Nigerian pilot: ‘Bahinting was like a father to me’

THE room was filled with uniformed pilots and flight school students that one would think it was a graduation ceremony for the Aviatour Air flight school.

But there was no diploma given, no medals awarded and no Capt. Jessup Bahinting to deliver inspirational words.

Instead, they were bidding goodbye to their mentor who last week left on a flight that turned out to be his last.

Bahinting’s wake was held at the St. Matthew’s Chapel of St. Peter’s Funeral Homes in New Imus, Cebu City yesterday, a day after his remains were flown in to Cebu from Masbate City last Thursday.

Among those who bid their farewells was Nigerian pilot Capt. David Yakubu, who flew to Camiguin province to pick up anti-venom serum for a snake bite victim, Cebu City zoo worker Ronaldo Aventurado two weeks ago.

“He was like a father to me, he was such a good man. I will miss him,” said Yakubu.

Yakubu, Bahinting’s first foreign student, was supposed to be the co-pilot for Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo to Naga City.

Robredo, Bahinting and Nepalese co-pilot Kshitiz Chand were killed when the Piper Seneca plane bound for Naga City, Camarines Sur crashed into the sea off Masbate City last Saturday afternoon.

Three days later, a team of divers retrieved Robredo’s body from the sunken fuselage, located at a depth of 55 meters and 800 meters from the shoreline.

The remains of the 61-year-old Bahinting and 21-year-old Chand were recovered on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Outside the chapel hung a tarpaulin with Bahinting’s photo that was filled with handwritten messages by students and family.

Inside the chapel, stories were exchanged on Bahinting’s selflessness.

Bahinting, Aviatour’s chairman and chief executive officer, shared his time and resources with new pilots, said Yakubu, a flight instructor for five years.

“I could come to him whenever I needed someone to talk to. I would talk with him the way I would talk to my father,” he said.

Yakubu said he first became a student of Bahinting in 2007.

“I was his first foreign student and he welcomed me with open arms,” said Yakubu, who learned about Aviatour from his brother, a friend of one of the company”s officials.

Yakubu said Bahinting was a big loss and surviving the next months following his death would be like “a dog limping on one leg.” He said that until now, they were still in shock.

“Definitely, it will be hard for us. There is no replacement for the post he left because nobody came close to the leadership he showed us. I don’t see anybody saying it will be easy but we will survive this and will come out stronger,” he said.

Sarah, Bahinting’s youngest daughter, said she accepted what happened to her father.

She said she and her family knew that “something like this” would happen due to the risky nature of his profession.

“Dad is resting now. That comforts me,” she said.

Sarah said they would hold the wake in St. Peter Memorial Chapel until today.

She said the family still has to wait for the arrival of her siblings Jeymar, Dan Bryan and Jesse all in the US.

Tomorrow, Bahinting’s remains will be brought to Ginatilan town, the hometown of his wife, Margie, located 135 km southwest of Cebu City. He will be buried on Monday.

The remains of Chand, whose wake is beside Bahinting, will be shipped to his native Nepal also on Monday.

Capt. Antonio Jureidini, director of the Aviatour Flying School, said they would shoulder Chand’s burial expenses.

Chand could be cremated here in Cebu but his family refused due to their religious beliefs.

Some of Chand’s classmates, like Morrocan pilot Abssamad Boutarf, described him as a happy young man, a prankster who laughs a lot.

Chand’s Indonesian pilot friend Misael Christian Perdamean said the Nepalese likes to take photos and send it online to friends. Chand dreamt of flying an Airbus someday, he added.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale ordered flowers delivered to Bahintang’s wake.

Aventurado was accompanied by zoo manager Giovanni Romarate in his visit to Bahintang’s wake. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to him,” he said.

Aventurado said he plans to attend Bahinting’s burial on Monday. Inquirer with stories from from Reporter Rhea Ruth V. Rosell and Correspondents Norman V. Mendoza and Gabriel C. Bonjoc