As we brace ourselves for Air Jamaica D-Day, Monday, April 12, SO flashes back to when the first dozen pilots left our shores for Air Canada Ground School, Dorval — a city on the island of Montreal in south-western Quebec, Canada — in the quest to become commercial airline pilots for the national carrier Air Jamaica.

One of the original ‘Dirty Dozen’, as they called themselves, Captain Michael Feanny (retired) takes us back to his beginnings… we’ve been given clearance, so fasten those seatbelts in preparation for take-off.

“I was studying law in Mandeville with the solicitor Myrtle Johnson and was utterly bored,” Feanny states. “A friend of mine, Munair Mattar, who was taking flying lessons, asked me to accompany him. It took a single class for me to understand that this was it. I got it, the attraction was immediate!” Feanny packed in law and commenced flight training. After soloing, it was off to Miami for the professional licence. His timing could not have been better as Air Canada was recruiting pilots for training. Twenty-five-year-old Feanny found himself seated in a classroom with four BWIA pilots: Mark Royes, Patrick Cousins, Lloyd Tai and Churchill Bodden, who already had training on the Boeing 727. It was, by his own account, “a leap in the dark” although, he says, there was no pressure.

“We were really raw, and it was brutally cold.” Classes were Monday to Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Studies continued in 1970 from January to late-April. “There was a lot of theory followed by the practical. When it was over, I returned to Jamaica as a First Officer.” Fact is, all returned (three as Second Officers, nine as First Officers and one as a Captain — notably Mark Royes) equipped to manage the national airline. “The realisation soon hit that this was beyond a job; it was no longer a hobby, but a passionate love affair and we all tried to do it to the best of our ability.”

Captain Michael Feanny did just that until his retirement on February 16 2005, his 60th birthday.

Captain Geoffrey ‘Andy’ Campbell, perhaps the baby of the group at the tender age of 21, recalls how his first attempt to leave the island for Montreal was aborted. “I left Kingston for Montego Bay on Saturday, January 1, 1970, on JM011 and was bumped! I returned to Kingston on Jamaica Air Service Twin Otter piloted by Captain Dave McRae (who would later join Air Jamaica in 1971) and left the following day on JM 023 DC-9 service to Miami to connect on Air Canada to Montreal. This flight was also full, so I eventually ended up travelling in the cockpit of an Air Canada DC-8 and arrived in Montreal feeling like a penguin… snow like sand! The course lasted until mid-April (all winter) and I returned to Kingston trained as a Second Officer on the DC-8 aircraft.”

Campbell was promoted to First Officer DC-8 in April 1971 and Captain DC-9 in April 1975. When asked by S O about his classroom experience, here’s what he shared… “Well, the experienced guys like Mark Royce, Churchill Bodden, Patrick Cousins and Lloyd Tai, who all came from BWIA, were quite cool, as well as Robbie Hamaty, Russell Beek and Frank Laing, but the younger ones like Mike, Tony and myself were traumatised after the first day of Ground School, as we did not have a clue what Scotty our instructor was trying to teach us! He had a deep Scottish accent and, of course, our Jamaican accents really made the classroom interesting. Not to mention the sprinkling of French Canadians in the class to add to the flavour… the poor instructor figured we were all Jamaicans because of the accents which, of course, offended some of the Canadians. In the end, though, we all had a great time. Tony Bowyer’s bandaged head (in the photo) was a result of a Ski-Doo accident. Today, he would have been as famous as our bobsled team.” He may very well have been. Campbell now boasts an amazing 40 years and 69 days (at the time of our writing this article) with Air Jamaica and has flown all types of Air Jamaica aircraft: DC-8, DC-9, Boeing 727, Airbus A300 and A340. Campbell also made mention of the time he ferried an A300 aircraft from Paris Charles de Gaulle via Gander with one NMW as purser on June 13, 1988. Hmmm, he was just as gorgeous then!

Campbell is currently vice-president, Operations at Air Jamaica.

Captain Patrick Cousins, currently director, Safety Compliance & Quality Air Jamaica Limited — Norman Manley International Airport, is another ‘original’ and in fact helmed the group of Jamaicans from BWIA who were interested in joining Air Jamaica. Here are his recollections:

“I was chosen as the spokesperson for the Jamaicans employed by BWIA who were interested in joining Air Jamaica. After several meetings with Captain Leek, vice-president, Flight Operations and Captain Palmer, Chief Pilot we decided to come. There were five of us, but four came. We attended training in Montreal in the middle of a severe winter where we joined up with the rest of our Jamaican team making a total of 12, thereafter called the ‘Dirty Dozen’ (I can assure you, we were the best 12 pilots — and clean).

Air Canada was very impressed with the standard of the pilots, including the young ones (in those days) who all excelled. Within 16 months we started the Jamaican Airline Pilots’ Association and I was appointed the first president. I was the first 1st Officer promoted to Captain in Air Jamaica.

“From the initial 12, Air Jamaica made appointments such as Vice-President — Flight Operations, Director-Flight Operations, Chief Pilot, Fleet Captain, Training Captain and Director-Safety. This was the nucleus of our Air Jamaica of today. Hard work (while having fun) kept the airline safe and professional and this legacy continues to the present where Air Jamaica is second to none in safety and standards.”

FLASHBACK

Captain Mike Lyn (retired) shares his big moments with SO

“I was promoted from Second Officer to First Officer (F/O) on the DC-8, just seven months after joining Air Jamaica in 1971, and this was my first flight as a F/O going into Toronto. The winds were strong, and I executed a safe but ‘firm’ landing, at which point my wife tried to sink into her seat. But my son Mike Jr jumped up and proudly shouted, ‘That’s my daddy flying!’

“My first flight as Captain on the 340 across the Atlantic was a real feelgood experience.

“As I landed at Heathrow, I wished my dad, who was a fighter pilot and flew escort to Chiang Kai-shek, was onboard to see me flying this big bird. Wish I could remember what year that was!

“My last flight as a Captain, in September 2005 as I headed into retirement, was another feel-good experience in that my son Mike, his wife and children, my grandchildren flew into New York to go that last leg with me, as did my best man George deMercado. Capt David McRae was my F/O, Sarah Young and the whole New York office was there to wish me a happy landing and my wife bawling and the guard of honour when I landed at NMIA was the real tear-jerker. The cake from the stews, organised by Christine Steele, that we enjoyed at Flight Ops was the topper.”

Captain David McRae Reflects

“Having been promoted to the rank of Captain in 1975, I entered the cockpit of the DC-9 and looked back in the cabin and realised that I was now in command of this awesome flying machine and all these people were now dependent on me to fly them safely from Kingston to Miami.

“Being restricted mainly to North American flights and office duties in my position as Chief Pilot, I never had the opportunity to captain trans-Atlantic flights. Operating my first ferry flight to France across the Pond with Captain Andy Campbell and Captain Mike Feanny to Toulouse, France, home of Airbus, was a thriller. The catering on the return leg was awesome: baguettes and foie gras!

“Operating as a First Officer on the final flights of their careers, with captains who were ending their sojourn with Air Jamaica, such as Captain Mike Feanny and Captain Mike ‘Speedy’ Lyn, was bittersweet as the retirement age of 60 (at that time) is too young for us pilots to stop doing what we love so much.”