Chasing Dreams With Captain Imran Ismail, Club Captain of the Royal Selangor Flying Club

It was in 1903 when the American brothers and inventors, Orville and Wilbur Wright, took a leap of faith before launching their self-built flying machine, forever changing mankind’s relationship with the skies. Thanks to the achievements of the visionary duo, we now have access to commercial planes that ferry hundreds of passengers across the globe as well as superfast private jets capable of traversing multiple continents within 24 hours or less.

Captain Abdul Razak Hashim, Partner at Sri Ling & Associates, President of the Royal Selangor Flying Club Captain Imran Ismail, Managing Director of Tom Manas Group, Captain of the Royal Selangor Flying Club

According to Captain Imran, he was first introduced to the club by his friend, who happened to be the son of the flying club’s president: “I’ve been flying since 1996 and can still recall my first-ever solo flight. It was definitely a nerve-wracking experience, yet exciting at the same time. It’s actually good to be a bit nervous, because it makes you more aware about what you are doing. But once you finally get up there, it’s just you and the plane. You can forget about the world for a bit and just enjoy the entire experience.”

As for his most memorable flight experience so far, Captain Imran says: “There have been too many, although I would love to be able to soar over the Golden Gate in San Francisco and the pyramids in Egypt. After over a decade of flying, you can get used to certain things. But the ability to travel and land just about anywhere you wish has to be the most memorable part of the entire experience – and I’m looking forward to more in the near future.” Indeed.

Captain Imran wears on his wrist, the Navitimer 01 SEA Edition which is limited to only 100 pieces worldwide. The watch comes in a generous 46mm case making it far easier to read the circular aviation slide rule, a defining trait of all Breitling Navitimer watches. Available only in South East Asia, this variant of the watch comes with a stunning black dial with red accents paired with a black leather strap with red stitching to match. RM35,250.

ART DIRECTION PENNY CHEW
PHOTOGRAPHY JASON LEE