Monday, March 17, 2008

Sejarah TNI Angkatan Udara

Sejarah lahirnya TNI AU bermula dari pembentukan Badan Keamanan Rakyat (BKR) pada Tanggal 23 Agustus 1945, guna memperkuat Armada Udara yang saat itu sangat kekurangan pesawat terbang dan fasilitas-fasilitas lainnya. Sejalan dengan perkembangannya berubah menjadi Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR), pada tanggal 5 Oktober 1945 dengan nama TKR jawatan penerbangan di bawah Komodor Udara Soerjadi Soerjadarma.

Pada tanggal 23 Januari 1946 TKR ditingkatkan lagi menjadi TRI, sebagai kelanjutan dari perkembangan tunas Angkatan Udara, maka pada tanggal 9 April 1946, TRI jawatan penerbangan dihapuskan dan diganti dengan Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia, kini diperingati sebagai hari lahirnya TNI AU yang diresmikan bersamaan dengan berdirinya Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI).

Salah satu Sejarah monumental yang selalu diperingati jajaran TNI AU tiap tahun adalah apa yang dinamakan Hari Bhakti TNI AU. Peringatan Hari Bhakti TNI AU, dilatar belakangi oleh dua peristiwa yang terjadi dalam satu hari pada 29 Juli 1947. Peristiwa Pertama, pada pagi hari, tiga kadet penerbang TNI AU masing-masing Kadet Mulyono, Kadet Suharnoko Harbani dan Kadet Sutarjo Sigit dengan menggunakan dua pesawat Cureng dan satu Guntei berhasil melakukan pengeboman terhadap kubu-kubu pertahanan Belanda di tiga tempat, masing-masing di kota Semarang, Salatiga, dan Ambarawa.

Peristiwa Kedua, jatuhnya pesawat DAKOTA VT-CLA yang megakibatkan gugurnya tiga perintis TNI AU masing-masing Adisutjipto, Abdurahman Saleh dan Adisumarmo. Pesawat Dakota yang jatuh di daerah Ngoto, selatan Yogyakarta itu, bukanlah pesawat militer, melainkan pesawat sipil yang disewa oleh pemerintah Indonesia untuk membawa bantuan obat-obatan Palang Merah Malaya.

Penembakan dilakukan oleh dua pesawat militer Belanda jenis Kittyhawk, yang merasa kesal atas pengeboman para kadet TNI AU pada pagi harinya. Untuk mengenang jasa-jasa dan pengorbanan ketiga perintis TNI AU tersebut, sejak Juli 2000, di lokasi jatuhnya pesawat Dakota VT-CLA (Ngoto) telah dibangun sebuah monumen perjuangan TNI AU dan lokasi tersebut juga dibangun tugu dan relief tentang dua peristiwa yang melatar belakanginya. Di lokasi monumen juga dibangun makam Adisutjipto dan Abdurachman Saleh beserta istri-istri mereka.

PESAWAT MERAH PUTIH PERTAMA
Hari itu 27 Oktober 1945, sehari menjelang peringatan 17 tahun Sumpah Pemuda, di Pangkalan Maguwo, Yogyakarta terlihat ada kesibukan. Nampak para teknisi sedang berada di sekitar sebuah pesawat Cureng yang bertanda bulat Merah Putih, mempersiapkan segala sesuatunya untuk sebuah penerbangan yang direncanakan. Mereka menginginkan sebuah pesawat Merah Putih terbang hari itu, untuk membangkitkan Sumpah Pemuda.

Komodor Udara Agustinus Adisutjipto, yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan Pak Adi, adalah satu-satunya penerbang Indonesia yang berada di Pangkalan Maguwo. Hari itu, Pak Adi akan terbang bersama Cureng Merah Putih. Upaya itu membawa hasil.

Pak Adi membawa terbang Pesawat Cureng Merah Putih tersebut berputar-putar di Angkasa Pangkalan Maguwo disaksikan dengan rasa kagum oleh seluruh anggota pangkalan yang berada dibawah. Itulah awal mula sebuah pesawat Indonesia bertanda Merah Putih terbang di angkasa Indonesia yang merdeka.

Aviation History in Malaysia

1898 First attempt to fly, in Malaya, by a balloonist who leaped from the top of a government building in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (formerly Batu Road), Kuala Lumpur and crashed at the edge of the Selangor Padang Club.

1911 First flight recorded in Malaya by GP Fuller who landed his Antoinette Monoplane at the Race Course in Ampang Road, Kuala Lumpur

1922 A Dutch "flying vessel" (in reality a flying boat) made its appearance in Belaga, Sarawak

1924 First civil aircraft in Malaya, a Fokker FVII of Koninkujke Luchvaat Maaeschapaj (KLM) landed on a bumpy grass strip in Alor Star, Kedah

1928 Alor Star became the centre of aviation activities in Malaya when KLM made regular fortnightly services By

1929 Alor Star and Taiping were the first two British built airstrips in Malaya

10 May 1929 Aviation first came to Kuala Lumpur when the inaugural meeting of the Malayan Aeroplane Club (later became Kuala Lumpur Flying Club) was held in the Malay States Volunteer Reserve Mess. The efforts of the Flying Clubs (Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Penang) were supported by the Straits Settlement Government, with hourly instruction and solo flights costing RM9 and RM6 respectively.

