AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING TO COMMENCE TRAINING IN TAMALE (PAGE 29, NOV 17, 2010)

THE WASSPS Aircraft Engineering Limited is to run a training programme on light aircraft in Tamale.
The programme is a first step towards the establishment of an aircraft engineering and manufacturing facility in the metropolis, depending on patronage of the training programmes.
The Managing Director of the company, Mr Jonathan Porter, made this known during an interaction with media practitioners at the Tamale Airport.
The interaction formed part of a three-day cross-country promotional flight conducted by the company, using its CH701 ultra light aircraft manufactured in Ghana.
Mr Porter said the metropolis had a lot of potential in the usage of light aircraft and expressed the hope that in the near future, increase in patronage of its training programmes would encourage his outfit to locate a manufacturing industry for light aircraft in the sprawling city.
“I agree that some things need to move up here but the government needs to put in place the requisite facilities such as good roads, uninterrupted power supply, and ultramodern telecommunication facilities, including a high speed data mobile gadgets,” he pointed out.
He described the Tamale Airport as a fantastic one and expressed the hope that the capital could be moved from Accra to Tamale to facilitate the rapid development of the area and to encourage investors to fully tap the potential of the area.
He noted that one of the biggest challenges facing the area was lack of exposure to the benefits of the aviation industry, saying “parents are not encouraging their children to go into the aviation industry and I bet you, there are lots of prospects in that sector”.
The MD equally encouraged residents of the metropolis to use light aircraft since it had benefits such as using lesser hours to travel from Tamale to Accra.
He expressed optimism that some residents in the metropolis could purchase a light aircraft.
He said, for instance that one aircraft sold between $65,000 and $250,000, while it cost $100 an hour to rent an aircraft.
He said purchasing one aircraft manufactured by the company was equivalent to buying a new four-wheel vehicle.
The Aircraft Engineering Manager, Ms Patricia Nyekodzi, said the aircraft could be used for many activities, including surveillance, video coverage, mass spraying exercises and border patrols.
She encouraged parents to allow their children to be trained to pilot the light aircraft, saying it cost between $6000 and $9000 to be trained to pilot the aircraft.
Ms Nyekodzi was happy about the warm reception accorded her by residents of the metropolis, saying “Tamale is the best environment; the hospitality is so superb. In fact, I am so impressed and I would wish to spend more time here”.
The manager, who is currently the first female Ghanaian to hold the Ghana National Pilot Licence, piloted the CH701 aircraft throughout the 10 regions of the country with stopovers in Takoradi in the Western Region, Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, Wa in the Upper East Region, Tamale in the Northern Region and Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.