Dear Editor,
The Chief of Staff levelled some serious allegations against the critics of the helicopter strategy being implemented under his command.
I guess who the cap fits wear it. Well, I am the person that shared my views with a Stabroek News reporter on this issue. A colleague of mine commented that I was brave to be so open and frank with my views. I responded that I am open and frank because I am sure professionally about what I was saying, but more particularly I said that I am not brave, I am fearless.
I am fearless not because I am brave, but because I believe I have nothing to fear. I live in a country where freedom of expression is respected and no one will come knocking on my door to harm me because I am exercising my freedom of expression.
Nevertheless, I am amazed at how easy it seems now I am becoming an enemy of the state, all because I expressed the following strong professional views:
● That the Government’s good intention to equip the army with helicopter assets has gone wrong.
● That the Commander-in-Chief is being badly advised.
● That the intention to sell the Bell 412 helicopter is bad advice.
● That to replace the Bell 412 Helicopter with the Bell 206 Helicopter is a very poor decision.
I am now therefore labelled as follows:
● I am called ‘silly’ by His Excellency.
● I am called an ‘acid critic’ by the Chief-of-Staff.
● I am deemed to have mischievous motives.
● I am attempting to hoodwink the nation.
● I am unpatriotic
Well it is unfortunate that His Excellency would label my comments as ‘silly’, since my comments were fashioned by my vast and varied experience in both aviation and security.
Please therefore permit me to outline my own background which informed my comments:
I served as the Chief Pilot of the Guyana Defence Force Air Corps when the Air Corps had the following assets:
● 2 x Bell 212 Helicopters
● 1 x Bell 412 Helicopters
● 2 x Bell 206 Helicopters
● 3 x Mil MI-8 Helicopters
● 2 x Shorts SC7 Skyvans
● 1 x Beechcraft King Air 200 Executive Aircraft (the presidential aircraft)
● 4 x Britten Norman Islanders
I am an Airline Transport Rated Pilot with over 32 years in the Aviation Industry, and held the military rank of Major. I have flown extensively all across this country, risking my life hundreds of times flying dangerous missions at night into jungle airstrips, lit only with bottle lamps to save the lives of sick and injured Guyanese.
I served as the General Manager/ Chief Pilot of Air Services Limited with a fleet of 15 aircraft.
I am now the owner, CEO, Director of Operations, and Chief Pilot of Roraima Airways. My company owned and operated under my command:
● 1 x Bell 206 B III JetRanger Helicopter
● 1 x Bell 206 LIII LongRanger Helicopter
● 1 x Cessna 402 Executive Aircraft
● 2 x Britten Norman Islanders
I was trained by the world’s premier aviation university, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
I have participated in many disaster relief operations, both locally and internationally and I have participated in numerous military exercises using both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.I coordinated the Guyana Defence Force Search and Rescue operation for George Grandsoult using the Bell 212 and the Mil MI-8 helicopters supported by the Guyana Airways Hawker Siddeley HS748.
I attended the George Washington University in Virginia for courses in Aviation Safety & Security, the National Defence Uni-versity in Washington DC for studies in Hemispheric Security & Defence for the Caribbean, as well as the United States National Transport Safety Board Academy in Washington DC where I was trained in Aircraft Accident Investigation.
I expanded my company from three employees to one hundred and twenty over a fifteen year period, developing a vast and diverse aviation and tourism enterprise. I have during this time held many senior positions in a number of private sector organizations.
Mischievous? Hood-winking? Acid Critic? Unpatriotic?
I do not think so Chief-of-Staff.
I have far too much of my personal life, my emotions, and my worth invested in this country.
I would really urge His Excellency to seek different advice. The greatest threat facing our country now is a roving band of armed and dangerous gunmen who it seems move in large numbers, strike in the dark, and strike not only on the coast.
Army Chief Pilot Major Michael Charles has vast operational experience with rotor wing aircraft, and is the most experienced person in active military service to give advice on this issue. You need to listen to him.
Yours faithfully,
Captain Gerry Gouveia
