’ is a must when we talk of aviation-by Capt Elmo Jayawardena

Source:Island

The first Sri Lankan to get a private pilot’s licence was Dunstan de Silva. That was way back in 1936. He was a member of the flying club in Ratmalana. People who flew during that period were mostly expatriates. A few locals, too, learnt to fly and joined the fraternity of aviators as the ‘fun fliers’ of Ratmalana. The numbers grew and many an aeroplane enthusiast donned the leather helmet and wore goggles and flew open cockpit Tiger Moths and became a private pilot. It was great fun; they flew the blue skies and took trips to the Puttalam airport, landed and had lunch at the Rest House and by evening flew back to Ratmalana. That was more than 80 years ago.

I remember the time when I was a fledgling pilot. Commercial trainees, like me, were a minority. Most who flew out of Ratmalana were Private Fliers. The champion of them was Paulis Appuhamy, the bus Mudalali from Attanagalle who came in his Palayakat sarong, with his hair tied in a ‘konde’ and flew barefooted and obtained a Private Pilot’s license (PPL.) He certainly led the parade of Private Fliers and was a classic example of a determined winner.

Today, we have 16 airfields and the same open blue sky with white cartoon clouds for company. But, sadly, there isn’t a single man or woman learning to fly an aeroplane as a ‘fun flier.’

Why? True the 30-year conflict took its toll and the security considerations were strong enough to keep the sky under strict control. That was an absolute necessity. But now it is 12 years since Nandikadal.

The value of peace should be felt by people in a non-war climate. Else it is of no use. “Nil Ahasa Jayagamu’ says any mobile you ring at the Civil Aviation Department. Great theme, great vision, too, but that victory will not come by with mobile messages and big jets plying between Katunayake and Mattala. Nor will it be achieved by Air Force aeroplanes landing in all 16 airfields. I have no doubt the military flying is a necessity. But, conquering of the Sri Lankan sky needs much more. The missing pieces of the jigsaw are the little aeroplanes colouring the skies like butterflies. That is the ‘Fun Flier’ taking off from Ratmalana one misty morning and making his way over wave-swept beaches to land at Koggala. Why not Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Weerawila, Iranamadu, Ampara, China Bay or the new runway being constructed in Kandy? The destinations are many and all within the range of a little aeroplane. The Cessnas, the Pipers and the Jabiros must fly to ornament the already colourful sky.

So how can this happen? First somebody needs a big pair of scissors to chop off a lot of red tape to make things move. “The answer is no, what is the question? If that is the thinking, we might as well forget about it. If people have visions of what it can be to have little aeroplanes flying all over Sri Lanka, then we can move and make our skies a haven for Fun Fliers.

This was done in 1936; it should be possible in 2021. The need is to streamline the procedures for people to get PPLs. A simple change is to have lesser-level medical checks for would be Fun Fliers like they do in other countries. The more important change is to have easier ways to get clearance to fly out of military controlled airfields. 2.5 million tourists are expected. How many of them would love to fly a light aeroplane in the Sri Lankan sky if that was a possibility? How many would visit Sri Lanka purely to obtain a Private Pilot’s Licence? Husband learns to fly while the wife gets her tan lying on a beach or go sightseeing or shopping? Possible? Yes, as sure as God made green apples.

The ‘Fun Flyer” story does not end there. One can obtain a PPL for around 1.5 million rupees. Establish a ‘fast track’ system and it can be done in 45 days with on-line lessons for ground subjects. Please do not scoff at my timetable estimate; I know what I am talking about in this game. I have trained a lot of light aeroplane pilots at Ratmalana. Arrangements can be made to bring four-seater aeroplanes and sell them under 15 million rupees. If five PPL holders share a plane the cost will be three million per person and that would give each a clear five days to fly his/her aeroplane every month. This is not rocket science, just basic calculations of 5 x 5 = 25 days of flying and one day for maintenance after every five days. The schools will maintain the aeroplane and the cost of insurance and engineering will be 1/5 the total with five people sharing ownership.

Someone could be a part owner of a plane, have a PPL and take his friends and roam the Sri Lankan Skies for five days a month. That would be the time when we can say we are on track to fulfil the “Nil Ahasa Jayagamu’ slogan.

So, I address the people who make decisions in aviation and people who hold high offices in the ownership of the sky. The airspace above us is a public asset which has enormous potential for socioeconomic development of this country. Sri Lanka is unbelievably beautiful from a bird’s eye view. I have flown all over this extraordinary landscape, from Point Pedro to Dondra in light aeroplanes. I certainly cannot describe how beautiful it is. It has to be seen to be believed. The need then is to get light aeroplanes into the sky.

The vision must come from the top shelf and the action should be triggered by the Flying Schools. The answers become simple if people believe in the future. Bad enough we lost 30 years, it is time we woke up to brighter days and enjoy the God-given blessings this country is offering us. If one thinks negative, then everything is an impossibility. If one lives in the past and has no vision for the future, then we will dwell in the mire and be bogged down by the bureaucracy that is the bane of anything called progress.

But if we can get that pair of big scissors and cut some red tape and work collectively to improve general aviation, then we sure can conquer the Sri Lankan Blue Sky.

Yes, I know my words could fall on deaf ears or on those who refuse the logic. But I must speak, for I speak as a Sri Lankan and speak simply because this is my country and I hate to see its virgin potential wasted. “Fun Fliers” is a must when we talk of aviation. We need more people queuing up to be Private Pilots. It is simple, as long as the vision is not marred by ignorance or neglect or by plain stupidity.

“The answer is NO, what is the question?” That mentality sure has to change if we are to conquer the blue sky.