The Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School, which is housed in the Hangar of Caribbean Aviation Maintenance Services Ltd., was conceived by Capt. Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, M.S. and Col. Charles Hutson and began in earnest in 1993. The School was named after the pioneers of aviation in Guyana, Arthur James (Art) Williams and Herman Edgar (Harry) Wendt, both pilot- mechanics, who in the early 1930s laid the foundation for aviation in Guyana and by so doing, opened up much of the Interior for the first time.
Col. Art Williams and his business partner, Mr. John Hunter, established British Guiana Airways Ltd. on May 27, 1938.
The desire to further the good work of these two men was initially the concern of two prominent organizations in Guyana’s modern aviation industry, Kayman Sankar Group of Companies and Correia Group of Companies. However the task of administration was handed to the Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana Inc. with the intention of offering its services to any and all subscribers of that Association. It proved its worth and set its future destination when it facilitated the first class of seven trainees to become fully licensed engineers.
Assistance was provided by Mr. Jim Campbell of the British Executive Services Overseas (BESO) and Mr. William Cottrill of the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). This initiation has evolved into the effective operation of one of the most dynamic aeronautical engineering schools in this part of the hemisphere. It is operated in accordance with the requirements of the British Civil Aviation Authority and the procedures are in accordance with their airworthiness requirements.
The School offers a full time, three year ab-initio programme which enables students to be able to apply for their Basic LWTR (Licence without Type Rating) licence in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Modular courses are also being offered. These courses are designed as a “fast- track” method of qualifying experienced mechanics to a recognized standard of academic achievement. The school has also established a mechanical log-book system which is a record of an Engineer’s experience. Also, the school is readily capable of offering customized courses.
Entrance into the ab-initio programme requires CSEC passes in Mathematics, English and Physics or Integrated Science. Persons holding technical qualifications, can also apply.
Since our existence, we have gained success in the Civil Aviation Authority Exams in both the modular and ab- initio programmes, thus being able to increase the complement of aircraft maintenance engineers in Guyana significantly.
This remarkable school, under the Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, has graduated 222 students under the ab-initio programme which commenced in 1997.
These engineers are working across the Caribbean and Internationally in a number of major airlines in addition to Guyana and continues to do so.
The School’s student enrollment in 1997 was seven (7) while the present enrollment for the Year 2013 stands at eighty five (85).
The school is operated by the Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana Inc., it is accredited and certified by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Caribbean Aviation Safety Oversight System of Caricom (CASSOS), Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Suriname(CASAS). This school has passed all audits by the Trinidad & Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) and awaits its ATO (Aviation Training Organisation) Approval Certificate.
This school is approved under the rules and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Document 7192, Part D1.
The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority audited the School in February 2008 and has found the school acceptable for certification within the British Overseas Territories in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, inclusive of Bermuda and the Falkland Islands.
The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards certified the School on July 24, 2006. It is now certified to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems Standards.
This school is the first tertiary educational institution in Caricom with an ISO 9001 Certified Quality Management System.
LIAT (1974) Ltd. is the first International Airline to commence the Students Attachment Programme with three Avionics Students and four Mechanical Students from June 17, 2007 to July 23, 2007 this has been ongoing since then.
LIAT (1974) Ltd. was also the first International Airline to sponsor students for the ab-initio programme. In January 2008 six students were sponsored for the ab-initio Programme, they were selected from St. Vincent, Barbados and Antigua. These six students returned to LIAT on October 30, 2011, with all six Licenced in Airframe and Engines and four with additional Avionics Licences.
