00:00To be continued
00:30At first glance, turntables and aerobatic aircraft seem worlds apart.
00:42One moves crowds on the ground, the other moves through clouds in the skies.
00:48But for Captain John Shum, the skills needed for both—precision, timing, and control—have
00:54always been closely linked.
00:56A career military aviator, Shum spent more than two decades flying with the Royal Malaysian
01:01Air Force.
01:03And in 1993, I joined the Malaysian Air Force, was in the Air Force for the past 26 years,
01:12and I opted for early retirement to get into the commercial field.
01:18But during that time, it was COVID, so I couldn't join the commercial airlines at that time.
01:24Grounded like many others, Shum returned to another lifelong skill—music.
01:30Drawing on his past as a professional DJ and winner of the Malaysian Open DJ Competition
01:35in 1992, he found work wherever it was still possible to perform.
01:41In fact, it was through DJ Scratching that he earned his callsign Scratchman.
01:47But in 2020, an opening at Lyang Lyang Flying Academy brought him back to the skies.
01:52He joined as a flight instructor, but soon set his sights on something more specialized—civil
01:57aerobatics, a field still largely untapped in Malaysia.
02:02He recalls the moment his passion for aerobatic flying was first sparked.
02:07That was during Lima 1997, I still remember.
02:12It was—they had a team called the Benson & Hages Aerobatic Team, if you remember.
02:16That was a long way back, right?
02:17So one of the pilots offered me to join during one of their training sessions, and I was really
02:24a young pilot at that time.
02:25I had the opportunity to fly with them, and I had a taste of what aerobatic flying was
02:30all about.
02:31And actually, that ensaled that first fire.
02:34Now certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Shum is the country's first civil
02:39solo aerobatics trainer, leading Malaysia's only UPRT-accredited program.
02:45UPRT stands for Upset Prevention and Recovery Training.
02:49Now, in layman's term, it's when an aircraft is out of control.
02:55You know?
02:56Out of control, away from its normal flight parameters.
03:00So it has diverged.
03:02His aircraft of choice is the GB-1 Gamebird, a modern two-seater built for precision and
03:07training versatility.
03:09Shum completed his aerobatics training in this model and now uses it for both solo airshows
03:15and instructional flights.
03:18In 2023, he performed at major airshows across the country, including Lima and the Salangor
03:24Aviation Show.
03:26He is now preparing for Lima 2025.
03:30Shum's commitment to aviation runs deep and close to home.
03:35His daughter Samantha recently completed her training at the academy, becoming one of the
03:39first graduates equipped with advanced UPRT and a foundation in aerobatics.
03:45As for what keeps him moving forward, Shum returns to a belief he's held since childhood.
03:51If you aim for the stars, at the very least, you'll reach the skies.
03:58Donish Rajareza and Kate Parkharan, FMT.
04:06John
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