Who is the real force behind Westair?

Who is the Real Force behind Westair?

In the next few months those who make FlyWestair possible will be introduced to you, one by one. You will meet our pilots, our ground-crew, those who work behind the scenes in finance and operations, in maintenance, as trainees and strategists, deal-makers and groundbreakers.

Meet the first of many faces behind Westair.

Chief Thomas

“The experience I get at Westair I could not have gotten anywhere else. One can do training at the best and most expensive schools in the world, but the quality and passion of the instructors at Signa Aviation flight-school at Westair made me progress as a pilot,” said pilot, Chief Thomas. Born and raised in Swakopmund, the closest Chief had ever come to an airplane before he boarded one to receive training in Florida on a bursary, was to look at the Ministry of Fisheries’ Cessna 406 at Arandis airport as a child. “After 18 months in the USA, getting dual-rated (qualified to pilot and navigate both fixed-wing and rotorcraft) and FAA (Federal Aviation Association) registered, I returned home with a licence. I sent my CV to every company I imagined would give me a job. Westair gave me an opportunity to not only work my way through all the departments, getting to know all systems, from flight-tracking, flight support, to assisting the chief pilot, but also to become a pilot with ratings on 8 of the 12 types of aircraft operating on Westair schedules and charters. “I now fly to Swakopmund Airport as pilot in command of the Westair Cessna 406 and when I am at the office at Eros Airport, in Windhoek, I am the airline’s Ground Operations Manager (GOM).’’

Gabriela Kamaahene

‘’It makes me excited that we are an airline now,’’ said Gabriela Kamaahene, currently the only female aircraft engineer on the team. ‘’The experience one gets at Westair is substantial. Actually, the sky’s the limit here. Every step of the way you learn something from someone. And, there is always the potential to move up the ladder.” Gabriela actually wanted to become a pilot but during tests for a bursary application, it came to light that she was more mechanically-minded. After completing her technical training, she returned home and tried to find a job. “I handed in my CV but because I was a girl, nobody wanted to give me a chance. Then, the CEO of Westair offered me an interview and I got the job. I am still a baby in terms of experience but I plan to get a license for every type of aircraft we have. I love to work at Westair because even though I am the only woman in this department, there is no discrimination. And, I love the sound of a plane starting up. I get such a pleasant feeling from hearing that.”

Johan Burger

‘’I spent my entire adult life working as an aircraft engineer and I am excited that the twin-turbine fleet is expanding. The schedules are exciting and a big challenge with great potential. Although the economy is not great at the moment, and although the entire transport sector took a dip, the future for us at Westair looks good with lots of growth potential,’’ said Johan Burger, Westair Hangar Manager at Eros Airport. Johan attended school at Pionierspark Primary and Higher Technical School in Windhoek, before qualifying as an aircraft engineer from Denel in 2011. With all his turbine licences completed, Johan is the workshop manager for the Embraer E-Jet fleet. He looks forward to training apprentices sponsored by Westair to complete their training in South Africa and return with qualifications to join the team.

Ava Shihepo

‘’My dream for FlyWestair is for our VIP jets to fly all over the world with me as hostess,” said Ava Shihepo. Born in Zambia and raised in Angola, Ava returned to Namibia at fifteen and dreamt of becoming an air hostess. ‘’I love people and I love being a hostess.’’ Fluent in both English and Portuguese, Ava is the face of FlyWestair at the check-in counter or on the Embraer flying north and south. “We do everything at Westair and I love it. Everybody is talking about Westair. We have a good, young team and we are going to grow even bigger. Nobody believed us when we said we are going to grow and fly schedules, and here we are.’’

Chief Pilot Simon Neveling

For as long as he could remember, Simon Neveling had wanted to be a pilot. He had been on his way to the United Kingdom with his British wife and four children when Westair made him an offer he could not refuse: to join the FlyWestair team and usher in the next phase of this successful Namibian company as chief pilot at the airline FlyWestair. His love for his country, a desire to see ‘’this piece of gold on the map of Africa’’ flourish economically, and the sterling opportunity to be involved in a local aviation company with fifty years of experience behind it, made him stay.

‘’I love working with a strong and positive team that is both forward-looking and inspirational.’’ Chief pilot Neveling started his career in 2007 at Westair, flying Cessna (aircraft) and is excited about new beginnings and his next big career challenge.

Joshua Angula

“Sometimes you listen to what the management team says and you think they are crazy, but then you see their vision has become reality. That is exactly what I have experienced since I started working here,’’ said Joshua Angula, pilot-intraining. He currently works at ground operations and flighttracking while studying towards completing his training as a commercial pilot. ‘’It makes you feel like part of the company to work on ground operations, as well. You are actually part of the DNA of the company. I always want to be part of operations, even when I start flying.’’ Joshua who had attended Suiderhof Primary and Centaurus High School said he likes the progressiveness of Westair. “They have an idea and see it through.’’