PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - 43 Air School for a Kenyan
View Single Post
Old 16th May 2007, 13:07
  #105 (permalink)  
musaQ
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Nairobi
Age: 44
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cool

For the umpteenth time I would like to correct the notion that crying racism justifies anything.

"have any successful Kenyan students accused 43 of racism?"
Yes other students coming out successfully have cried racism plus a horde of other ills. Kenya is a closed culture and a person being picked on because of the colour of their skin is something new to many. Yes we hear about it but we don’t experience it. If others are conditioned to it, believe me a Kenyan will spot it the first time. I wouldn’t want to put words in their mouths so their input in this forum will definitely come in handy.

Kenyans at 43 constitute less than 15% of the population but unfortunately account for the majority of the wash outs (in excess of 70%). The numbers speak volumes and stereotypes have arisen because of it – Kenyans can’t fly that good in the formative stages to Kenyans should take longer to get their PPL and all kind of demeaning statements which only help to perpetuate bias.

On another score the students used to complain to the company but them being hundreds of miles away you can only do so much. So they Call for a meeting with the chaps for an honest exchange. What happens? The students are afraid of being victimized and the school doesn’t make it any easier. In the meeting when a student rises to speak, the response from the chaps is like - ‘seems we don’t have a problem with you, next please’. This only works to disenfranchise the students and singles out the ‘problematic students’. If I don’t have ‘problems’ my concerns shouldn’t be addressed? Needless to say the meeting had to be held for a second time because the first time the students chickened out.

Like I said before I never doubted my flying skills. Flying is a passion once you start you don’t want to stop. I had many PIC hours from 43 and I enjoyed every one of them.
Walking out of that gate I knew it hadn’t worked out not because of lack of skill but because of high handedness.

" When you where washed your sponsor should have been present and/or held an “exit” interview with you. Did your sponsor explain the reasons you where found to be unfit to continue their training program and did you inform them of your troubles at 43?"
The sponsor usually doesnt have much to work on for washed students -just an opinion drafted from the school (biased of course). The main thing was always missing. The training file that every student has that records all his flights and comments on them.
Leaving school, the story is: only the company can request for it and on reaching the company the school claims it is a confidential file that is a property of the school. Any justice in that? Surely a crucial file as that should be provided to the sponsor to explain the wash out.

The forum should open debate on what guidelines exist for washing and shouldn’t they be known to both parties?

Happy flying everyone and have a truthful day.
musaQ is offline