Captain Kolade Akinola studied English Language at the former Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti. He flies charter planes for presidents and big wigs. In this interview with NNEKA NWANERI, Akinola recounts how he missed the Sosoliso flight, which crashed in Port Harcourt in 2005, and how he abandoned his English certification to practise his first love, flying.
TELL us about how you came about flying a plane as an ambition.
Given my background, flying has been a life-long ambition for me as far as I can remember, probably since when I was five years old. I have been fascinated by planes. Even now that I am a pilot and after flying for many years, when I see a plane in the sky, I still cannot resist looking at it.
Even at the University, it was a dream that never left me. So, when I finished my university, I was briefed by people that I had to be a science student to become a pilot. I almost gave up the dream until I began working with an aviation company in Lagos. I spoke with pilots, who gave me the hope that I didn’t have to be pilot. That brought back the zeal and I started making enquires and it was all I wanted to be, and I thank God I was able to get admission into Comair Aviation Academy, a flight school in Florida, USA, and trained as a pilot.
My father wanted me to be a lawyer, but I didn’t want to be because my idea of what lawyers do ended when I thought all they could do was litigation. I didn’t want to study all my life and didn’t want to be a lawyer. So, I studied English to get the degree for him, but I told him that I studied English just to please him, but would still pursue my dream and do a course in something I crave for.
Why the choice of OSUA?
Those days, Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti (OSUA), was just coming up. I wasted a year after my school certificate. The next opportunity the following year, I did not want to waste at home. I had to go where I was hopeful to get admission. OSUA was my first choice and I had to go just to satisfy my father. OSUA was just coming up and was a relatively new and good university. I got a Bachelors of Arts in English from the university in 1989.
How were you able to leverage pilot study?
This is where I keep thanking God for his mercies. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, but my parents were civil servants. We were just an average family, growing up in Abeokuta where I did my primary school, and then secondary school was in Akure. They didn’t have money to send me to pilot school, but when God is on your side, everything falls into place.
I got to know that I could get a scholarship from the US. I had to get someone living in the US to sign for me so they could give foreign students loan. I applied to one and got approval. I was given part of the money.
Also, by God’s design, I met a man called Richard Divorce, the owner of Orlando Basketball Team in Libreville during the course of my work and I asked if he could be of assistance and he gave me part of the money.
Why do such opportunities not abound these days?
All this happened before recession hit most of the western countries when they were able to do much more for people. But with the recession, most of these things have been scaled down, but such opportunities still abound if one knows where to look and get the right guidance.
How did you join the aviation industry?
I joined Landover Company, the parent company of Landover Airways. I was initially employed for its Aviation and Allied and Business Journal in January 1994 since I read English. I had to sell advert spaces. Later, it began its flight operation services and the MD found that I was more useful in that area and I became the Flight Operations Officer. That was how I began mingling with airplanes and pilots. It further awakened the zeal to fly because each time I asked questions and when I met a pilot, it reminded me of what I wanted to be. So, I got fired up, made enquires and followed up.
Looking back, would you say you are living your dream?
Yes, 100 per cent. If I hadn’t been a pilot, I don’t know how I would have been by now. Flying is not just a vocation, it has been in me. The money it cost to go to flying school is enough to start a big business. But looking back, I really thank God that I am able to be what I always wanted and am enjoying what I am doing as a professional. I am having a blast and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
Would you like any of your children to tow your line?
Yes, I have been encouraging them and I will be willing to give them my fullest support if they are ready to.
Tell us how you missed being on the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash
There is an element of risk in every profession. For us as pilots, we are trained professionals and the risk is not as bad as it looks for the lay man. On losing one engine, we were trained to fly on the spare engine till we get to the nearest airport. It does not mean death sentence. So, we don’t see no risk in it. When we go up, we just cruise and enjoy ourselves and take our passengers to their destination.
