Ronnie Liang Officially Earns His Wings as a Fully Badged Philippine Army Aviator
Singer-actor Ronnie Liang has reached a new milestone in his military career after officially earning his wings as a fully badged Army Aviator, his management Sparkle GMA Artist Center confirmed, GMA Entertainment reported.
In its post, Sparkle described the achievement as “a historic milestone” in Ronnie’s military career and congratulated the Kapuso artist. An Army Aviator is a trained military pilot qualified to operate aircraft as part of military operations. Ronnie also shared a photo of his aviation badge on Instagram, writing, “Thank you Army Aviation Family!”
Speaking to select media on October 30, Ronnie said he received his badge, which aviators call “wings,” the week before. With it, he is now allowed to fly aircraft operated by the Philippine Army Aviation Battalion, according to INQUIRER.net. “Nabigyan na po ako ng wings,” he shared, adding that he had already been flying under flight duty status orders since January. “Hindi kasi basta-basta din ‘yun binibigay,” he said.
As an Army Aviator, Ronnie said his tasks include transporting relief goods, government officials and other stakeholders, as well as doing aerial assessments of areas hit by floods and typhoons.
One of his missions was a flight from Zamboanga to Sulu after he was invited to an event with journalist Kara David. For taking part in that flight and in civil-military operations promoting peace in the area, he was awarded a Silver Wing Medal. Ronnie said it felt good to help in nation building, noting that peace is an important element in achieving prosperity.
The milestone caps a journey that began in 2019, when Ronnie started pursuing his dream of becoming a pilot. He earned his private pilot license in 2021, but his showbiz commitments and volunteer work with his Project Ngiti Foundation kept him from immediately taking a commercial pilot license. The Army Aviation later recognized his civilian flying experience and accumulated flight hours, allowing him to go through the process needed to qualify for flight duties. He also clarified that he has flown Army aircraft several times, with the Sulu trip being just one of his assigned missions.
For Ronnie, the wings are proof that a childhood dream can still take off, even while juggling a career in entertainment.
