Members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Air Corps have concluded a specialist training programme in the operation and maintenance of its Chinese Y-12 aircraft, which is expected to boost the unit’s previously-hampered operational capacity.
Prior to the training programme conducted by the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), GDF Air Corps Commanding Officer Lieutenant Cargill Kyte said at the closing ceremony, the unit suffered a “deficiency” in the operation and maintenance of the Twin Panda HARBIN Y-12 aircraft. The situation also impacted on the service delivery ability of the unit to the GDF and local communities. “That deficiency will be significantly diminished from today, with the graduation of the pilots, engineers and technicians who have successfully completed this programme,” Kyte was quoted as saying in a GDF statement last Friday.
According to the statement, five pilots and 23 engineers and technicians from the GDF Air Corps along with an employee of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) benefitted from the training, which wrapped at the army Air Corps base at Timehri last Friday.
The course had a 100% success rate and six of its graduates are now eligible to have their licenses endorsed by the GCAA. Kyte said well-trained operational and maintenance staff enhances safety and operational efficiency, while adding for training to be effective, pilots, engineers and technicians must be able to apply their skills in the real world. “…The full effect is to be felt in the coming months,” he assured.
Flight Operations and Oversight Manager of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) and Transnational Inspector for the Regional Aviation Safety Oversight, Guyanese Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Egbert Field administered the flight examinations to the trainee pilots for the Type Rating on their licenses, in keeping with GCAA standards, the army said.
CATIC Project Manager Li Ning was happy at the successful completion of the programme and grateful to the GDF for diligent and thoughtful work of the trainees, whom he noted worked to ensure his training team’s comfort and success in the conduct of their work. He was also grateful to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Guyana for its support and he noted that CATIC was committed to providing satisfactory technical services to the GDF for the sound operation of the Y-12 aircraft.
“Now that the Y-12 training is completed successfully, the personnel of the GDF are well-qualified to operate the aircraft. The pilots are very skilled in flying,” he said. “We will support the GDF all the time and we are expecting more and further cooperation with the GDF and the people of Guyana,” he added.
According to the statement, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Li Qin Feng said that the collaboration between CATIC and the GDF was another example of the cordial relations between the army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China. He noted that this year marked the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Guyana and China and he said that cooperation between the two countries has grown over the years.
Feng announced that the Ministry of Defence of the PRC is offering a five-year scholarship for personnel from the GDF to study in China. He also congratulated the successful course participants for their diligence and opined that the occasion of the 40th anniversary is the perfect opportunity to enhance relations between both countries and the PLA.
GDF Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best thanked the government and the Chinese, including the CATIC staff, following the conclusion of the training programme. “The excellent relations between the government of Guyana and the People’s Republic of China over the last four decades have led to another successful collaboration,” he said. “This training is unique since it is the first time that China, through CATIC, has provided this particular type of training outside of its borders,” he further observed.
“The training adds value and technical competence to the force and such value must be contextualized in relation to the sacrifices which had to be made in order to make the training a reality,” Best said. While congratulating the pilots, engineers and technicians, he also urged them to be mindful of the training and noted that a higher level of professionalism, commitment and dedication is expected of them.
According to the statement, awards for excellent performance were presented to Major Mohinder Ramjag (pilot), Sergeant Roopnarine Budhoo (airframe and engines) and civilian Rajendradat Lall (avionics).
