Meet Scratchman, Malaysia’s first qualified civil solo aerobatics pilot

Free Malaysia Today

Captain John Sham, known by his call sign ‘Scratchman’, is the nation’s first and only civil aviator authorised to train the trainers in aerobatics.  Story by: K Parkaran Shot by: Fauzi Yunus & Hizami Safri Presented by: Danish Raja Reza Edited by: Muhammad Akif Irfan   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/05/09/meet-scratchman-malaysias-first-qualified-civil-solo-aerobatics-pilot  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTLifestyle #JohnSham #Scratchman #Aerobatics #LIMA2025

Transcript

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

Category

Transcript

Recommended