Bulawayo girl seeks to conquer the skies

29 May, 2016 - 00:05 0 Views
Bulawayo girl seeks to conquer the skies Nozibele Bhulu

The Sunday News

Nozibele Bhulu

Nozibele Bhulu

Ngqwele Dube, Leisure Correspondent
A FIELD trip to the Joshua Nkomo International Airport, then known as the Bulawayo Airport, inspired a teenage Bulawayo girl to set her sights on becoming a pilot.

Nozibele Glen Bhulu, then aged 10 and learning at Coghlan Primary School was awestruck when she saw a plane at close range. She admits that she was overwhelmed by feelings of wanting to take charge of the ‘‘big bird’’ and that was where her dream was born.

Bhulu said they had an opportunity to take to the skies on the trip and she was elated by the feeling of being in the sky and did not want to come back down.

“I still vividly remember that trip well as it made a mark on me, I was at a loss of words over the experience and I just wanted to stay in the sky. I also loved the idea of controlling such a huge bird and my interest in flying took root then,” she said.

Nozy, as she is affectionately known, however, put the idea of flying to the back of her mind as she was growing up in Magwegwe North and Gwabalanda and firmly believed she was on her path to becoming a chartered accountant and studied City and Guilds Business Management for her A-level at Petra High.

However, when the time came for her to choose a career path after completing her A-level studies, her passion in flying came knocking and she answered positively, registering for flying lessons at the Lanseria Flight Centre in Midrand, South Africa last year.

Bhulu turned down the option of going to university although she had already secured a place at the University of Cape Town.

When Nozy’s parents urged her to take her place at varsity she played the waiting game and when she finally announced she would be going to flying school, her mother, Beauty received the news with worry and apprehension as she felt it is a dangerous area, but her father, Glen was thrilled by her career choice.

“To fulfill your goal of being a pilot one has to multitask, be disciplined, have good co-ordination and be committed if you are to be successful in the field. I have enjoyed the opportunity to travel and explore different places such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and soon I will be going to Namibia and Mozambique. I have also been able to meet different people in my travels and create a huge network and great friends,” she said.

In an interview at JMN Airport on Sunday after arriving from a round trip across the country, Nozy said flight school has been challenging but she has managed to hone her skills and after attaining the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) she is now working on getting her Commercial Pilot License (CPL).

Attaining a PPL, which is the first stage of becoming a pilot, includes studying theoretical subjects such as Air Law, Meteorology, Navigation, Radio Telephony Procedures, Engines, Airframes and Instruments and Principles of Flight and completing a minimum of 45 flight training hours.

For one to be awarded the CPL they have to pass theoretical examinations that include Aero Medicine, Aviation Meteorology, Aircraft Technical and General, Radio Aids, Instruments, Navigation General, Air Law and Procedures, Navigation, Plotting and Flight Planning and completing 200 hours of flight training.

After attaining her CPL the 21-year-old will have to pass six exams and complete 1 500 flying hours before she gets the Air Transport Pilot Licence which will allow her to be Pilot In Command of aircraft with nine or more passenger seats.

Bhulu arrived at JNM Airport in a Cessna 172 which they flew in with fellow flying student, Shingi Nazare as they sought to build up the hours towards being awarded the CPL. They had arrived in Bulawayo from South Africa on Friday (20 May) afternoon before flying to Victoria Falls, Kariba and Harare the following day and making the return trip and they left for South Africa on Monday.

Nozy said she has set her sights on attaining the ATPL and criss-crossing the world with top global airlines, where she would spend hours on end in the sky. In the meantime she intends to become an instructor as she inches towards clocking the 1 500 hours needed to get the ATPL.

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds