Lee Ean Keong, now retired, was one of Malaysia Airlines’ pioneering fliers.
Lee Ean Keong has a wealth of stories to tell from his days as a pilot with Malaysia airlines. At 72, retired pilot Lee Ean Keong has a treasure trove of stories, from flights with one of Malaysia’s former prime ministers to heart-pounding encounters with air turbulence. “Interesting” doesn’t even begin to cover these memories.
“When I was sent to the Philippines Airline Aviation School for flight training, we were told from day one that there were only four things we could say: ‘Yes Sir,’ ‘No Sir,’ ‘I will find out, Sir,’ and ‘I can’t afford it, Sir,'” he told FMT Lifestyle.Lee became a pilot in July 1971 when he was selected as a cadet pilot with MSA immediately after completing his Form Six education in Ipoh.
“I remember this one time we had passengers coming on board with baskets of live chickens. The chickens were running all over the cabin and our stewardesses were also running around, trying to catch them.” The next day Port Moresby newspapers featured an official apology on their front-pages for the mistake.Despite the glamour of the profession, according to Lee, there are distinct challenges, like extended separations from home, sometimes spanning close to a month.
Lee and his wife, Caroline Wong, met in 1968 during their school days in Ipoh. They have been married for 51 years.