How ginkgo biloba helped this pilot stay alert in the cockpit

Every job demands focus, but few leave as little room for error as piloting a plane. Whether making split-second decisions or navigating long-haul flights across time zones, pilots rely on sustained mental alertness and energy to keep their passengers and cabin crew safe.

Several years ago, when pilot William Chong Foo Loy began feeling tired and low on energy during flights, he became concerned.

“As a pilot, you need to be constantly mentally alert. A lot of lives are in your hands. I never used to have problems, but when I turned 55, I noticed I was starting to slow down.

“I could feel my energy levels decreasing. It was harder to stay awake. I was worried, and I knew I had to do something about this,” Chong told FMT Lifestyle.

This was especially concerning as he regularly flew midnight routes to Europe, which required him to remain alert for up to seven hours at a stretch.

After trying several supplements with little success, he was unsure what to do next. One of his regular badminton mates, who worked at Thomson Health, noticed his fatigue and suggested he try ginkgo biloba extract supplements.

Chong said he soon began feeling more energised and refreshed, with the sustained alertness he needed both in the cockpit and in everyday life.

Convinced by the results, he began taking supplements daily. “I regained my energy levels, and my mental alertness was much, much better after taking just one bottle.

“It has helped me a lot, not just in my flying career, but in the day-to-day management of my life. And my badminton game also improved!”

It was perhaps destiny that Chong would become a pilot. Born and raised in Pudu, he grew up near the now-defunct Simpang or Sungai Besi Airport, once Malaysia’s first international airport.

As a boy, he would often watch aircraft soaring overhead, captivated by the sight. Before long, Chong made a promise to himself: one day, he would be in one of those planes – not as a passenger, but at the controls.

He kept that promise. At 21, Chong travelled to the Philippines to begin flight training before joining Malaysia Airlines, where he spent his entire career. By the time he retired at 61, the jovial airman had devoted four decades to flying.

According to Chong, the ginkgo biloba supplements helped him maintain his energy levels and stay mentally alert during the later years of his career. He even recommended them to younger colleagues who experienced stress and fatigue.

“I would tell them, ‘See, now we’re on a midnight flight, and I’m still wide awake. But your eyes look like they are going to close anytime’,” Chong recalled with a laugh.

“I’m a living example of how the product works. My energy levels may once have been lower than yours, but taking ginkgo biloba boosted them.”

One incident remains particularly vivid in Chong’s mind. Mid-flight, his aircraft suffered a sudden pressurisation problem, forcing him to descend rapidly to a lower altitude before identifying a suitable place to land.

“I had been taking Thomson ginkgo for about three years by then. I was alert, my memory was clear, and I didn’t panic. I was able to remember my training and follow the procedures exactly as I had learnt them. Everything went smoothly.”

Now, at 66, Chong has been taking ginkgo biloba supplements for over a decade. He recommends them to those whose work or daily routines demand sustained mental alertness and a sharp memory.

He stressed, however, that supplements should form part of a healthy lifestyle rather than replace good habits such as eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

“If you felt what I felt as I started to grow older, this is definitely a good product to take,” he said.

“Ginkgo biloba will raise your alertness and can help boost your reflexes and movements. It definitely helped me.”

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