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.
Karel Jankowitz
Mapurakuume Mbaroro
“We’re not fixing problems for today, we are doing it for tomorrow. Continuous improvement, that’s what I’m striving for,” says Karel, Chief Quality Assurance Manager of the Westair Group, who describes his position at the company as “the guy standing next to the road with a torch, pointing out the rocks and the holes so that you don’t fall into them.” His passion for aviation is what led him to Westair in the first place. “I already worked here when I was still at school. I would come to wash airplanes and clean tyres with the hope to go for a “flip” (a quick flight).” That passion for the industry hasn’t subsided, only matured. “You see the grey hair? It is a very satisfying job, but you have to have it, you have to be a bit OCD, just a tiny bit. Because if you don’t follow the rules and regulations, and something goes wrong, they can close the company. It’s that serious.” Karel’s background is in mechanical engineering, but that was not really what he wanted to do. Instead he chose to become a pilot while working as an aircraft engineer. He has since worked in almost every position at the company, getting a sound understanding of how the company works. “The fact that I get paid for doing my job is actually a bonus.”
Starting out as a sweeper when Westair was still a small company with only about 50 employees, Mapurakuume couldn’t help but become interested in the aeroplanes and eventually worked his way up to become one of the technicians in the maintenance team. “My managers are really the best guys you can work with. They can handle any situation. You say you are stuck, they say ‘try it this way’. You can even call them at night when you are stuck; they will help.” Coming from a rural background, airplanes were things Mapurakuume saw high up in the sky. “In my village, I am the only one who works on aircraft. They ask me many questions.” Now he is working towards obtaining a mechanical engineering licence. “Every aircraft is different, every aircraft you have to get to know from the start.” His passion for perfection in his work often sees him driving back to the hangar at night to check that his work was correct. “Working with aircraft is difficult and stressful, but interesting. To me, it is a good thing.”
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