I am quite sad to see Cessna 172 laying down stripped in the Royal Brunei Flying Club hanger for several years now. I used to fly her on my flying trips to KK, Miri, Labuan even to Lawas. She was my best business tools in making business trips quick and simple yet very effective and efficient.
When the aircraft still flying, I can make cross border meeting very efficient and effective. Most of the time, I can be more than punctual ;). For instance, if I have to meet the fish supplier in KK, I can simply logged a flight plan a day before the intended flight and fly to KK just after I sent my wife to work. Depart Brunei around 8.30am and arrived KK by 9.30am. Then I can take a taxi ride to the city centre or near the fish landing port and negotiate the fish in question say an hour or two. By 10.45 or 11.00am I will depart for Brunei and landed safely about 12.00 noon, parked he aircraft then drive my way to pick up my wife.
Most of my friends never believe how I did it. Because for them flying for yourself is something most of us can’t do or it will only exclusively available for the VIPs. An airplane is actually a great business tools if you know how to utilise if correctly. Efficient and effective ( I kept saying these, aren’t I?)
Sometime when I need some small equipments or tools in Miri, I just fly the airplane to Miri airport, took a taxi to hardware shops and then be back in time during the day. I do it occasionally after I made a trip to KK. Landed in Brunei and be ready to fly to Miri by 2.00pm. It took only 45 minutes to reach Miri from Brunei with an airplane. I usually arrived just before 3.00pm in Miri and flew back to Brunei by 4.00pm. By about 5.00pm you will be able to spot a small airplane approaching on landing for Runway 03 near Batu Bersurat shopping complex.
But now everything is history. No CFI, insufficient fund to buy the aircraft insurance to make it airworthy. To make it flying again, the club will need not less than $25,000.
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