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Junior Reporter Peeks into the World of Aircraft at PTDI

Hello, Friends of Media Indonesia!

I am Shamima Ariana Ixchel, a Junior Reporter (Repcil) for Media Indonesia from SD Taruna Bakti Bandung. I had the opportunity to join the Media Indonesia Junior Reporter activity at PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) to celebrate PTDI’s 50th Anniversary.

Want to know how exciting it was for me and the other Junior Reporters to take part in this activity? Here is the story.

Getting to Know Various Types of Aircraft

Did you know that PT Dirgantara Indonesia is one of the largest aircraft industries in Indonesia and has the capability to build aircraft from the design phase all the way to assembly? Isn't that great?

Here, I will also share all the information I gathered during the visit to PT Dirgantara Indonesia as a Media Indonesia Junior Reporter.

How many types of aircraft do you know?

It turns out that aircraft aren't just of one type; there are many kinds. There are planes for carrying cargo, skydiving activities, air patrolling, carrying passengers, and many more.

Oh, and there are also aircraft that can be controlled remotely, called UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Pretty cool!

Each aircraft has a different name, such as NC212i, N219, CN235, UAV MALE, and UAV Wulung. These names are not chosen at random; each carries a specific meaning.

For example, the N219. The letter “N” stands for Nusantara, the number “2” indicates the number of engines, while the number “19” represents its passenger capacity.

PTDI also manufactures aircraft with two types of wing systems: fixed-wing and rotary-wing, like helicopters. To this day, the development of several of these aircraft types is still ongoing.

B.J. Habibie and the N250 Aircraft

Still curious about the rest of the story?

You surely all know the famous name B.J. Habibie. Yes, that's right! He was an Indonesian scientist and technocrat known as the Father of Technology in Indonesia, possessing deep expertise in aeronautics and aircraft design. He also served as the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia.

One of the aircraft designed during his leadership in Indonesia's aerospace industry was the N250. However, to see that aircraft, we would have to visit a museum in Yogyakarta.

No need to be sad, though. During this activity, we were able to enter the FAL (Final Assembly Line) Hangar to observe the aircraft assembly process directly and interview the PTDI team.

PTDI can also serve as a learning venue for Indonesian children! We really gained a lot of knowledge about the aerospace world here.

Even more exciting, we toured the PTDI area using a Bandros bus, accompanied by a team that provided information about aircraft, technology, and various activities at PTDI.

Learning Technology and AI

Oh, one more thing! AI, or artificial intelligence, has also become a part of current technological developments.

PTDI utilizes digital technology, including AI, to support several development and simulation processes.

Many people working at PTDI come from engineering backgrounds. If you want to join PTDI, choose a field of study that matches your interests and skills.

Learn the basics of aviation knowledge, study diligently, and practice time discipline. In my opinion, these are the key steps to achieving your dreams.

N219, PTDI's Pride

To wrap up my story, I will share a bit of the interview results with several PTDI directors.

Do you know which aircraft the directors of PTDI are most proud of?

It’s the N219!

This aircraft is the work of the nation's children. The N219 also has the capability to take off and land on relatively short runways that do not necessarily need to be paved.

What about the CN235?

The CN235 is one of the larger aircraft developed by PTDI. Its manufacturing cost is also very high, reaching hundreds of billions of rupiah.

“Wow!”

So, is there an environmentally friendly aircraft fuel available yet?

Yes, there is bio-avtur. However, its application in aircraft products is still under continuous development. Similarly, electric technology for aircraft remains in the development phase.

The final interview session concluded with a message from the Director of PTDI:

“Don't be afraid to have big dreams, because extraordinary people have extraordinary aspirations. Study hard so you become smart and can create great works for Indonesia.”

What an awesome and motivating message!

That concludes the story of my visit to PT Dirgantara Indonesia as a Media Indonesia Junior Reporter.

Source: https://mediaindonesia.com/humaniora/927078/reporter-cilik-mengintip-dunia-pesawat-di-ptdi