Georgetown: Captains Daryl Britton and Bernard Cunjie are pursuing flight training at the Air Services Limited flight Training School (ASLFTS) at Ogle. Upon the completion of their training, the officers, who are fully sponsored by the Guyana Defence Force, are expected to obtain a Commercial Pilot’s License.
Captain Britton says that the hours of watching movies that featured planes, fuelled his love for aircraft. “My high school subject choices were geared toward this career path, and, at the Board Interview prior my enlistment as an Officer, this path was my expressed choice.” He says. “I view my involvement in this training as the realisation of a dream. I am happy that through the GDF, the Government and people of Guyana have given me this opportunity. Indeed, nothing is better than doing what you love. It is rewarding and I look forward to serving the GDF and Guyana as a qualified pilot, he added."
For his part, Captain Cunjie says that the training will enable them to serve as specialist. “We have been chasing after this opportunity for six years and now we welcome the challenge,’ he says." Cunjie, who grew up in the environs around the Ogle Airport, confesses that he and others would get away from school to go to watch the planes fly out of the then aerodrome. “I never thought that I’d become a pilot, especially since the training is so very expensive. But, I chose to enlist in the GDF and serve my country, and, after learning of the various career paths available to me as a serving member of the Force, I chose this path.”
The Officers agree that the environment is new and challenging, but say that their training as Officers is helpful in some ways. “We have embarked on this training with a level of discipline and maturity that helps us focus and apply ourselves in practical and measured ways,” says the 29 –year old Britton. “Military exposure to leadership and being involved in operations gives us a small edge. Our military exposure makes us more responsible in terms of how we apply ourselves.”
Commanding Officer of the Guyana Defence Force Air Corps, Lieutenant Colonel Courtney Byrne, says that the training of the two Officers is occurring at a time when the GDF is seeking to build capacity with regard to its air assets. “The Commander in Chief, His Excellency President David Granger, has committed to the recapitalisation of the GDF’s Air Corps. To this end, we expect to acquire assets such as fixed and perhaps rotor-wing aircraft. In this regard, we cannot wait for those assets to be acquired, but must train personnel and have them available for when those assets are on the ground,” he says. “The Air Corps has suffered significant levels of attrition over the past ten years and the training of these two officers is geared toward ensuring that we have the skills necessary for our longevity. We are currently staging in order to meet the forward thrust and to realise the Commander in Chief’s vision for our role in national security and defence.”
According to Lt Col Byrne, localised training is not only cost-effective but works to the benefit of Guyana, since the pilots are training within local conditions using the topography, geography and climatology of Guyana. Additionally, he says, on the completion of this training the pilots will be almost ready for launching into local operations. Localised training also nullifies the need for re-certification as is usually the case with pilots trained overseas.
The Guyana Defence Force has the constitutional role of defending Guyana’s territorial integrity. With the increased economic activities in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and in hinterland regions, it is only natural expect the GDF Air Corps be more involved in ensuring a safe and secure environment for Guyana, her citizens as well as the investors.
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