The Aeroviation co-founder shares the highs and lows of his journey in aviation, and his mission of moulding future pilots in Singapore.

“I’ll never forget the first time I flew solo. It was such an amazing feeling. As soon as you take off, all your problems get left behind on the ground. It’s a whole other world up there, and you’re all alone with a bird’s eye view. Finally, you’re up there, touching the skies.

What I love about flying – apart from the technical aspects – is how it puts you on the edge of high risk. You know something could happen at any given moment, and that makes you feel alive. Not many people get to do this, and that fuels your drive.

You come back down as a different person. You’re more situationally aware of the dangers around you. And when the views are right – I’m talking about amazing cloud formations and a breathtaking sunrise or sunset – that makes the whole experience even more magical. 

My passion for aviation began when my parents brought me to Changi Beach. The interest was embedded in me when I saw planes flying in the sky. But as I grew older, I realised that flying was not just about doing incredible stunts or manoeuvres. It’s really technical. 

That’s why I had my own flight simulator at home. The set-up started with one laptop, and I’d use the keyboard to fly before I saved up to get a joystick. I then progressed to an IR tracker, which is a device you put on your head. When you turn your head, the screen turns with you.

Every decision I made was to prepare me to become a commercial pilot for an airline one day. I studied Aerospace Technology, and I did my attachment at Seletar Airport which holds all private jets. There, I learnt so much about the importance of back-end work.

When I failed to get a cadetship with Singapore Airlines (SQ), my dreams were crushed. The interview was something I had been looking forward to all my life, but I was butchered and left in self-doubt. Am I even good enough to fly? Was everything I did a waste of time?

I had the knowledge, but I crumbled because I was not prepared for the high-pressure scenarios they threw at me. Back then, there wasn’t an aviation school to prepare you for such interviews, and that’s one of the reasons why I co-founded Aeroviation.

My Aeroviation journey began when my wife – an Early Childhood educator – asked me a very simple question: how come nobody teaches kids how to fly? Being a pilot is one of the top three jobs in the world; yet, there are no structured courses for youths or kids.

So the two of us discussed, took a leap of faith, and left our full-time jobs to pursue a new dream. With the help of an investor who believed in us and our vision, Aeroviation was born in 2018. Our goal was to be the top aviation academy in Singapore.

Coming from a family that was not financially healthy, I was also very aware of how expensive pursuing your aviation dreams can be. That is why we wanted Aeroviation to offer programmes that are financially viable for aspiring pilots of all ages.

We offer the Junior Aviator programme for primary school kids (age 7 to 12), Young Aviator programme for secondary school youths (age 13 to 16), and the Recreational Pilot Certificate for adults.

There were many challenges. For starters, there were hardly any references for a junior syllabus, so we created one ourselves. With my background in aviation and my wife’s background in Early Childhood, she created a comprehensive aviation syllabus for kids.

Money and daily finances was another challenge. We didn’t have millions of dollars in the bank to sustain us. While our friends were posting expensive dinners on IG, we were eating cup noodles and prata everyday.

There was always this lingering thought of whether we were going to make it. But in 2020, things changed almost overnight when Haazeqah, our first female student to get a Recreational Pilot Certificate at the age of 17, became a viral sensation on social media.

Madam Ho Ching, the wife of our former Prime Minister, reshared a video of Haazeqah flying a two-seater aircraft on social media. Suddenly, our work phone started ringing non-stop as members of the media reached out to interview her. It was like nothing we had ever seen.

The impact of Hazeeqah’s media exposure was amazing. The number of new students who came with their parents to enrol at Aeroviation jumped significantly. From that point on, my wife and I knew that we were on a steady path of growth and expansion.

Just earlier this year, we moved into our brand new facility. We designed it to look like a stylish English country club as we want our students to feel proud to be here. It’s equipped with four classrooms, four simulator rooms, a lounging area and so much more.

Now that Aeroviation has come this far, I no longer harbour dreams of being a pilot for an airline. I’ve already acquired a recreational licence through Aeroviation, and that’s enough for me. My next goal is to bring my wife and kids up there with me to taste the skies.

I’m also focused on moulding the future generations of pilots. You know, the most rewarding aspect of what I do is seeing all of them on graduation day. For the first graduation ceremony we held in 2022, I actually invited SQ pilots and VIPs from aviation universities.

When the graduates stepped into the hall in their pilot uniforms, they could not believe their eyes. Were they even on the right floor? So many people were in attendance! And it was so rewarding when their parents thanked us for guiding their kids to reach their dreams. 

I always tell my instructors that we won’t see the fruits of our labour in these next few years. We’ll see results in the next 10 years, when our students have grown older and started working for the commercial airlines or the Air Force.

They’ll greet us in their uniforms and ask, ‘Mr Faris, do you remember me?’ That would be the biggest reward to me. It would put a smile on my face, and make everything we’ve done and continue to try to do so worth it.” – Faris Iskandar, Aeroviation Co-Founder

Interview by Arman Shah