Flying is the safest means of transportation. Before a plane goes down, a lot of cars would have crashed on a daily basis, yet people drive cars every day. Aviation is very well controlled and pilots can’t do as they like because as soon as one enters the cockpit, there are regulations, guidelines and rules that must be followed. If followed, we stay safe.
Such procedures came out of previous crashes, and threats and the lessons learnt from them have become procedures for pilots. Sticking to these procedures will guarantee safety and if anything comes up, it can be dealt with.
I joined Sosoliso from October 2004 to October 2006 and I was actually scheduled on that flight with all the crew that died. We were all supposed to fly that airplane all week from Monday to Saturday. We were supposed to be based in Port Harcourt and run Port Harcourt to Abuja thrice daily. We all did Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with that same airplane.
I am a Winner (a member of Living Faith Church) and I really wanted to attend Shiloh, even if it was for one day. I needed a day off and God answered my prayer, because after our work on Wednesday, they sent another pilot to replace me, so, I could take Thursday off. That day, I ran to Lagos and straight to Shiloh.
Same evening, I was called to fly another plane to Lagos so that Gerrard could continue my roster for me for the remaining week and they crashed on Saturday. Unfortunately, Gerrard was on my seat and he died.
How did you feel on hearing the news?
It was devastating. More so, because I was rostered on that flight; more so, because all the crew that died were with me on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Look at the school children that died. It was heart-wrenching.
What actually happened that day?
Sosoliso was just five years that year and the previous year, we won the best airline award in Nigeria. We were working towards retaining the award and a few more weeks to the end of the year, disaster struck.
It was a perfectly healthy plane. On the day of the crash, I flew Lagos to Port Harcourt. We took off from Port Harcourt to Enugu and we heard them coming into Port Harcourt and asking the Tower if there was thunderstorm overhead the airport since rain was falling all around the airport.
Tower said the airport was clear, but there was a thunderstorm approaching. I think they tried getting into the airport before the thunderstorm and got caught up in the wind shell. It changed the direction of the wind and they tried to abandon their route, but it was too late.They had hit the ground. It was a perfectly healthy airplane with a sound crew, but was just one of those unfortunate accidents that happen.
Given my background, flying has been a life-long ambition for me as far as I can remember, probably since when I was five years old. I have been fascinated by planes. Even now that I am a pilot and after flying for many years, when I see a plane in the sky, I still cannot resist looking at it.
Even at the University, it was a dream that never left me. So, when I finished my university, I was briefed by people that I had to be a science student to become a pilot. I almost gave up the dream until I began working with an aviation company in Lagos. I spoke with pilots, who gave me the hope that I didn’t have to be pilot. That brought back the zeal and I started making enquires and it was all I wanted to be, and I thank God I was able to get admission into Comair Aviation Academy, a flight school in Florida, USA, and trained as a pilot.
My father wanted me to be a lawyer, but I didn’t want to be because my idea of what lawyers do ended when I thought all they could do was litigation. I didn’t want to study all my life and didn’t want to be a lawyer. So, I studied English to get the degree for him, but I told him that I studied English just to please him, but would still pursue my dream and do a course in something I crave for.
Why the choice of OSUA?
Those days, Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti (OSUA), was just coming up. I wasted a year after my school certificate. The next opportunity the following year, I did not want to waste at home. I had to go where I was hopeful to get admission. OSUA was my first choice and I had to go just to satisfy my father. OSUA was just coming up and was a relatively new and good university. I got a Bachelors of Arts in English from the university in 1989.
How were you able to leverage pilot study?
This is where I keep thanking God for his mercies. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, but my parents were civil servants. We were just an average family, growing up in Abeokuta where I did my primary school, and then secondary school was in Akure. They didn’t have money to send me to pilot school, but when God is on your side, everything falls into place.
I got to know that I could get a scholarship from the US. I had to get someone living in the US to sign for me so they could give foreign students loan. I applied to one and got approval. I was given part of the money.
