SHAH ALAM: Sendayan Airbase, one of several facilities built as replacements for Kuala Lumpur Airbase was officially opened today. Despite called an airbase, Sendayan does not have a runway as it is not involved in air operations. The airbase term is used as the facility is owned and managed by RMAF.
Facilities at the 303.5-hectare site include a sports complex, a nine-hole golf course , equestrian facilities, swimming pool, Islamic centre and residence complex or quarters for personnel. For this it has 693 units of various categories including bungalows, semi-detached houses and apartments.
The airbase was planned as non aviation training centre combining three RMAF training centres in Subang and Kinrara in Selangor and Penang under one roof. As you are aware RMAF is also moving out of the Kinrara camp.
Apart from Sendayan, seven other facilities have been build to accomodate units formerly based at the Sg Besi airbase land. One of them include the police Air Wing.
Prime Minister DS Najib Razak when opening the Sendayan airbase says its development had brought about transformation in three aspects.
He said the first aspect of the transformation was turning an oil palm plantation into the Sendayan satellite township of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.
The second aspect was the modern amenities and comfort enjoyed by the Royal Malaysian Air Force personnel, and the third was the development of the Kuala Lumpur Air Base as Bandar Malaysia, he added.
Najib said Sendayan, once the site of a Felda oil palm plantation, had taken on a new look as Bandar Baru Sendayan.“It will become a satellite township of Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley and the inhabitants here will enjoy a quality of life better than that in the city centre,” he says.
Najib said the Kuala Lumpur Air Base would be remembered as the air base that was witness to a host of historical events such as the take-off point for national leaders seeking independence and operations to address the communist terrorist threat.
“But with the passing of time, Kuala Lumpur, having developed with its skyscrapers, has become no longer suitable to host an air base due to priority for flight safety. The transfer of the Kuala Lumpur Air Base to Sendayan is not just a physical move but a move to a sophisticated, modern and comfortable air base.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (45)
And a 9 hole golf course is a priority over a landing strip that can at least operate something in the size of MD3 Aerotiga? An aero club for for officers instead of a golf course maintains flying skills of those doing desk jobs.
It's lovely that "equestrian facilities" and a whole infantry battalion earmarked for ceremonial duty have priority over so many things.
Ada sebab knapa sendayan tiada runway..bnyk isu akan timbul sekiranya sendayan ada runway. Contohnya approach and departure path untuk runway sendayan mcm mana..it will effect klia landing n departure..satu lg stucture of airspace, bila ada runway mst ada tower n ada area of responsibility..tu blom standard instrument departure n landing..tu suma kena amek kira..sudah pasti akan menyebabkan operasi klia akan terganggu dan membahayakan operasi penerbangan di klia..cer check dengan pihak penerbangan awam bagai mana sesebuah airport baru dibina..
@ AM
actually right now we have 2 battalions earmarked for ceremonial duties, 1RAMD and 1RRD; 1 howitzer battery and 1 horse cavalry squadron. If the army has units earmarked for ceremonial duties, why not the navy (kd hang tuah perhaps) or airforce (historic flight)?
@ kilohotel
A runway does not neccessarily mean a need for a control tower. A runway does not even need instrument landing systems. The advancement of consumer electronics mean that you could even have flight instruments on your ipad to guide you to an airfield. A small runway for light training aircrafts is adequate for sendayan, something around 400-600m in length.
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Light aircraft flying VFR around an international airport is not something that likely be approved by DCA. Anyhow its not like the air force has such light aircraft for the type of flight training you envisaged.
One reason is that an army ceremonial unit [irrespective of whether mounted or artillery] consumes much less funds/resources to maintain compared to a ceremonial/historical ship or aircraft. There is also the possibility that the RMAF and RMN are not to keen on having them.
Marhalim,
Are you aware of any army bases that have a dirt strip that can take a C-130H? I know the GOF base at Ulu Kinta had a dirt strip in which Caribous use to land but I'm not sure if it's still there.
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Taiping was supposed to have one, I was told. Whether this is still active is beyond me.
I hope that they've set aside a space or two for helipads to be built there.
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Yes they have helipads there
Kilohotel: "it will effect klia landing n departure"
Absolutely untrue. Azlan is right that "a runway does not neccessarily mean a need for a control tower" because a runway can be uncontrolled though in this case, if Sendayan had a runway could be controlled by KLIA's tower. Sendayan might only have a ground control tower for taxi traffic, again not a must.
There is no problem with Sendayan not being a flying base, for the simple reason that admin, training and logistics facilities are always necessary and one does not make each base a flying one for the sake of it.
Azlan "One reason is that an army ceremonial unit [irrespective of whether mounted or artillery] consumes much less funds/resources to maintain compared to a ceremonial/historical ship or aircraft. "
I can understand an infantry company being cheaper to upkeep than a ship plus its complement, but would a whole battalion be cheaper? Guess it depends.
"Are you aware of any army bases that have a dirt strip that can take a C-130H?"
Of all the strips visible on sat images, Terendak's strip appears the most usable. Though it hardly matters since it is a few minutes drive from Melaka's airport.
@ azlan
I know of a few dirtstrips not in DCA AIP that can be/has been used by hercules, but i prefer not to list them here. Here are the official DCA airport/airstrip list.
http://aip.dca.gov.my/hAD.htm
The sg petani camp is built on a former air force base. muar bakri police base is a former airstrip.
@ marhalim
Light aircraft and heavy commercial aircraft operate in different airspace even above a same location. With the use of systems like ADS-B, safety is better than in the olden days.