[GALLERY + VIDEOS]: Teens to build aircraft from scratch
Students between the ages of 13 and 18 from all backgrounds are more than welcome to try out as one of the 20 teens selected for the final build.
TWO teenagers are excited as they will be spearheading the building of an aircraft with 20 peers at The Airplane Factory in Tedderfield Airpark during the June-July school holidays.
Ntando Makwela (15) and Megan Werner (16), plan to depart from Johannesburg on December 1, on a flight in an aircraft which still needs to be built. Their end destination is Cairo, Egypt.
They will, however, not be alone in this undertaking. By the end of May, 100 teens would have been interviewed from which 20 will be selected for the final building of a Sling 4 – an aircraft that has proven its abilities during numerous long-distance flights around the world. The reason that they have chosen the Sling is that it has proven, on numerous occasions, that it can do the job. The fact is that it runs on both Mogas (fuel used in automobiles) as well as Avgas (aviation fuel) so to obtain fuel is not a problem.
The Airplane Factory’s staff will advise and supervise the 22 teens who will be involved in the building of the plane. The learners will be funding, as well as building, the plane in an initiative that will ultimately teach them the importance of empowerment.
Megan, a learner from Hoërskool Noordheuwel in Krugersdorp, met Ntando, a learner at Nova Pioneer in Ormonde, during the National Achievers Congress where she was one of the speakers; she then invited him to her radio show, The Megan Radio Show.
“He nailed the first interview on the show. I realised he was a good speaker. He is now a co-host of the show. That’s where we developed the idea of the aircraft. I can say we have gone from co-hosts to co-pilots,” said Megan excitedly.
Although Megan and Ntando will fly to Cairo themselves, each of the 20 shortlisted learners will get to fly in the Sling and will be part of a team that is featured on numerous TV shows, including Expresso and Carte Blanche. A select few will also be involved in the flight and follow Megan and Ntando on their journey. This second plane will follow with camera equipment and support.
Ntando said he is very excited about this venture. “We want to conquer Africa and we want to share this exciting news with our fellow peers. So if you think you have what it takes to be part of this world record journey, send a one-minute WhatsApp video to motivate your interest, to 074 772 6840,” he said.
Students between the ages of 13 and 18 from all backgrounds are more than welcome to try out as one of the 20 teens who will be selected for the final build. This selection day will be taking place at Nova Pioneer Paulshof, a school situated at 9 Stone Haven Road in Paulshof, Sandton, on June 9.
Shanelle McKechnie, the marketing manager at The Airplane Factory, said they also welcome all members of the public to pop in and see the build for themselves. Maybe they could even assist with the build. They can contact Des Werner directly on 084 510 1696 in order to arrange a viewing. “We will be open weekdays and weekends while the building takes place,” she said.
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