Also, by God’s design, I met a man called Richard Divorce, the owner of Orlando Basketball Team in Libreville during the course of my work and I asked if he could be of assistance and he gave me part of the money.
Why do such opportunities not abound these days?
All this happened before recession hit most of the western countries when they were able to do much more for people. But with the recession, most of these things have been scaled down, but such opportunities still abound if one knows where to look and get the right guidance.
How did you join the aviation industry?
I joined Landover Company, the parent company of Landover Airways. I was initially employed for its Aviation and Allied and Business Journal in January 1994 since I read English. I had to sell advert spaces. Later, it began its flight operation services and the MD found that I was more useful in that area and I became the Flight Operations Officer. That was how I began mingling with airplanes and pilots. It further awakened the zeal to fly because each time I asked questions and when I met a pilot, it reminded me of what I wanted to be. So, I got fired up, made enquires and followed up.
Looking back, would you say you are living your dream?
Yes, 100 per cent. If I hadn’t been a pilot, I don’t know how I would have been by now. Flying is not just a vocation, it has been in me. The money it cost to go to flying school is enough to start a big business. But looking back, I really thank God that I am able to be what I always wanted and am enjoying what I am doing as a professional. I am having a blast and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.
Would you like any of your children to tow your line?
Yes, I have been encouraging them and I will be willing to give them my fullest support if they are ready to.
Tell us how you missed being on the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash
There is an element of risk in every profession. For us as pilots, we are trained professionals and the risk is not as bad as it looks for the lay man. On losing one engine, we were trained to fly on the spare engine till we get to the nearest airport. It does not mean death sentence. So, we don’t see no risk in it. When we go up, we just cruise and enjoy ourselves and take our passengers to their destination.
Flying is the safest means of transportation. Before a plane goes down, a lot of cars would have crashed on a daily basis, yet people drive cars every day. Aviation is very well controlled and pilots can’t do as they like because as soon as one enters the cockpit, there are regulations, guidelines and rules that must be followed. If followed, we stay safe.
Such procedures came out of previous crashes, and threats and the lessons learnt from them have become procedures for pilots. Sticking to these procedures will guarantee safety and if anything comes up, it can be dealt with.
I joined Sosoliso from October 2004 to October 2006 and I was actually scheduled on that flight with all the crew that died. We were all supposed to fly that airplane all week from Monday to Saturday. We were supposed to be based in Port Harcourt and run Port Harcourt to Abuja thrice daily. We all did Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with that same airplane.
I am a Winner (a member of Living Faith Church) and I really wanted to attend Shiloh, even if it was for one day. I needed a day off and God answered my prayer, because after our work on Wednesday, they sent another pilot to replace me, so, I could take Thursday off. That day, I ran to Lagos and straight to Shiloh.
Same evening, I was called to fly another plane to Lagos so that Gerrard could continue my roster for me for the remaining week and they crashed on Saturday. Unfortunately, Gerrard was on my seat and he died.
How did you feel on hearing the news?
It was devastating. More so, because I was rostered on that flight; more so, because all the crew that died were with me on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Look at the school children that died. It was heart-wrenching.
What actually happened that day?
Sosoliso was just five years that year and the previous year, we won the best airline award in Nigeria. We were working towards retaining the award and a few more weeks to the end of the year, disaster struck.
It was a perfectly healthy plane. On the day of the crash, I flew Lagos to Port Harcourt. We took off from Port Harcourt to Enugu and we heard them coming into Port Harcourt and asking the Tower if there was thunderstorm overhead the airport since rain was falling all around the airport.
Tower said the airport was clear, but there was a thunderstorm approaching. I think they tried getting into the airport before the thunderstorm and got caught up in the wind shell. It changed the direction of the wind and they tried to abandon their route, but it was too late.They had hit the ground. It was a perfectly healthy airplane with a sound crew, but was just one of those unfortunate accidents that happen.
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