“Top Gun” nurtures budding pilots under his wing

By Nur Isyana Isaman

When Faris Iskandar Samat (MAE/2018) was young, he would spend his weekends at Changi Beach watching aeroplanes landing and taking off from the Singapore airport. He knew he wanted to pursue aviation when he grew up, and perhaps, work as a commercial pilot.

After graduating from NTU with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and equipped with a recreational pilot license, Faris combined his interest in flying and knowledge of aerospace to co-found an aviation training centre with his wife in 2018.

Their training centre, named Aeroviation, is the first private institution in Singapore to conduct training programmes for the Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC). He wishes to make his programmes affordable and accessible to everyone.

“I was once in their shoes,” said Faris, a licensed recreational pilot since he was 22 years old. “I really wanted to get my pilot license, but I did not come from a well-to-do family, so I wanted to provide an alternative for people to learn flying. People tend to go for the private pilot license, which costs at least S$30,000, but many are unaware that obtaining an RPC is half of that cost.”

Instead of flying passengers, he became a teacher to aviation hobbyists. Over a span of five years, the 30-year-old has trained over 300 students aged between seven and 54 years old and from all walks of life.

80 of them have become certified recreational pilots, including Singapore’s youngest female pilot who was just 17 years old at that time. The minimum age to undergo the RPC flight test is 15. 

Faris in the Diamond DA20 Katana flight simulator at his training centre, Aeroviation.

Charting his own path

Several incidents in his third undergraduate year altered his career plans of becoming a commercial pilot.   

He pursued a diploma in aerospace technology at Ngee Ann Polytechnic before gaining direct entry into year two at NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

He recounted, “I applied for cadetship as a pilot with Singapore Airlines. I had no guidance for the interview, so I did not pass. This made me feel that becoming a commercial pilot might not be for me.

“Then, I interned at Eagle Services Asia, an established airline engine company. Those six months really helped me gain experience in the engineering aspect of ground operations and exposed me to the aviation industry. At that time, I also assisted my friends who teach in local flight schools. These experiences made me realise the importance of having a holistic understanding of aviation.”

Now, Faris prepares his students holistically to achieve their childhood dreams. His efforts are paying off.

“Our students learn ground theory and practise flight simulation in Singapore. The final phase is conducted in Australia, where they undergo 20 hours of flight training before taking the flight test. Just this year, eight of our RPC graduates have been recruited as cadet pilots by the Singapore Airlines and more are being selected for job interviews. We guide them through the different scenarios and interview questions thoroughly,” he said.

Faris stands in front of Aeroviation's wall of f(r)ame showcasing his students' achievements.

Housed in a two-storey facility in Ubi, Aeroviation is equipped with two flight simulators – the Diamond DA20 Katana and Cessna 172 Skyhawk, an AI-powered air traffic control simulator, as well as a virtual reality flight training machine. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk flight simulator is similar to the plane used in training the Top Gun: Maverick movie cast.

The training centre hires 12 flight instructors in Singapore and another five in Australia.

Faris is moving the training centre to a bigger space in August to accommodate plans for more students.

He elaborated, “We are working with the Air Line Pilots’ Association Singapore and the Council for the Development of Singapore Malay/Muslim Community (MENDAKI) to make flight training accessible for students in the Malay community. The initiative will be extended to the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) and the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) too. We are also working with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which sends their students to us for RPC training since we are the pioneers of such a programme in Singapore.”

In the pipeline, Faris will register Aeroviation as a licensed private education institution in Singapore while planning its expansion into neighbouring countries.

“We have had students from Malaysia and Indonesia who came to attend our programmes while they were on holiday. There have been numerous enquiries and requests to set up operations in these countries. For a start, we hope to get the license so that we can issue student visas for those from overseas,” he said. 

Faris explains the air traffic control simulator to his NTU juniors, Li Xu Dong (first from left) and Nur Humaira Ibrahim (centre), who are studying in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Bringing up the young generation

Besides the recreational pilot programme, Aeroviation also conducts classes for children and teenagers. They learn through a STEM-based curriculum developed by Faris’ wife and co-founder, who is an experienced early childhood educator.

“She simplifies aviation topics such as airport operations and air traffic control by relating them to what children learn in school. For example, the children need to build an airport using the lowest possible budget, so they will calculate the costs, think of ways to get investments, and so on. Hands-on activities like this help stimulate their creative thinking,” explained Faris.

For an authentic learning experience, the children attend classes wearing pilot uniforms with epaulettes to display their ranks, which are awarded as they progress through eight levels from entry-level junior aviators to advanced young aviators.

On some days, Faris’ wife joins his classes with their 10-month-old daughter.

“My role as a father is to expose her to all possibilities, but it is up to her. If she likes aviation, go for it. If she wants to do something else, go for it. Having said that, we do notice more females learning to fly. When we started, there was only one female student. Now, about 10% to 15% of our students are females,” said Faris. 

Faris with his wife and their daughter.

Should his daughter choose to pursue flying, Faris will aim to instil in her the same key attributes of a good pilot that he teaches his students.

“First, the ability to multitask, doing multiple things at once. Second, having situational awareness – where you are, what’s happening to the aircraft, and so on. Lastly, being great at decision-making, especially in critical situations. These are what we refer to as having the aptitude to fly.” 

Watch Faris show his NTU juniors around his training centre where they had an experiential tour.