MBOMBELA – There is adventure to be found in the sky and Kishugu wants the public to be able to access it.
As the words of Frank Sinatra’s song go, “Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away”, Kishugu Aviation Training Organisation (ATO) recently invited the public to its annual open day on Saturday to become a part of the adventure.
The open day event was held at the Nelspruit Airfield, from where the organisation operates. It was a clear, sunny day as guests eagerly waited to undertake an introduction flight, either in a fixed-wing aircraft or a helicopter.
The event was aimed at exposing young and old to the world of aviation. It targeted pupils too, to see if flying was a career they would be interested in pursuing.
“There are endless career opportunities within the aviation industry – commercial airline pilot, charter pilot, military, flight instructor, game capturing and many more,” said Carel van der Merwe, head of department at Kishugu ATO.
Kyle Kinnear, a 15-year-old Hoërskool Bergvlam pupil, said it was his dream to fly. “That is why I decided to visit the open day at Kishugu and to learn more about which subject choices I need to make at school in order to become a pilot,” he said.
Kishugu ATO started its operations in 2013, realising a dream of Kishugu CEO Johan Heine. His vision was for them to train their own firefighting pilots.
The organisation caters for part-time and full-time training for fixed-winged aircraft and rotor blade. Anyone older than 16 can start working towards a licence to fly.
“We are currently also training nine female pilots for the SAPS. We believe if you have a passion for flying, and a determination to succeed, Kishugu is where you belong,” Van der Merwe concluded.
