The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
A 76-year-old retired airline captain has chained himself to an aircraft to protest for safer training facilities for young Kenyan pilots.
Joseph Martin Ririani, co-founder of Kenya School of Flying, the first black-owned flying school in the country, criticized the overcrowding at Wilson Airport, which has become problematic for flying lessons.
Ririani linked the congestion to the encroachment on airport land and the construction of buildings and other structures around the airport. As the chairperson of the country’s flying schools, he noted that these challenges led to the creation of Orly Airpark in Kajiado County in 2002.
He explained that stakeholders and members of the Aero Club of East Africa sought help from the late Prof. George Saitoti, then Vice President, to establish Orly Airpark on a 240-acre piece of land in the Olooloitikosh area. Kenya Flying School was the first to use the airpark to alleviate congestion at Wilson Airport, according to Ririani.
On Thursday, Ririani chained himself to an aircraft he has flown for more than 50 years at the airpark, surprising pilots, engineers, and other staff at Kenya School of Flying. He pointed out that with no national government-run flying school, the private sector has stepped in, despite facing numerous obstacles.
Ririani emphasized that the lack of proper training facilities has jeopardized safety and risked the lives of trainees. He referenced a fatal mid-air collision in March of the previous year between a Cessna 172 training aircraft and a Safarilink passenger Dash 8, which led to the deaths of a student and instructor when they crashed in Nairobi National Park.
“The national park has become a refuge for trainee pilots. Over five cases of forced landings are reported there each year,” Ririani noted.
He added that many flying schools have turned to Malindi Airport despite its own challenges. He cited an incident last Friday when an aircraft experienced an engine failure shortly after taking off from Malindi and crashed into three boda boda riders, killing them instantly.
Ririani also shared his own experience, explaining that in November, he had to perform an emergency landing in Diani when his aircraft experienced an engine surge while flying near Chale Island, fortunately landing safely on a beach.
At Orly Airpark, there is only one runway, which has posed difficulties for students due to crosswinds during takeoffs and landings. A crosswind, he explained, can make landings and takeoffs more challenging and could even damage the aircraft if too strong.
While the runway is ideal, it is only 700 meters long, and attempts to extend it to 1,200 meters have faced resistance. Ririani said the issues began in 2013 when then-chairman of Orly Airpark, Harro Trempenau, died in a plane crash. Despite being a co-founder, Ririani was removed from the board, and the flight development efforts he was spearheading were halted.
All 10 flying schools in the region support the extension of the runway, as it would provide more training opportunities. Ririani has called on the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to intervene.
“We are the foundation of the entire aviation industry, and we need everyone’s assistance,” Captain Ririani said.
