Dyono Sumaryo has been fascinated by planes since he was a little boy, and he still is, even at the age of 80.

The passion has driven him to remain in the business of model airplanes for decades.

He set up Dyono Model in the mid 1980s as a company to design and create model planes for local airlines. The company survives until now despite the ups of downs of the business.

The company and his work have made him a pioneer of model planes in Indonesia.

Dyono said his interest in planes started when he was taken by his father to see planes at the old Kemayoran airport in Jakarta.

'€œI also started reading my father'€™s books on planes. One of them discussed the first KLM flight that took a month flying from Schiphol to Jakarta,'€ he said.

His curiosity about aircraft led him to join a scout group specializing in airplanes. His active involvement in the group introduced him to former Garuda Indonesia Airlines director Wiweko Soepono.

Wiweko then offered Dyono a one-year scholarship to France to learn how to make airplanes.

Without hesitation, he accepted the offer.

'€œI was there to learn how to make gliders ['€¦] not only did I learn to make them, I also learned to fly them too,'€ he said.

He said he never forgot the experience flying above the Alps across the French, Italian and German borders.

'€œI am probably the first Indonesian who flew in that region,'€ he said proudly.

Returning from France, Dyono became a flying instructor for a while before he decided to establish Dyono Model.

'€œI was told about the huge opportunities in plane modeling by the late aircraft expert Oetarjo Diran,'€ he said.

Oetarjo'€™s prediction was proven to be correct. It did not take long for Dyono'€™s business to take off, as he was the sole player in the field.

JP/Ika Krismantari

Dyono Model controlled 100 percent of the market, receiving orders from local airlines like Garuda, now defunct Sempati Air and Bouraq Indonesia Airlines.

However, the business was not always smooth. There had been ups and downs.

'€œThere was a moment when I stopped the business because there were not enough orders,'€ he said.

Things got worse when his employees started to set up their own companies and took some of his clients with them.

But Dyono is not upset, he instead feels proud of his successors.

'€œOne of the most successful ones is Marison, who has been able to bring his products to the global market,'€ said Dyono, who is regarded as a teacher of miniature plane making by his former employees, who have become owners of model plane companies.

Marison, who is one of his former employees and who has become one of the most successful plane modelers in Indonesia, remembers him as an eccentric figure.

'€œHe was a vegetarian and loves to dance,'€ recalled the owner of Anglo-Indonesia Aircraft Models.

These days, however, Dyono is no longer a vegetarian and he has not danced for a long time '€” preferring to exercise instead. Age may be a factor for this change of habit.

'€œI have a group and we like to walk around the house complex three times a week,'€ he explained.

Dyono'€™s hobby and diet may have changed but his passion for planes remains.

His passion for plane models is palpable in his living room, where a collection of his designs occupies the whole room.

In his older years, Dyono is still busy designing model planes even though the orders are declining.

But he does not seem to worry much. The father of four believes the key to his longevity is self-acceptance.

'€œI don'€™t worry too much,'€ said the man, who has lived alone in his house in Cinere, Depok, since his wife passed away four years ago.

He still has a good memory for an octogenarian. He remembers every detail in his life, including names and years.

He recalled how, during his heyday, he used to travel with his family around Europe after attending air shows in the region. He hopes he can go back to Europe before he dies to visit the land that introduced him to the world of aviation.