Mini-Doc: Kurdish entrepreneur in the United Kingdom shares his passion for flying

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Saman Baban, founder and CEO of the broadcasting venture Mena Media, shares with Kurdistan 24 his hobby of flying and his experiences as a media entrepreneur in the United Kingdom.

Baban was born in the Kurdistan Region province of Sulaimani, but grew up in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. In 1984, he moved to Britain where he received a bachelor’s degree in Media and Marketing, and currently lives in London.

Speaking from 25 years of experience working in the media industry and involvement in many projects in the Middle East and North Africa, Baban discusses the contrast that exists between media consumers in different parts of Iraq based on his observations of the content published on TV stations in the country.

“If you compare [Kurdistan] to the rest of Iraq,” he says, “you will see that the Kurds are attracted to better content. They like technology, and they want better quality.”

“I never thought I would be flying planes one day,” Baban recalls of his hobby, adding he “was thinking about what to do one day, and got the idea to go and try it.”

After taking the necessary steps—passing the exams and medical tests—he received his UK Private Pilot License (PPL). Baban says he makes sure to fly once every week or two to keep his skills sharp and maintain a valid license.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can revoke licenses after one month of inactivity as per their regulations.

During the day’s journey, accompanied by a Kurdistan 24 crew, Baban set a flight plan on a map of Britain for a two-way trip from an airport where he frequents to one in Bovington, south of London.

Before boarding, he gets the necessary information for the session from a software which produces the critical numbers for the journey, such as duration from one point to another, wind speed, required plane velocity, altitude, etc.

After finalizing the plans, and before takeoff, Baban inspects his Light Aircraft category plane as part of a necessary visual checkup every pilot must undertake regardless of their experience to ensure the aircraft is safe to operate.

“The most important thing when you are flying is safety. Not your safety, but the safety of the people you are flying above, and your passengers’ safety,” he emphasizes.

An experienced man in communication, Baban also shares his knowledge about the different Air Traffic Control (ATC) towers who direct aircraft on the ground and through controlled airspace.

Expertly navigating through the air, he finally lands at his destination.

“It is a lot easier than people expect,” Baban remarks.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(The mini documentary was done by London-based Kurdish journalist Sarhang Hars)