MEET CAPTAIN ALEMAYEHU ABEBE, THE FIRST AFRICAN TO FLY A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT. A STORY WHICH TEACHES THE NEED FOR PERSEVERANCE AND DETERMINATION.

Alemayehu Abebe was a man who had Persistence and determination, those where his trademark, when the management and flight operations in Ethiopian Airlines were ruled by Americans who felt Africans should not be flying an aeroplane. Ethiopian Airlines began business activity in 1946 with American aircrews, the initial four Ethiopian pilots started their training with the airline on May 23, 1951.

Alemayehu Abebe was one of them and he was determined to prove them wrong. Through diligent work, he turned into the first Ethiopian captain in 1957, he made his solo flight on DC-3/c-47 at 32 years old, making him the first Ethiopian pilot, as well as the first African pilot to fly a commercial aeroplane. He added another aviation point of reference to his career when he turned into the first African pilot to fly the Atlantic solo in 1962, with Boeing 720Bs aeroplane that the airlines just acquired.

Alemayehu Abebe was born on March 25, 1925, to Abebe Desta and Tirunesh Gobena in Chercher of Hararghe area, Abebe built up an interest for flying and wished to fly an aeroplane one day when he saw two planes fly over him at 10 years old in his home.

Through assurance and self-restraint, he was able to serve Ethiopian airlines for a long time, making him achieve his fantasy of becoming a captain.

He started his primary education the Ras Mekonnen Elementary School in the town Harar, in which Amharic and French languages where taught. Eager to help himself, Alemayehu got his first employment at the mail station. After the liberation, he came to Addis Ababa and attended secondary school at the Addis Ababa Medhanialem School, after graduating from secondary school with high grade, he was one of the few students chosen to join the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force's flying school, newly established with the assistance of Swedish educators.

He went for essential training at Debre Zeit and headed for Sweden for an advance training for a year. Upon his arrival, he was elevated to Wing Commander with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. In 1951 when pilots were discharged from the Air Force to the Ethiopian Airlines, Alemayehu moved toward becoming among the first group pilots.

Alemayehu and the other imminent pilots needed to beat unconquerable chances and hindrances of preference from the American management, that were unwelcoming and keeping them down. "The Americans administration opposed to idea of allowing local people fly the aeroplane consigning us to help positions. They presented their situation to the Airline's board, however solutions never came. There were informed that every specialized issue were the American's locale and it was impractical to provoke it. Since the Americans were very much aware of this, they made it an instrument of threat. They had additionally contended since a large portion of the travelers were foreigners, they said they had no confidence in black pilots and mechanics.

At this point, Alemayehu Abebe knew that the solution was not to fall into allegation and fault, but instead to exceed expectations in flying field and to exhibit an exceptional performance for them. He graduated first in his class in the preparation mission, even all the captains he flew with affirmed that he did superb and that he had met all requirements to sit for an exam to gain the licence. Yet, the managers were not happy about him and other Ethiopians being captain. They came up with faltering reasons, for example, saying that the Ethiopians specialized capacities were not yet developed and that they had not yet won the traveler's trust.

Despite such difficulties and obstacles, Alemayehu discreetly created survival methodology to accomplish significantly more in the field of aviation. It turned out to be increasingly certain that he needed to create specialized aptitude as well as enthusiastic quality, moral limits, persistence and honesty to change his dreams of becoming a captain into reality.

At a point they placed him in ling training school for the second time. Despite the fact that he has demonstrated his ability flying through dull night and awful climate, he was again made to learn at TWA technical school in the United States with beginners yet he was never discouraged or frustrated.

Perseverance was one of his columns, after all said and done, Alemayehu Abebe became the first Ethiopian captain and also the first ever African pilot to fly a commercial aeroplane.

He was not from an advantaged family. However through perseverance, determination and self-discipline, he was able to turn his dreams to reality as well as have his name written in the history books as the first African commercial Jet pilot.

Abebe passed away on January 5, 2018, at 93 years old after a short ailment and left behind six children and four grandchildren.

He has since been a source of motivation to many, with others applauding him for his mettle to take on a field that no other African or Ethiopian did before him.

Image source: 1, 2, 3, 4.

REFERENCES

• http://www.ethiosports.com/2018/01/06/legendary-ethiopian-pilot-captain-alemayehu-abebe-passed-away-at-93/

• http://ethiopia.shafaqna.com/EN/ET/71251

• https://www.borkena.com/2018/01/05/captain-alemayehu-abebe-passed-away/