Learning to Fly

Hello, my name is Bernard Ngigi and ever since I was six years old I have dreamed of becoming a pilot. 


Now, 16 years later my dream is finally coming true. 

Last September, with money my family had saved and that I had earned raising and selling chickens, I  enrolled at the Flight Training Centre at Wilson Airport, Nairobi www.flighttrainingcentre.co.ke 

In January, I passed the Private Pilots Licence. 

I am now working on the next 185 flying hours to secure my Commercial Pilots Licence - after which I can carry passengers and earn an income as a pilot and pay my own way to secure an Airline Transport Pilots Licence. 

185 flying hours costs approx €32,500 / $ 37,000  in total (160 hours @ €140/ $160 per hour in a single engine Cessna, then 25 hours at @ €400/ $455 per hour in a multi-engine plane) 

It's expensive - almost impossible - so we are asking for your  help to make my dream come true. 

Thank you, 

Bernard.

Pay it Forward: In thanks for everyone's support in making my dream come true - I commit to funding another young  Kenyan to become a pilot within 3 years of securing my Commercial Pilots Licence.

Clockwise from Top Left.  (with my brothers Peter and Duncan, outside our house in Muranga - I am on the right; Cessna 152 5YPSJ;  getting ready for take-off,  behind the controls, my Log Book showing my Private Pilots Licence, fees for the Commercial Pilots Licence) 


Team "Learning to Fly" includes: 
Joseph Ngigi is Bernard's father. He is a self-made businessman with a small taxi and private safari business based in Nairobi, Kenya.

At the age of 17, Joseph got a job as a car mechanic and taught himself to drive, two years later he was working as a private driver and from there he progressed to driving trucks for the World Food Programme whilst saving to buy his first car and realising his dream of having his own taxi. At the age of 22 he met the lovely Esther and two years later they were married and last year they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. 



Colman, Jen and Tom
Colman, Jen and Tom are long-time friends of Joseph whom they met through their charity work in Kenya with  Gatoto School www.gatoto.org  Over their many trips back and forth to Kenya, they have shared many adventures with Joseph, who has become an invaluable member of the team and a trusted friend - ever reliable, street smart, with a great sense of humour - he has come to the rescue on more than one occasion.

The  monies raised will go into a dedicated account in Ireland before being transferred directly to Kenya (it is not possible at this time to connect GoFundMe directly to an account in Kenya) any fees involved in transferring the monies will be covered by Colman, Jen & Tom. 

Colman Farrell, is a medical doctor turned educator, now working at the Innovation Academy in University College Dublin. www.innovators.ie 

Jennifer Brass, is an associate professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, where she specialises in Nation Building with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. http://bit.ly/profjenbrass

Tom Lyons, is an award-winning journalist based in Dublin, Ireland. Joseph drove Tom around Kenya to cover the 2008 post-election violence and its aftermath which resulted in a series of articles in the Sunday Times.