Captain Wakuwile
High flyer...
Captain calls time on glittering career
In September last year Precision Air gave Captain Joseph Wakuwile a water salute after the long-serving pilot landed his last flight at Julius Nyerere International Airport, calling time on a 39-year flying career that included more than 27, 000 hours in the air. Here the 65-year-old talks about living his childhood dream, his most memorable flights and his pride at helping train the next generation of Tanzanian pilots.
W
hen Joseph Wakuwile
heavier-than-air machines, weighing
“Fear of flying has never been a
was a young boy
more than a ton, could fly in the air. I
part of me,” he says, “especially once I
growing up in Tabora,
was so determined to find out.”
have understood the capability and
his favourite pastime was to jump
He was to come to understand
mechanism behind the machine I fly.
on his bicycle and ride the 10 km
those machines close-up in adult-
Once I am airborne, I become totally
south to reach the town’s airport
hood, carving a career as a commer-
relaxed, although still alert.”
where he’d watch in wonder as
cial pilot lasting 39 years, 22 of them
the massive machines took off and
with Precision Air. He learned the
in Dar es Salaam, has logged more
came in to land.
mechanics of flight and found the
than 27,000 hours in the sky and his
wonder replaced with serenity once
skills as a pilot have seen him selected
he was up in the air.
by Precision Air to fly some of its
“The thing that fascinated me most,” he says, “was how these
Captain Wakuwile, who now lives
www.precisionairtz.com
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