Dear Editor,
I have been following the centennial celebration of aviation history in Guyana and I like many others think it is fitting that we pause and pay homage to, and remember the men and women who were and continue to be, a part of our rich aviation history. However there have been some glaring omissions, for the story of aviation in Guyana cannot be fully told without mention of the integral role played by the Aviators of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). The GDF institutionally and the People’s National Congress (PNC) government (as a matter of policy) changed the face of aviation in Guyana. Prior to the 1970’s Aviators in Guyana mostly belonged to a privileged class. Not many sons or daughters of the working man could ever dream of flying an airplane, and even where those dream existed
the opportunity did not. Prior to the early seventies, the familiar names of Guyanese aviators were: Williams, Mekdeci, Da Silva, Chan A Sue, Murphy, Grandsoults and Vasconcellos. This soon changed when the GDF started recruiting pilots for its Air Wing. The recruits came from varied backgrounds both geographically and economically and the names and ethnicities changed also. The prevailing political conditions and the policies of the government of the day, created opportunities for young men and women of all ethnicities and economic backgrounds to pursue careers in aviation.
Young, dashing Army pilots like Lawrence “Larry” London, Phillip Payne, Egbert “Eggy” Fields, Chris Cameron, Gerry Gouveia, Jeff Roman and Butch Green changed lives and created indelible impressions for many young men who came from similar backgrounds. Becoming a pilot was now an achievable ambition and many personal career goals were altered.
To support a growing Air Wing, that before the end of the decade would become an Air Corps; engineers and flight mechanics were trained, men like Aubrey Henry, Scott Joseph, Gavin Huntley and the Wilson Brothers Michael and Cecil. These men would form the nucleus of technical experts that kept the GDF fleet flying and airworthy.
Just after the first International Year for Women was celebrated worldwide, the GDF saw its first two female fixed wing pilots, when Beverly Drake and Cheryl Pickering graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with their commercial pilot’s licences. During this period (mid 70’s) the Army introduced several new Bell Helicopters to its fleet and more young Guyanese were given the opportunity to fly. In 1977 Barbara Adams along with her classmates David Totaram and Owen Sandiford graduated from helicopter flight school in Scotland. Barbara Adams (then a resident of D’urban Street Lodge) has the distinction of being the first Guyanese woman to be trained to fly a helicopter. As the decade ended and the new one began more and more Guyanese young men and women of all races and social status were trained as Army pilots and aircraft engineers: pilots like Lloyd Nurse, Claude St. Romaine, Rohan Sharma, Williet Lord, Peter DaSilva and many others too numerous to mention earned their wings thanks to the GDF. In those days also, it was not a strange sight to see an army pilot flying for the Guyana Airways Corporation.
Thousands of mercy missions have been flown by army pilots. These missions have saved the lives of many of our citizens, in faraway places, who needed to be air-lifted to receive medical attention. The search and rescue capabilities and the humanitarian flights flown by Army Aviators along with the many other countless, thankless hours spent behind the throttle have all added to the rich tapestry that we celebrate this year.
Editor, the GDF not only revolutionized aviation in Guyana, moving it from a small elite club to egalitarian status, but it paved the way for the explosion of civil aviation opportunities in Guyana today. The young aviators of today can thank their Army predecessors like Larry London, Egbert Fields, Selicia Baker, David Totaram, Beverly Drake, Cheryl Pickering and Barbara Adams for kicking down doors for them to walk through. The enlightened vision of the Burnham government also cannot be ignored, for it was due to the policy decisions of his government, which made this possible. One would hope that during this 100th year anniversary, the GDF would in some way remember and pay the right homage to these pioneer Army Aviators.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Archer
