Tribute to Fazal Karim: 'From cutting cane to flying plane'

On January 23, a large cross-section of the national community paid their final respects to Fazal Karim, former minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, visionary, innovator and aviation-education pioneer.

I first met Karim in 1978 with his younger brother Feyaz, who wanted to become an aircraft maintenance engineer.

At that time, I had obtained my basic aircraft maintenance engineer licences (AMEL) in airframe and jet turbine engines, having received an apprentice engineer scholarship in 1969 from the national airline, BWIA, together with seven other young men.

BWIA’s apprenticeship programme was on hold. Likewise, new student intake for aircraft maintenance training was also on hold at the Caribbean Aviation Training Institute (CATI) at Waller Field, Cumuto.

CATI was a regional UNDP project with participation by the vast majority of Caribbean states.

In the initial phase of operation, CATI’s mandate was to train Caribbean students in air traffic services, aeronautical information service, pilot training, aircraft maintenance, aerodrome fire and rescue services and airport management.

I suggested to Karim that the only option was to send Feyaz overseas for training, and recommended the Air Service Training Institute (ASTI) in Perth, Scotland. ASTI is a division of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and is the most prestigious aviation training school in the Commonwealth.

ASTI training standards for the AMEL, like TT, are based on the UK system.

Three years later, Feyaz graduated from ASTI with honours as a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer with ratings in airframes and jet engines.

In my discussions with Karim, I discovered that as young men, we both shared the same dream of becoming pilots. However, owing to poverty, that dream eluded us.

Karim always advocated for affordable aviation training for young people from lower-income families who desired to pursue careers in aviation.

Therefore, in 2010, when Karim became the Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, he met with me to discuss the establishment of an aviation campus in UTT to provide affordable broad-based aviation training. As the DGCA, I pledged the TTCAA's support for the project.

In 2013, two TTCAA board members, Neil Mohammed and Trevor Benjamin, negotiated the donation of a Boeing 727-200 jet aircraft from Federal Express (FedEx) for training purposes.

On August 15, 2013, the Boeing 727 aircraft, named Natalie, departed Fort Lauderdale and arrived at Piarco International Airport, after doing an impressive gear-up fly-by.

As the aircraft taxied into the southern ramp, it was greeted by a water-cannon salute by the TT Fire Services.

That same year, the TTCAA launched its summer aviation science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programme at its Piarco Complex for students. The programme was facilitated by pilots and former NASA astronauts. Students were able to tour the Boeing 727 aircraft and experience a live cockpit.

In 2015, Karim requested the TTCAA to relocate the Boeing 727 at Camden in time for the official launch of the aviation campus.

This was not a simple task, as the aircraft was donated under a licence agreement with FedEx. One of the conditions was that the aircraft must not be flown again.

The TTCAA entered into negotiations with FedEx to land the aircraft on the Camden airstrip, which was built by the US during World War II.

FedEx agreed, subject to three main conditions. First, the aircraft had to be inspected by maintenance engineers trained and qualified on a Boeing 727 and certified as airworthy.

Second, it had to be flown by pilots who were duly licensed and currently rated to fly it.

Third and perhaps the most onerous was that US$300 million liability insurance coverage would be required for the flight from Piarco to Camden.

UTT agreed to meet the cost of the three conditions.

As a condition for issuing the liability insurance coverage, the insurance underwriters required expert documentary evidence that the Boeing 727 could land safely at Camden.

The TTCAA, using qualified in-house resources, did a performance study which confirmed that the Boeing 727 could safely land at Camden. However, a portion of the western end of the runway had to be repaved to identify the touch-down points with the white international markings.

The TTCAA also issued a special flight permit with stipulated safety conditions.

On August 7, 2015, local aviation history was made when, at 9 am, the Boeing 727 made a flawless landing at the Camden airstrip and became the first jet aircraft ever to land there. The aircraft stopped within ten feet of the calculated stopping point.

For ATC purposes, during the flight, the aircraft was assigned the call sign 9-UTT. Fazal Ali, UTT provost at the time, greeted its arrival using aviation phraseology: "Welcome Niner Yankee Uniform Tango Tango (9Y-UTT)."

After the landing, Karim patted me on the shoulder and said, "Today is one of my proudest moments. We have moved from cutting cane to flying plane."

Karim was very instrumental in having the two flying schools at Camden approved in accordance with the Civil Aviation (No 9) Approved Training Organisation Regulations to perform pilot training up to the commercial-pilot licence level. This means that people can obtain a full TT commercial pilot's licence without having to go abroad.

On September 2, 2015, the aviation campus, at Exchange, Couva, next to the Camden airstrip, was launched. The UTT aviation campus became the first training organisation in the Caribbean to offer undergraduate degrees in aircraft maintenance and management and aeronautical airworthiness and engineering.

The vast majority of graduates are employed by Caribbean Airlines and the local helicopter companies.

Karim is now flying with the angels, where he does not need a pilot’s licence. May his soul rest in eternal peace.