Changing attitudes and behavior... One trip at a time.

A couple of years ago, the AvTech Academy was involved in the safety training for crew operating the ferry crossing between Adorso and Donkorkrom. This is the crossing point into the Afram Plains.

Thanks to the Volta Lake Transport Company, we were able to use that same crossing on our recent mission to the Plains.

The students were very pleased to witness that, their safety training to the crew is being taken seriously to ensure safe traveling on this Volta lake crossing point.

The students made a valid point in their observation regarding the flotation devices onboard; being able to accommodate all personnel present at any given time and appropriate loading of the vessels is now standard for the safety and comfort of its occupants.

It has taken a long time of teaching and mind changing to be able to get the ladies points of view accepted by those older and in high position. Whenever they are doing anything which compromises safety especially in this culture, the young normally can't be seen to be correcting someone older than them.

Perhaps it is high time we all helped change the mindset of people who are still ignorant about safety in our everyday life, regardless of age or position.

The Afram Plains....some day the Afram "Planes"

Here we are sitting in a VLTC (Volta lake transport company) bus traveling from Kpong to the Afram Plains, a place that will normally take you about half hour to an hour in a plane. On the road, is about ten to eleven hours. After three hours on very rough road, with everybody hurting and exhausted from the drive, we took the decision to spend the night since everbody was hungry and Lydia is still recovering from malaria.

After the long difficult drive on the corrugated road, we made it to the Afram Plains safely and did our presentation for the selection of children to the fly me day on the 8th-10th March. The schoolgirls were very enthusiastic about all the topics. Some of the topics includes four forces of flight, cycles of a four stroke engine, SODIS and schistosomiasis and above all, the gIrls were reminded to work hard and not to become school dropouts or get pregnant.

More progress on the bellpod

Today, we have been able to manufacture the bellypod prototype in wood and mounted it onto the belly of the plane.

We also started calculating the strength of the bolt and nut needed to mount the pod in order to spread the load evenly without stress points which will result in failure down the line.

The Ladies provided valid points towards the production of this artifact.