Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Department of Aerospace Engineering senior lecturer Dr Zairil Azhar Zaludin fell in love with aeroplanes when he was around two years old.
“My mum was holding my hand, as we climbed up the stairs towards a grocery store when I saw a jumbo jet flew by. I pointed upwards at the plane and told my mum, ‘I want’,” shared the 46-year- old.
It is no surprise then that he pursued aerospace engineering at the tertiary level. However, finding a job in the field upon graduation proved to be challenging.
“After completing my tertiary studies in the UK, I was jobless for six months despite going for interviews because there was virtually no aerospace-related jobs in Malaysia,” he said.
Devastated, Dr Zairil worked in the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) for a brief period.
Things started looking up for him when UPM offered him a PhD scholarship to further his studies in the UK, on the condition that he returned to serve as a lecturer.
“The PhD research subject that I was required to study was Automatic Flight Control System in Aerospace Engineering, which was my favourite subject,” he said.
But Dr Zairil’s subsequent transition into the education scene in 2000 was met with a few obstacles.
“When I first started lecturing at the Department of Aerospace Engineering in UPM, we had minimal aerospace resources, facilities, infrastructure, funding, etc,” he shared.
He also pointed out that the lack of colleagues with equal interest or passion made it even harder to brainstorm new research ideas, let alone have a professional conversation.
“To inspire young and keen aerospace students, I have to get creative to pool all the resources,” he said.
Dr Zairil has been accepted twice by the UK Engineering Council as a Chartered Engineer – first in 2002 and then in 2017. He views it as a significant achievement.
“My work is evaluated by extremely professional engineers from developed countries of the highest standard. To be accepted as ‘one of them’ gives a very significant meaning to my life and career,” he said.
In addition, Dr Zairil has been accepted as a Professional Engineer by the Board of Engineers Malaysia, which granted him the title “Ir”.
Recently, Dr Zairil has taken his passion for the aviation industry to a whole new level – he is seeking to obtain a private pilot licence.
“I have always wanted to be a pilot. It was not until last year that I could afford to take flying lessons professionally,” he said.
But like any worthwhile endeavour, flying a plane is challenging or “overwhelming”, as Dr Zairil described it.
“There are many things I have to do while keeping the plane flying safely,” he explained.
For example, after takeoff, Dr Zairil’s role includes making sure that the plane is climbing safely and flying straight and level, as well as paying attention to the air traffic controller’s instructions on air traffic.
“I have to check for other aircraft flying nearby and look for landmarks to fly towards to while experiencing turbulence,” he elaborated.
Although Dr Zairil encouraged teenagers to pursue their passion, he cautioned that the aviation industry is not for everyone.
“It is not like mechanical engineering, or electrical and electronics engineering, where once you get your degree, you can work anywhere like at factories or consultant companies.
“However, if you have an undying passion for aviation and aerospace, go for it! You will need a lot of motivation to see your journey through.”
Note: This article was written and published in The Star's NIE pullout in April 2018.
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