Soaring high: Jen Mohd Asghar Khan (left) makes history as the first TUDM chief to fly an aircraft at Lima. — Bernama
LANGKAWI: Royal Malaysian Air Force chief Jen Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan made history by becoming the first chief to fly an aircraft at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) air show in its 37-year history.
Jen Mohd Asghar Khan opened the air show from the cockpit of a Su-30MKM fighter jet enthralling thousands of spectators.
Equally impressive was the aircraft, known as “Toruk Makto”, which means Rider of the Last Shadow from the movie Avatar, that featured the iconic Jalur Gemilang livery.
TUDM said Jen Mohd Asghar Khan, who carried the call sign “Gunjiz”, was in action flying alongside Gong Kedak air base commander Kol Mohd Norazan Othman, who carried the call sign “Sting”.
“During the 12-minute flight, the aircraft performed various extraordinary manoeuvres, some of which were incapable of being performed by other fighter aircraft, capturing the attention of local and international guests present on the opening day of Lima’25,” the statement said, Bernama reported.
It said that Jen Mohd Asghar Khan’s direct participation not only reflected his patriotic spirit but also demonstrated the commitment of TUDM’s top leadership to uphold professionalism, courage and organisational excellence.
Jen Mohd Asghar Khan, who began his career as a TUDM pilot in 1985, also has experience flying A4 Skyhawk, F-5E and MiG-29N fighter aircraft.