Disabled pilot plans to set world record for solo flight

KUALA PILAH: Khamaruzaman Mohd Yusof, a former Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officer and a person with disabilities (OKU), intends to set a world record through his mission to fly solo around the world next year.
The 57-year-old man had served in the RMAF for 13 years from 1979, mainly in the Aviation Electronics division in which he developed his love for flying and had taken up flying courses and received his pilot wings from the Southern Illinois University, in the USA, through his own funding.
He became physically disabled in 2007 due to an accident while cutting a tree in the town of Kuala Pilah where he was seriously injured and fell into coma for three months and paralysed for four years.
After going through various treatments he was finally back on his feet again, but his left leg had shrunk and became shorter by six inches.
Five years later, he was involved in another horrible accident that left him with a broken leg.
Khamaruzaman said his mission was to break the world record as the first OKU person to carry out the fastest solo flight around the world.
"For this mission, I went through six months training at the Manila Aeroclub Flying Academy in Makati City in the Philippines from February to August last year, and I plan to embark on the mission from Kuala Pilah in April 2018," he told reporters after the launch of his OKU Solo Flight Around the World project by Undang Luak Johol Datuk Johan Pahlawan Lela Perkasa Sitiawan, Datuk Muhammed Abdullah here today.
Khamaruzaman planned to fly westward across 22 countries covering a distance of 40,000 kilometres through Thailand, Myanmar, India, Oman, Saudi Arabia and then to the Antarctica.
"God willing, for this mission I will use Cessna TTX single engine, a lightweight and high performance machine with the maximum altitude of 25,000 feet. I also plan to introduce Johol and Malaysia during my excursion. I will talk to the Foreign Ministry as well as the Tourism and Culture Ministry on this matter," he said.
As the project would involve a whopping RM5 million to execute, including cost for accommodation and food, he was hoping to garner supports and sponsorships from corporate bodies to ensure the mission's success.
Khamaruzaman said he would also contact the Malaysia Book of Records and the Guinness World Records in relation to his project. — Bernama