5 minute read
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.
When Joseph Wakuwile was a young boy growing up in Tabora, his favourite pastime was to jump on his bicycle and ride the 10 km south to reach the town’s airport where he’d watch in wonder as the massive machines took off and came in to land.
“The thing that fascinated me most,” he says, “was how these heavier-than-air machines, weighing more than a ton, could fly in the air. I was so determined to find out.”
He was to come to understand those machines close-up in adulthood, carving a career as a commercial pilot lasting 39 years, 22 of them with Precision Air. He learned the mechanics of flight and found the wonder replaced with serenity once he was up in the air.
“Fear of flying has never been a part of me,” he says, “especially once I have understood the capability and mechanism behind the machine I fly. Once I am airborne, I become totally relaxed, although still alert.”
Captain Wakuwile, who now lives in Dar es Salaam, has logged more than 27,000 hours in the sky and his skills as a pilot have seen him selected by Precision Air to fly some of its most high-profile passengers, suchas President of Zanzibar Dr HusseinMwinyi – “a proud moment,” CaptainWakuwile says. During his longassociation with the airline, he hasalso been called on to train its nextgeneration of pilots. Sharing his skills,he believes, is a way of giving back toan industry that shaped his life andhe intends to continue mentoring inretirement.
“I’m looking forward to trainingyoung pilots as part of an upcomingprogramme at the National Instituteof Transport,” he says. “I am veryoptimistic about the future of aviationin Tanzania and I feel I have to contributeto that story and be part of it.”
Captain Wakuwile wears his65 years lightly and feels he stillhas much to contribute, despitereaching the Tanzanian Civil AviationAuthority’s statutory retirement agefor a commercial pilot.
“I’m 65, but I still feel strongand that I can go on,” he says.“However, I could start feeling chronological age catching up. I think it was the right time to hang up the boots and let the young energetic colleagues, some of whom I have trained over the years, take over.
“I still miss flying. I will miss mostly those cross-wind landings and the views of Mount Kilimanjaro above the clouds.”
Precision Air will certainly miss Captain Wakuwile. Hejoined in 1998, a pivotal timefor the airline, which hadrecently expanded to offerscheduled services for thegrowing tourist market. Hebegan flying the 19-seater LetL-410 Turbolet before a fleet modernisation programme saw himin the cockpit of the airline’s newATRs with up to 70 passengers onboard. The 22-year working relationshiphas, Captain Wakuwile says,developed into a familial bond.
Flight team
Captain Wakuwile in the cockpit with his co-pilot
Growing venture
“When I joined it was exciting timebeing part of new growing venture.Precision Air was very supportive fromthe beginning, funding numeroustraining courses for me. I enjoyedthe general attitude and feeling ofbelonging to a bigger family. Evennow I count myself as part of thePrecision Air family.”
Life as a pilot necessitated longhours and extended periods awayfrom Captain Wakuwile’s family athome. The married father-of-two andgrandfather-of-one says such separationswere hard, but that retirement offers opportunities to make up for it.
“It was tough those days staying always away, missing important functions like graduation of one of my children,” he says. “However, I thank my family for always being there for me and giving me support.
“Now I will use the opportunity to pursue projects I have been interested in and of course spend my time with family. There are a lot of social programmes to get involved in locally, especially at our local church.”
The chosen one
When Captain Wakuwile was in his early 20s, he had to win over his mother to pursue a career as a pilot. His first job after national service was as a statistical assistant at the Bank of Tanzania, but seeing an advertisement in the national newspaper calling for applicants for a government-sponsored pilot training scheme relit his childhood dream.
The advertisement had piqued the interest of many Tanzanians. There were around 1,000 applicants for the three-year pilots’ course at the Finnair Flight Academy at Helsinki Airport in Finland. After a rigorous six-month selection process, which involved checks by an aviation medical doctor, aptitude tests, flying test experience, written exams and one-to-one interviews, Captain Wakuwile was among the 15 cadets chosen. He is far too modest to suggest the qualities that saw him through, but he does remember the Air Tanzania team had a clear idea of what they didn’t want.
“During our selection interviews I remember the leading psychologist in the team, Dr Manfred Gardiziela, told us he can’t tell who will be a pilot among us, but for sure he knew who cannot be a pilot among us and that was why he was employed to do the weeding out."
Family feel
Captain Wakuwile loved his time with Precision Air
Pilot training
Once selected, Captain Wakuwile quit his banking job. It was a brave career change that even some family members were unsure was wise. "Mothers are always concerned about their loved ones," Captain Wakuwile says. "In the end she gave her blessing and let me be what wanted in life."
After three years of training in Finland, Captain Wakuwile had his commercial pilot licence and was soon flying for Air Tanzania, where he would stay for the next 17 years. He started off piloting the airline's 19-seater DHC-6-300 Twin Otter with later highlights including in 1983 being part of the crew who flew then Tanzania President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and his vice-president Hassan Mwinyi from Mwanza to Bukoba. He was made captain in 1993.
Captain Wakuwile switched to Precision Air in 1998 and continued to serve until his retirement last year. His last flight was a return trip from Dar es Salaam to Arusha via Zanzibar on September 9. When he brought the ATR 72-500 down at Julius Nyerere International Airport a crowd of Precision Air staff had gathered for an emotional farewell that culminated in a water salute as fire engines sent fountains of water over the taxiway.
It was a magical end to a career that lived out a childhood dream and helped many others live theirs. Thank you for your years of service, Captain.
Julius Nyerere International Airport
