Vice Chairman of the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Systems (CASSOS) Oscar Derby says the commendable performance of the 2012 graduating students of the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School (AWHWAES) showed that the investment made by the Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana was worth it.
The 14th annual graduation ceremony was held at the Wings Aviation Ltd Hangar, Ogle Regional Municipal Airport with Derby urging the graduates to consider their profession and the responsibility that comes with being an aeronautical engineer. “You must know your trade inside out. Make your profession a cautious study,” he said at the graduation ceremony, noting that there was a shortage of skills in the aviation industry.
He was pleased to hear that many Guyanese aspire to join the aviation industry. Derby works with the CASSOS to reduce air fatalities and enhance aviation safety in the region.
Lindon Hillman, an Airline Operations Specialist, pleaded with the graduates to understand the responsibility of being an aviation engineer, mentioning that the lives of people locally and internationally were in their care. Nonetheless, he commended them for their exceptional work and urged them to continue keeping the dream of aviation alive. “Aviation is a dream and it’s possible. This is a wide world and there are many facets of aviation… pick one and be the best in your area,” he said.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds in an address stated that he was proud to see how far the school had grown. “Ogle has grown and it’s a real success story,” he said, while challenging the graduates to take responsibility for their profession and the lives of others. He further urged them to utilise their experience and education toward the development of the country. “I am aware of contradictions and contentions here but we’ll be addressing it, and continuing to put funds into the development of the airport,” the Prime Minister continued.
Since 1997, the AWHWAES had graduated 222 students, 104 of whom are fully licensed engineers. These engineers are not only employed in the region but also by international aviation companies. Currently 12 out of the 104 engineers are working for Delta Airlines and the AWHWAES has since being rapidly expanding. Caribbean Airlines had also contracted with the school to train students under an apprentice programme at its training facilities in Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago.
