Universiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

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Careers: Top guns of Dengkil


Students at UniKL-MIAT are exposed to all types of aircraft as part of their practical work

The aviation industry is growing rapidly with the emergence of low-costairlines in Asia and demand for engineers and mechanics will rise intandem. MOHD NOOR ASWAD reports on the role of Universiti KualaLumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology in meeting it

I knew I wanted to be involved in aviation when I grew up, says Ahmad Zahir

IF you were to stumble upon the campus ofUniversiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology(UniKL-MIAT), you would be forgiven for thinking it is a secretmilitary base.

The main structure of the campus, which is a giant aircraft hanger,looks out of place in the lush jungle surrounding Dengkil, Selangor.

  Entering the hangar, you come face to face with a breathtaking sight of a magnificent jet fighter.

It is an A4 Skyhawk, complete with Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)insignia. Its long nose points at you as it stands guard at theentrance of the hangar like an enormous watch dog.
A lone figure is standing next to it caressing the steel hullof the magnificent fighter as if reassuring it of the presence ofstrangers. He introduces himself as Professor Ahmad Zahir Mokhtar, deanof UniKL-MIAT.

The 54-year-old looks more like a seasoned jet pilot than a member ofthe university's academic community. He laughs at the suggestion beforeturning his attention back to the jet fighter.

  "My boys and I put this bird together piece by piece," he explains, with a glint in his eyes.

"The RMAF decommissioned the Skyhawk and had it dismantled beforeshipping the jet to us in bits and pieces. So naturally, we had to putthis back together."

The "boys" are the university's studentsand teaching staff who had worked together to put the jet fighter backinto fighting form and that is what they do at UniKL-MIAT.

"Students are trained to be aviation engineers and mechanics. Theylearn how to fix and maintain all types of aircraft," says Ahmad Zahir.

  He is proud of the strong relations UniKL-MIAT has with Malaysia's air force.

"Whenever it sends us old parts or even a dismantled jet, we are verygrateful because our students can do practical learning on theaircraft. And the air force knows that without aviation engineers andmechanics, there will be no top guns protecting our skies."

Thestrong ties with the local aviation industry are similarly nurtured.Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Air Asia need a steady supply of specialistmechanics and engineers to maintain their growing fleet of aircraft.

  "Every student will have a job waiting for   him when   he walks out of here."

To Ahmad Zahir, the aviation industry will prove to be the biggestsource of demand for engineers and mechanics in the future.

"The aviation industry is growing at a rapid pace. Malaysia Airlines isbuying more aircraft every year and it will need more specialists tomaintain its growing fleet."

Plus, with the rapid emergence oflow-cost airlines such as Air Asia and others in the region, the demandfor aviation engineers and mechanics will rise drastically.

  "A 747 alone needs 400 people to service and maintain it at a given time."

The AFTA Open Sky policy, which will come into effect in 2010, allowsmore airliners to operate anywhere in the region. That will alsocontribute to the rise in demand for skilled aviation engineers andmechanics.

  "The question is, are we ready for it?" asks Ahmad Zahir.

It was a big deal when Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA)recently granted UniKL-MIAT the Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO)certificate -- the first in the country.

  The recognition means that UniKL-MIAT is an approved training centre for aviation maintenance in Malaysia.

"Anyone who is familiar with flying knows the importance of safety inair travel. The responsibility to ensure that planes are safe to flylies in the hands of qualified aviation engineers and mechanics. Thatis what we do here. We train our students to be experts in this field.We don't skimp on the importance of safety and quality of work."

The MTO approval means that UniKL-MIAT only produces people who haveachieved the highest aviation standard. It took five years and 18audits for the DCA to grant the university its MTO certificate.

  "We didn't complain about the long wait. It just made us work harder."

While airlines have their own apprenticeship programmes, they can onlyhandle a set number of students at a time. With its MTO endorsement,UniKL-MIAT is in a favourable position to supply the manpower needed bythe aviation industry.

  "MAS and Air Asia have strong relationships with UniKL-MIAT because they know it is a win-win situation."

  That should not come as a surprise as Ahmad Zahir himself   is formerly from MAS and so   are many of his teaching staff.

"The majority of my staff cut their teeth on aircraft maintenance atMAS. All of us have been through the apprenticeship programme. We havethe hands-on experience and the qualifications. More importantly, weknow what is needed to train a specialist group of aviation maintenancepersonnel."

Ahmad Zahir is proud of the fact that 80 per centhis students come from poor backgrounds. The Perlis-born son ofreligious teachers knows too well the hardship that many of his poorstudents face.

"There are people who still think those fromvillages can only be padi farmers, yet look at me now. Most of thestudents come from poor families. Once they graduate they will belooking at about RM5,000 a month in salary. That can help elevate thequality of life of their families."

Not resting on its laurel,UniKL-MIAT has also started a community outreach programme to get youngpeople interested in the world of aviation.

"Last year, weconducted a four-day aviation camp for secondary school students. ForRM100 they not only got to learn about aviation but also had fun flyingon a Cessna light aircraft!

" I plan to make it an annual event."

  The father of four is  passionate about this as he strongly believes that interest in aviation must start at an early age.

"When I was in Standard Four, a helicopter made an emergency landing inthe middle of town. Maybe it didn't have spare parts as it was strandedthere for a few days. I would go and see it every day. That firstencounter made an impact on me."

Each time his family went toAlor Star, Ahmad Zahir would ask his father to stop at the Kuala BatasRMAF base to watch helicopters and airplanes there.

"I wouldcommit to memory the name of every aircraft. In secondary school, Iknew I wanted to be involved in aviation when I grew up."

Thekampung boy is breaking down barriers and paving the way for Malaysiato be the aviation hub for Asia. As Ahmad Zahir puts it: "I want theuniversity to evolve into a centre of excellence in the areas ofaviation maintenance, repair and overhaul in the region. This is justthe beginning."

  It is not an easy job    Ahmad Zahir concedes but   he is ready to face the challenges.

  As Winston Churchill once said: "It's not where you come from that matters, it's where you stand today that counts!"

  And it all started with a broken-down helicopter in the   centre of a small town.

對Universiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology 的一篇介紹文。 轉過來讓想走航空路的朋友們參考。很淺白，應該大家都能看懂。如果讀不明白的話，就乘機強迫自己突破這道障礙吧！航空業英文很重要的！

blackbird

原帖由 qwerty223 于 4-4-2008 10:13 AM 发表


對Universiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology 的一篇介紹文。 轉過來讓想走航空路的朋友們參考。很淺白，應該大家都能看懂。如果讀不明白的話，就乘機強迫自己突破這道障礙吧！航空業 ...

本版已有不少和MIAT有关的消息了。
但是，你的发帖不会浪费掉，我迟下可能会合并进去宇航教育帖子