Captain Bed Upreti is an ATR 72-600 Type Rating Examiner with Wings Air, Indonesia, and has been on assignment with Rishworth Aviation since 2012. He started his career flying in his native Nepal in a Cessna Caravan, and is now based in vibrant Jakarta.
Not only content to be a pilot, Captain Upreti has also founded two museums and fundraises for charity. He enjoys and specializes in aerial photography, a passion that has led him to publish two books: ‘Everest: From the Air’, and ‘360 Degrees Everest from a Pilot's Eye View’.
Find out more about Bed’s story and his experience flying with Wings Air below.
Tell us about your aviation career so far.
I have flown 11,000 hours, including 8,500 hours as Pilot in Command, mostly with ATR aircraft. I enjoy flying turbo-prop airplanes. I am now flying ATR 72-500/600 as a TRE/SFI instructor for Wings Air, Indonesia.
What attracted you to join Wings Air?
Beautiful beaches, breathtaking islands, and the very friendly Wings Air team. I was also attracted by the latest and brand-new ATR 72-600 aircraft.
What is it like, working at Wings Air?
Wings Air is an amazing company to work with. The management team is very friendly and excellent. I like working with them.
How have you found being on assignment with Rishworth Aviation?
Rishworth Aviation is an experienced and trusted organisation in the Aviation field, working all around the world. I found Rishworth staff very friendly and helpful. It is a great organisation to work with.
What do you enjoy about being based in Jakarta?
People in Jakarta are the friendliest. The Hardrock Cafe and the climate are excellent. Lastly but not the least, Jakarta is a safe place to live.
Tell us a bit about the aviation museum that you have founded in Kathmandu.
I had already opened my first Aircraft museum of Nepal in Dhanagadi, a city in Far West Nepal three years ago, inside of a Fokker-100 Aircraft. Now I am opening an Aviation museum inside an Airbus 330 in the heart of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.
It is a Turkish Airlines A330-300 which was grounded in Kathmandu after an incident while landing in 2015. I purchased the body of the A330 and it is about to open with all types of miniature aircraft from the Wright Brothers’ time to the latest fighters. There will be approximately 500 miniatures aircraft with 100 aerial photographs taken by me inside the museum.
Learn more about the museum here.
The profits of the museum will go to support the cancer patients of Far West Nepal where I was born. Year 9 to 12 students will have free entry to the museum so that they are motivated to become aviation professionals in the future.
Cost of living in Indonesia
Pilots working in Indonesia often enjoy lower costs of living compared to their home countries. Below are some comparisons to other popular locations:
Compared to the US | Compared to South Korea | Compared to France | Compared to Italy |
Rent prices are 356% lower | Rent prices are 168% lower | Rent prices are 128% lower | Rent prices are 51% lower |
Restaurant prices are 265% lower | Restaurant prices are 141% lower | Restaurant prices are 237% lower | Restaurant prices are 77% lower |
Grocery prices are 71% lower | Grocery prices 118% lower | Groceries prices are 69% lower | Groceries prices are 34% lower |