Five pilot scholarship recipients from the Surabaya administration show their pilot competence certificates at the Surabaya Social Agency office, East Java, Saturday (14/10). They graduated from the Banyuwangi Pilot Training and Education Center on Saturday (7/10) and applied to the airline Citilink.
Wearing a cadet pilot jacket belonging to his son, Syahdan Sudjono, 46, released his son, Rizal Awalludin Adiansyah, 20, to pursue his future to become a pilot, an ideal which he initially did not dare to imagine in the mind of the son of a construction worker.
An announcement through loudspeaker at Pasar Turi railway station, Surabaya, East Java, Saturday (14/10) at 7:50 p.m., indicated it was time for Rizal to enter Argo Bromo Anggrek train to Gambir Station, Jakarta. After kissing the hands of his father, Rizal was instructed to try maximally in the entrance exam to Citilink airline which took place on Monday-Tuesday (16-17/10).
"Remember, Son, this is an opportunity which will not come twice. Take advantage of the opportunity for you to become a pilot in order to change the family economy," Syahdan said.
Rizal is one of the five Surabaya residents from poor families who get scholarship from the Surabaya City Administration. Besides Rizal, there are Muhammad Iqbal Muttaqin, 25; Muhammad Salman Al Farisy, 21; Adyatma Kusuma Wijaya, 20; and Mochammad Syaifudin, 20. They got the opportunity to attend a pilot school education at the Aviation Education and Training Center (BP3) in Banyuwangi, East Java.
Since October 2015, they have been equipped with various lessons, such theory, simulator training, flying without passengers and flying with passengers. After undergoing education for about two years, they got permission to fly Cessna 172 and Tobago 10 aircraft to have 180 to 220 flight hours.
On Saturday (7/10), they were declared to have passed. The five young men registered themselves as pilots at Citilink airline on the advice of the Surabaya City Administration. They asked for instructions from a senior pilot, Captain Budi Hartono, to enable them to be accepted to work in Citilink.
On Friday (20/10), when Kompas contacted them again, Iqbal said they were still waiting for an announcement from Citilink about the results of their entrance tests.
Becoming a waiter
Rizal comes from a poor family. When Rizal was in high school, his father worked as a laborer at a wood mill with minimum wage incomes. However, his father was laid off in 2015 and switched to become a brick layer.
In order to reduce his father\'s burden, Rizal stealthily worked part-time at a catering firm and became a restaurant waiter. He could get Rp 180,000 per month. "I had to set aside a part of the money for my younger siblings," Rizal said.
Before graduating from state high school SMA Negeri 19 Surabaya, he got information from his counseling guidance teacher about the opportunity to attend a pilot education. He applied it by sending his documents and at the same time registering himself to the Faculty of School of the Surabaya State University (Unesa).
He got a good news that he passed selection test to enter BP3 Banyuwangi when he attended the second day of study orientation and introduction to the campus of Unesa. Rizal decided to joint BP3 with the hope he could get better incomes. "Initially, I did not have the gut to have an ideal to become a pilot because the cost of education is expensive," said Rizal.
Meanwhile, for Iqbal, the scholarship to become a pilot was like a fresh breeze to realize his ideal since his childhood. Like Rizal, Iqbal also comes from a poor family. Since entering high school, he and two siblings lived with his mother because his parents divorced. "For the schooling, we were helped by relatives," he said.
Due to the economic hardship, Iqbal\'s ideal to become a pilot was buried deeply. After graduating from high school in 2011, he registered to a number of universities providing scholarships.
For two years, Iqbal registered 12 times in state universities and four times to become a policeman. However, his efforts did not work. "To register independently, I have no money," he said.
He later worked as a pan salesman and a private teacher to meet his family needs. He did not forget to set aside Rp 1 million from his incomes for saving. He planned to study in university at a personal cost.
After his saving was adequate, Igbal enrolled in the Chemical Engineering Department of Veteran National Development University, East Java. Just a year at the university, Iqbal got information from the Surabaya City Administration and applied to become a pilot.
"I registered at the age of 22 years 10 month, nearly approaching the maximum age for applicants at 23 years old," Iqbal said.
Not wanting to waste a chance, Iqbal studied high school materials for two months. It was lucky for him to become a private teacher to high-school students for two years so he could still remember parts of the materials. Iqbal also learned how to fly planes from Youtube because he had never seen the plane cockpit.
"Don\'t see how many failures, but how many times we rise again," he said.
According to Iqbal, the most difficult thing to finish the pilot education is consistency to undergo education. Because, students are required to be disciplined and responsible because their work will be related to the safety of many passengers.
Raising the family degree
Chairman of the Social Service Office of Surabaya City Supomo said the Surabaya City Administration initially provided pilot scholarships for 10 Surabaya residents from poor families. However, out of 50 applicants, only five met the requirements.
"The education costs Rp 800 million for 20 months per person, and it is borned by the Surabaya City Administration," Supomo said.
Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said that each year his city administration earmarked about Rp 9 billion for scholarships for Surabaya residents who are unable to continue their study to universities.
They are directed to apply to the vocational majors. After graduation, the scholarship recipients are freed to choose their desired jobs. "The skills they gain can be the capital to work in their fields. They should be able to raise the degree of their families," Risma said.
Risma hoped the scholarship given to the underprivileged students can break the family poverty chain. According to her, the improvement on education becomes one of the ways to enable her citizens to get better jobs.
In 2016, the poverty rate in Surabaya was 4.6 percent, falling from 7 percent in 2010. The poverty is targeted to further falling to 2 percent this year.
In several occasions, Risma always reminded Surabaya students not to be afraid to pursue their ideals. Because all people from various backgrounds, both rich and poor, are entitled to realize the desired ideals since childhood. "If you work hard on it, there will be a way. Nothing is impossible," said the mother of two children.
