Joseph Martin Ririani, 76, captain and chairperson of Kenya School of Flying, chained himself to an aircraft at Orly Airpark, Kajiado.
A 76-year-old veteran airline captain has chained himself to an aircraft to agitate for safer training grounds for young Kenyan pilots.
Joseph Martin Ririani, the co-founder of Kenya School of Flying, the first black-owned flying school in Kenya, decried congestion at Wilson Airport for flying classes.
Joseph Martin Ririani, the co-founder of Kenya School of Flying, the first black-owned flying school in Kenya, decried congestion at Wilson Airport for flying classes.
Ririani attributed this to what he said was encroachment of the airport land coupled with development of buildings and other structures along the perimeter of the airport.
The captain, who is the chairperson of flying schools in the country, said the challenges led to the establishment of Orly Airpark in Kajiado county in 2002.
He noted that stakeholders and members of Aero Club of East Africa approached the late Prof George Saitoti while he served as the Vice President and helped establish Orly Airpark on a 240-acre land in Olooloitikosh area, Kajiado county.
Kenya Flying School was the first to occupy the airpark with the objective to reduce congestion at Wilson Airport, Ririani said.
On Thursday, the captain chained himself for hours to an aircraft that he has flown for over 50 years at the airpark, much to the surprise of pilots, engineers and other workers of the Kenya School of Flying.
With the lack of a national flying school run by government, Ririani said the private sector had to fill the gap albeit with challenges.
He explained that lack of proper training grounds has hampered the sector and put the lives of trainees at risk.
Orly Airpark is located on a 240-acre land in Olooloitikosh, Kajiado county.
In March last year, a mid-air collision between a training aircraft, a Cessna 172, and a Safarilink passenger aircraft Dash 8 saw a student and his instructor die in the Nairobi National Park where they crash-landed.
“The national park has become a safe haven for trainee pilots. Over five incidents of false landing are recorded in the park annually,” Ririani said.
The captain said many flying schools have over the years opted for Malindi Airport, although it's also facing challenges.
“Last Friday, an aircraft developed an engine problem after taking off from Malindi Airport and crashed on three boda boda riders, killing them on the spot before bursting into flames,” he said.
A 20-year-old pilot who was flying the aircraft survived the crash that occurred a few minutes after take off following a technical hitch occasioned by an engine surge.
“Last year on November 7 in Diani, my aircraft experienced an engine surge while flying near Chale Island. Fortunately, I was able to land on a beach as the water had subsided which is uncommon,” Ririani said.
Orly Airpark is served by one runway, dubbed runway 10, that the captain said has been posing challenges to students due to crosswinds while taking off and landing.
A crosswind is a wind that blows across one’s direction of travel.
“Crosswinds can make landings and takeoffs more difficult and can cause structural damages to an aircraft if they are too strong,” he said.
Captain Joseph Martin Ririani, 78, founder of Kenya School of Flying addressing journalists after chaining himself to an aircraft for hours.Though ideal, the runway is shorter as it is only 700 meters and plans to have it extended to at least 1,200 meters have been frustrated by some parties.
Ririani explained that challenges started in 2013 when then Orly Airpark chairperson Harro Trempenau perished in an air-crash.
Despite being a co-founder, Ririani said he was thrown out of the board and the flight development he was undertaking stopped.
He said all 10 flying schools support the extension of runway 07 as it will open the doors for them to train at the airpark.
The captain called for the intervention of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
“We are the nursery of the entire aviation industry and we need everybody’s help," Captain Ririani said.
