Five Rwandan students at Kent State University in United States, on Wednesday June 3, had their first training flight. A first training flight is the first time a student pilot flies an aircraft as part of formal flight training with a certified instructor. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s first female pilot admitted to global Captain’s Club The courses are being offered under a partnership between RwandAir and Kent State University, in an initiative that is training a new generation of Rwandan pilots. The five students are Cedric Hindura, Francis Shyaka, Henry Kenny Hagenimana, Milka Isingizwe and Patricie Mugabo. ALSO READ: RwandAir named Africa’s best regional airline The students, all professional pilot majors in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, made their first flights on a bright, sunny day with hardly a cloud in sight, the university said on Wednesday. After doing preflight checks, they took off in their Cessna aircrafts, one after the other, and each landed their plane about 30 minutes later. They all took their first flight on Wednesday morning. The five Rwandan students were selected from a highly competitive pool of about 2,600 applicants to join Kent State University's professional pilot programme. Their education and flight training are being funded by RwandAir, and upon graduation they are expected to return to Rwanda and work for the national carrier. ALSO READ: RwandAir, Qatar Airways launch African cargo hub The students said they were motivated to keep going. “I want to inspire girls back home to step into aviation, to step into becoming pilots, because we don’t have so many women being represented that’s pilots back home,” said Mugabo. ALSO READ: RwandAir records 80% revenue growth in 2023 “There’s a bit of pressure that comes with it to know that you have to perform and produce the results here, but I’m proud to be part of an amazing group,” said Shyaka, who added that he was inspired by his uncle who is a pilot. ALSO READ: What drove RwandAir’s surge in cargo volume in 2024? The students will spend the next four years in the pilot programme. The students will graduate with U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ratings and certificates. RwandAir funded the students’ Kent State education. The program can cost more than $75,000 plus regular tuition. The programme is Kent State’s first international pilot partnership. There are 350 students in the program, from 28 countries. ALSO READ: RwandAir wins three accolades at World Airline Awards RwandAir started operations in 2002 and is expanding its services, by expanding its fleet and the number of destinations, for both passenger and cargo operations. The airline reaches 22 cities in Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. RwandAir is a member airline of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA). “They actually are going to be building, one of the largest airports in sub-Saharan Africa, and they want to be the hub for that area,” Maureen McFarland, associate dean of academic affairs for Kent State’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering, said of RwandAir. “So, they need pilots, but they also need aviation management professionals, they need aerospace engineers. Our program doesn’t just do professional piloting, but we kind of address the entire industry, the aviation industry.”
