Speaking to Free Malaysia Today, they said it is a common practice for helicopter pilots to change landing locations along their flight routes as long as they have clearance from air traffic control (ATC).
Mohamed Raffe had permission to land at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, but he landed some 6km away at Padang Ipoh, for which he did not have permission.
According to Perak police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, the helicopter pilot was granted a police permit in Selangor to travel to Ipoh on a “maintenance round”.
A pilot told Free Malaysia Today that the case indicting Mohamed Raffe sets a bad precedent as it will curtail the flexibility of flying helicopters.
“As long as pilots inform the ATC and get clearance, they don’t even have to give reasons for their landing. So, we are shocked that the Attorney-General’s Chambers has decided to charge the Bell 505 helicopter pilot involved in the incident, especially when he had the ATC clearance,” he explained.
One senior pilot with 35 years of experience, including 20 years in the airforce, also said that the case should not be a problem to begin with as he had made dozens of landings on fields and other open areas while on routine or maintenance flights.
Another pilot claimed the authorities might be acting under duress because the case caught national attention at the time.
“It is clear that the flight had official permission to fly across state borders. So, they may have resorted to this action to please the public. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia should know better, as the pilot did nothing illegal,” he said.
“His actions did not result in the government losing any revenue nor did he cause any public nuisance, and it was never a threat to security. It may have been morally wrong under the circumstances, but this does not constitute a crime.”