The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has appointed pilots Lieutenant Miguel Benjamin and Patrick Nichols as captains of the army’s Twin Panda Y-12 aircraft.
Benjamin and Nichols were on Monday appointed, according to a release from the military, which also said that the two pilots received their instruments of appointment and commendation from army Chief of Staff Commodore Gary Best at a simple ceremony at Defence Headquarters, Base Camp Ayanganna.
According to the release, they were lauded for having “…worked assiduously in the field of aviation to achieve their present appointment.” They were also recognised for their dedication to the profession. The commendation also reads: “…you were tenacious and unswerving in your devotion to facilitating a high and sustained level of professionalism amongst your superiors and peers…”
The release stated that Benjamin was trained as a pilot prior to becoming a member of the GDF in 2001. He was commissioned as an Officer in 2005 and formerly served as co-pilot on the Y-12.
Nichols, a Canadian-trained pilot, secured his training between 1979 and 1981, when he gained his pilot’s licence. He enlisted as an Officer Cadet on the Standard Officer’s Course in 1982 and gained some 20 years service with the Force, serving as captain of the GDF’s Skyvan for several years. He also served as a Flight Officer aboard the Guyana Airways Corporation (GAC) 757 aircraft and also has experience as a pilot with the private aviation industry here.
On July 15 this year, this newspaper had reported that several army pilots who completed a training course to be command pilots to operate the Chinese aircraft were peeved at not being given the opportunity to fly the aircraft solo.
This newspaper had reported on a press release sent out by the army at the end of May, which stated that members of the Air Corps unit had concluded a specialist training programme in its operation and maintenance, which was expected to boost the unit’s previously-hampered operational capacity. The programme was conducted by China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC).
It was reported at the time that soon after the course was conducted, the army was expected to implement a process in which the five pilots were expected to fly alongside an experienced pilot in order to accumulate the required 20 hours before they could be checked out to operate the aircraft solo.
However, there were reports that only one of the five airmen was being allowed to operate the aircraft. The problem resulted from the refusal of the only command pilot, who was trained when the Twin Panda Y-12 aircraft was brought to these shores, to work with the newly trained airmen. Reports are that the problem was subsequently brought to the attention of the army’s high command and steps were taken to rectify the situation.
Air Corps Commanding Officer Lieutenant Cargill Kyte said at the closing ceremony following the training course in May that the unit suffered a “deficiency” in the operation and maintenance of the aircraft.
The situation also impacted on the service delivery ability of the unit to the GDF and local communities. The course had a 100% success rate and six of its graduates are now eligible to have their licences endorsed by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The aircraft was sourced by the government in 2002 to enhance the GDF’s capability to move cargo and passengers around Guyana as well as improve its aerial surveillance capability.
The aircraft, which was bought relatively new, can seat 19 persons and has a cargo capacity of 1,700 kilogrammes (3,748 lbs). Its engine was manufactured in Canada and the avionics in the United States of America.
It was bought from the Chinese government on concessionary terms in 2002.
