M'sia's Captain James Anthony Tan Commissioned As RMAF Honorary Captain

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- The first Malaysian to fly solo around the world, Captain James Anthony Tan was commissioned as a Captain (Honorary) in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)'s volunteer reserve team Thursday. Air Force chief General Rodzali Daud (right) said Tan's (left) appointment which was affirmed by the Malaysian King on Sept 19 was for gaining world recognition for Malaysia in the Guiness Book of Records, World Record Academy and Malaysia Book of Records as the youngest pilot to successfully complete the solo flight, through his 1Malaysia Around The World mission. "With this appointment he will be the RMAF's icon and will be involved in the various programmes including for Youth Day. "The aim is to draw more youth to join the team," he said after the commissioning ceremony at Wisma Pertahanan here. Also present were Tan's parents Tan On Chin and Olive Beverly Tan. Originally from Sungai Long, Kajang, Selangor, Tan, 22, set off on a Cessna Silver Eagle P 210T on March 28 this year from Subang Skypark and returned safely on May 14. He took 48 days, 20 countries and 30 stops, covering 21,103 nautical miles to complete the mission. Prior to this achievement, Tan had also earned a spot in the Malaysia Book of Records in 2012 for his solo flight on an SR22 single piston aircraft spanning 13,803 nautical miles from the United Kingdom (UK) to Bangkok, Thailand and back to the UK. Rodzali said the young pilot's success reflected excellence, physical resilience, mental strength, focus and high endurance in facing challenges, which should be emulated by the young generation in the country. Meanwhile, Tan told reporters that he never thought he would be receiving the prestigious award, and could not wait to get involved in the RMAF programmes particularly giving motivational talks to the youth. "I am not stingy with my knowledge, I prefer to share what I learned because I believe there are many opportunities that can be exploited by the youth in this industry (aviation)," he said. Presently, the only other individual to have received an honorary commission from the RMAF is squash queen Nicol Ann David who is an honorary Major in the volunteer reserve team. (photoBERNAMA)