By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando

Captain ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Susantha Jayasekera (affectionately known to many as (ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢) had to answer the inevitable call from above on 15 June 2010 at the age of 84, just 3 weeks prior to his 85^th birthday, after a colourful and a fully accomplished career as an Airline Pilot, Officer in the Royal Ceylon Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Flying Instructor and a successful businessman.

As a student at Royal College, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ demonstrated his intellectual aptitude and excelled in his studies. He grew up with a persuasive self-confidence to fly an aircraft one day. His father, Sam Jayasekera (who was in the legal profession), always had an ambition to mould his son as an Engineer. Several attempts made by ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to fulfill his childhood ambition, therefore, always met with his fatherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s concrete resistance and disapproval, maintaining that “only birds and fools fly“.

Sam Jayasekera enrolled him as an apprentice at the Civil Aviation at Ratmalana Airport to pursue a career in aeronautical engineering. This opened up many opportunities for him to fly alongside pilots. Perhaps this convinced his father later to finally pay for his flying lessons and get him trained under flying instructor Duncanson. Finally ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ graduated and became an accomplished light aircraft pilot.

During his career many opportunities came his way. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was appointed as an assistant flying instructor at the Air Ceylon Academy and later sent to Australia for InstructorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s trainingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  under the Colombo Plan Fellowship where he ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ qualified ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to fly Douglas DC-3 Dakota. On his return to Sri Lanka he was absorbed into the National Carrier – Air Ceylon.

Determination and steadfastness which he inherited as a child had never ceased. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Consequently he decided to go to London in quest of a British Air Transport Licence. His mother, Emily Jayasekera (a grand lady of Mrs. Sirimavo BandaranaikeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ilk,) financially supported his cause afterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the early demise of Senior Jayasekera in 1952.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was never the type to tolerate internal politics of a working environment. An indecorous situation that existed at Air Ceylon about a senior management position made him disenchanted; he decided to throw the towel in and go to Australia. On his return to Sri Lanka, after a lapse of 4 years, he decided to make a change to his professional airline career and resolved to help his very capable mother to run their inherited businesss, the Armour Restaurant.

Capt Sus was also involved in many business partnerships with investments, some of which were as Chairman Midaya Ceramics Company with Mr. Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya, Chairman Miridiya Hotel, Anuradhapura, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the late Mr. M.R. Fernando ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ( incidentally my elder brother) and a few other enterprises.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Once a pilot, oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s urge would always be to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”flyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ whatever direction one travels in life. This may be why, perhaps, he volunteered to enroll as a reserve pilot with RCYAF when the JVP insurgency was at its peak.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was professional, chivalrous to the word, and determined to the hilt. That very admirable quality paved once again for him to join Air Ceylon in later years.

At the end of 1979 Air Ceylon was dissolved and flying schools were privatized. AdoptingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the attitude, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” never say you are dead until you really dieƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Capt. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Jayasekera seized theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  opportunity yet again to fly Air Taxies from ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Maharaja Training School at Ratmalana.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was an unassuming, kind and a gentle man with a magnanimous heart which he opened to anyone at any time, be it professionally or otherwise. This was the very reason that he was never lonely after his retirement and his residence was always full with old colleagues, students and dear friends who visited regularly to keep him company and seek advice.

Once prior to a London bound flight ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ very kindly invited me for dinner at his residence before I proceeded to the airport.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At the dinner table in a relaxed tone ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ asked me: ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tilak, which Sri Lankan flight are you taking tonightƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  My casual answer was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the direct flight to LondonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and our conversation on that subject came to an end.

Few hours later, I had comfortably settled down into my seat inside the SriLankan Airbus and the plane started to glide forward towards the take off point when an airhostess thundered: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Will Passenger Tilak Fernando please identify to one of the crew pleaseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Bit alarmed, more than being curious, I got up from my seat when another airhostess ushered me into the pilotƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cockpit.

Captain Gihan Fernando, the pilot on that particular London flightƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  introduced himself to me and said, that he had received a phone call that evening from Sus to show me the takeoff and landing of the Airbus. I thanked him and sat behind Gihan and the first officer and watched the full operation enthusiastically like a school boy. In London at Heathrow Airport I watched the landing. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ certainly had wanted to give me a surprise and a rare experience inside the cockpit of an airbus.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Jayasekera who was always charismatic, spontaneous and ever willing to help others,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a noble quality which he left with us all to emulate.

Sus was no doubt a fitness fanatic. What amazed me was ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ how Capt Sus, going on 84, up to the time he fell ill in mid May this year, managed to continue his ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ physical exercise routine. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ His ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2 hour walk every evening, come rain or high waters, came as a prayer and every important event at home or outside had to wait till he finished his daily walk.

Another remarkable quality in Capt Sus was his determination. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While being sick and being taken care of by his daughter (where he lived with till the day he passed away) he had been pestering to fetch the accounts books home, so that he could verify accounts.

Just 2 days prior to his death, while he was being shaved and washed, he had told the domestic Senanayake that he was well, fit and could manage to wash himself. Being that of a gentleman he had patted on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SenanayakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s shoulder and thanked him profusely for taking care of him. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But 2 days later, on June 15^th when his daughter tried to give his cup of tea around 5.30 a.m. he passed away. Neither the daughter nor the maid had realized that he had passed away but assumed he just fell ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ asleep again. As nothing looked unusual, Shymala, tried to prop him up to give his tea (though he was already lifeless). What a peaceful death!

Dear ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SusƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, my friend, your demise ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is an irreparable loss to all of us, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ your family,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  relatives, friends and all who had come to know you in your sojourn in this human world . While thousands still shed a silent tear and cry within their ruptured hearts tightly embracing your memories, I shall always treasure that unforgettable cockpit experience inside the SriLankn Airbus as an indelible recollection of you.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

May you attain Nibbana.