Bin Sadoon flies west

A few days ago, members of Sri Lanka's pilot community heard the sad news of the passing of Mohamed Jauper Sadoon. He 'flew west', in aviators' parlance. While living with family in Melbourne, Australia following the COVID-19 pandemic, his lungs began under-performing and he received that 'final call' while surrounded by loved ones.

- Capt. Gihan A Fernando

Sadoon was a senior flight engineer (F/E) par excellence with Air Ceylon and Air Lanka. He was later appointed as a ground instructor with SriLankan Airlines. I first met Sadoon in Air Ceylon, when he worked as a roster officer for cabin crew. Although recruited as a trainee F/E, due to unforeseen delays in pilot training he was forced to wait for the rest of the team (captains and first officers) to be ready to join him. A graduate of Peradeniya University, his potential was acknowledged by management who assigned him the unenviable task of preparing rosters for cabin crew on the Douglas DC-8 and HS.121 Trident aircraft.

I had been recently demobilised from the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), and joined Air Ceylon as an Assistant Flight Operations Officer. Our offices at Air Ceylon in Katunayake were adjoining each other, so we got to know each other well. As it so happened, Sadoon and I were the only Air Ceylon employees who came to work in denims. At the time such attire was rare in Sri Lanka, and not as popular as it is today. Among his many other qualities, I was impressed by the way he accommodated all requested changes with quiet professionalism, never becoming excited or flustered.