1930 Introduction of commercial aviation in Malaya when the Imperial Airways sterted its "flying boat" operations at Penang's Glugor Marine Station.

1933 An Imperial Airways' Armstrong Whitley Atlanta aircraft "Aurora" which landed at Sungei Besi Airfield, was probably the first commercial aircraft of an international service to use the aerodrome. The Sungei Besi Airfield (originally an old tin tailing mine covered by grass) was one of the two airstrips located in Selangor, the other being at Port Sweetenham (now Port Klang).

29 Sep 1935 Opening of Penang civil aerodrome – a 950 yard macadamised strip and 800 yard grass strip

1936 Improvement of Sungei Besi Airfield, which was commissioned as an all-purpose landing ground and was licensed for light and medium aircraft.

28 Jun 1937 Opening of Wearnes Air Services' thrice weekly schedule services between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang with a twin-engine De Havilland Dragon Rapide Bi-plane, named "Governor Raffles". The plane could carry only five passengers. The fares, as advertised for the three sectors, were RM30 (Singapore-Kuala Lumpur), RM50 (Singapore-Penang) and RM30 (Penang-Kuala Lumpur).

21 Oct 1937 Incorporation of Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) 1937 Bintulu airstrip built – located right in the centre of town.

1938 Ipoh airstrip built.

1938 Kuching airstrip built, but reconstructed 12 years later. On 26th September 1950, the Governor of Sarawak officially opened it. Outbreak of Pacific War All aircraft engaged in civil aviation were requisitioned by the Government, practically halting all internal air services.The Japanese, as well as the British before them, had, for war purposes, built a large number of airstrips (e.g. Kota Kinabaly (formerly Jesselton), Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Sibu, Kuantan, Labuan etc.) and extended existing ones.

2 Apr 1947 First paying passenger flights on Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) aircraft.

1 May 1947 Introduction of MAL's flights, Penang-Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh, using Airspeed Consul and later DC-3; and to Batavia (Jakarta), Medan, Palembang and Saigon during the end of 1947.

1948 Expansion of Kuala Lumpur Airport at Sungei Besi.1948 Kuala Terengganu airstrip built.

6 Oct 1952 Opening of Malacca Airport – the eighth airport to be constructed in Malaya after the war.

1952 Introduction of Federation Air Services to provide domestic services.

1956 Upgrading of Kuala Lumpur Airport at Sungei Besi to international airport status when the first flight to Europe took off in a Bristol Britannia (turbo propeller).

1957 Federation of Malaya became a Contracting State of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). A total of 130,000 passengers used the 8 airports in Malaya. Late 1959 Proposal to construct the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Subang mooted.

16 Sep 1963 Formation of Malaysia.

27 Nov 1963 Renaming of MAL to Malaysian Airways Limited.

30 Aug 1965 Official opening of Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Subang

30 Dec 1966 Formation of Malaysia-Singapore Airways (MSA)

1968 Opening of Tawau and Miri Airports

1 Oct 1971 Official launching of Malaysian Airlines System (MAS)

1974 Opening of Sultan Ismail Airport, Johor Bahru.

1 Jan 1975 Department of Civil Aviation managing 20 airports on self-accounting entity.

1980 Upgrading of Civil Aviation Training Centre to Civil Aviation College in Penang. Training confined more to aviation needs – air traffic control, aeronautical communications, fire fighting and aviation security.

3 Apr 1982 Launching ceremony for the first MAS B747 at Terminal 2, Subang, Kuala Lumpur

1986 Opening of the new terminal building at Kota Kinabalu.

1987 Expansion of Langkawi International Airport.

1989 Opening of the upgraded Ipoh Airport with a new terminal to accommodate B737 operations

1991 Passing of a Bill by Parliament to split DCA into two separate entities – a new corporate Malaysia Airports Berhad and the government DCA as the regulatory authority. July

1991 Announcement of the proposed plan to construct the KL International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang.

1 Nov 1992 Birth of Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAB) to operate, manage and maintain 5 international, 14 domestic airports and 15 STOL ports (by 2004 this is 20 STOL ports).

16 Dec 1993 Opening of Terminal 3, Subang – Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Later, Terminal 1 was designated for international traffic; Terminal 2 for Singapore shuttle; and Terminal 3 for domestic traffic.

1994 Opening of New Sibu Airport, Sarawak.

27 Jun 1998 Official opening of new KL International Airport (KLIA)
www.klia.com.my
http://www.klia.com.my/LCCTerminal

2003 Opening of new Bintulu airport.

2004 Opening of new STOL port in Pulau Redang.