On my first ever Bomba helicopter ride

Part one of a three-part series

JUST like other grounded frequent flyers, it has been more than a year since I was on an aircraft or travelled outside Kuching. It honestly feels like a lifetime ago and the blame can be easily put on the current Covid-19 pandemic that has posed various challenges in all aspects of life including travelling. 

So, imagine the excitement and nervousness I felt when I was presented with an exclusive invitation and opportunity to experience how the state Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) conducted its aerial reconnaissance on Friday (Aug 20).

I was indeed humbled by the invitation from Bomba director Khirudin Drahman that I requested to be recalled for work on my day off in order to go for my first ever helicopter ride scheduled at 2.30pm that day.

With butterflies in my stomach, I arrived at the Bomba Headquarters at Jalan Setia Raja almost an hour earlier and waited excitedly for the AgustaWestland AW139 9M-BOD helicopter to land at the headquarters’ helipad.

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The medium utility helicopter is often used in Bomba’s firefighting, disaster relief, search and research (SAR), aerial surveillance as well as aerial command and control. With the ongoing National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP), it is also deployed to assist in the delivery of vaccines, particularly to Sarawak’s vast interior.

The flight was piloted by Deputy Senior Fire Supt II Sharizal Sahari with Senior Fire Supt II Robert James as the co-pilot and air quartermaster (AQM), Assistant Fire Supt Muhammad Ubadah Shuib.

While some people are familiar with pilots and what they do, I believe there are many others, including yours truly, who have never heard of the AQM.  

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Robert, also the commander of Sarawak Regional Air Base Bomba Malaysia in Miri, explained that the AQM was very important to the Bomba aircrew. He revealed that during the initial setup of the unit, the AQM was trained by the air force.

“Generally, the AQM’s job is to assist the pilots in flight safety, and to ensure that tasks are successfully carried out. During the take-off and landing, the AQM will check and make sure that the surrounding of the aircraft is clear of obstacles as pilots are limited to forward views only.

“The AQM also checks the condition of the landing surface so that the aircraft can fully land to prevent the wheels from slipping, skidding or sinking beyond limit. Besides this, the AQM will operate the hoist for winching operations and also operate the cargo hook equipment for Bambi bucket and underslung operations,” he explained.

Robert added that AQM was essentially an extra pair of eyes for the pilots as he would also assist in flight navigation and check the surrounding air traffic during flights.

Before take-off, the aircraft commander gave a safety briefing and explained the flight route will be from the Bomba Headquarters to Santubong, Lundu, Stinggang, Bau, Kuching City then return to base. The flight was given green light to operate at a flying altitude of 1,500 feet and below by the air traffic control (ATC).

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About 30 minutes into the flight, I lost track of the direction and location where we were flying. I began to feel slightly nauseous because the pilot made a few steep turns and because of the vibrations in my ears.

We flew low and the picturesque view of the vast greenery that Sarawak was blessed with took my breath away. I couldn’t help but looked all around and took many pictures along the way.

If I was allowed to move around in the helicopter, I would have moved from one seat to another!

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Sarawak is indeed well on its way to becoming one of the most developed states in the country. In spite of its various development projects, it still has a large green area, especially within Kuching City centre.

Having said that, I do hope that Sarawak’s lush greenery will not be replaced by concrete jungles in the future. It honestly felt surreal to see an aerial view of different shades of green covering the land of my beloved city.

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At the same time, my admiration for Bomba grew and I was curious to know more about its helicopter operations and missions. Various questions popped into my head like how the crew carried out their respective roles, how they spotted victims in SAR and many more.

After the one hour and 25 minutes’ journey, I did not hesitate to seize the opportunity to speak to both the pilot and co-pilot and bombarded them with queries, especially on their experiences in the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to areas like Long Teru, Long Jegan and Long Kevok. These I will share in an upcoming write up.

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