South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has donated a decommissioned regional airliner to the Rhodesfield Engineering School of Specialisation (SOS), in Kempton Park, via the Gauteng Department of Basic Education. The suburb of Rhodesfield lies next to OR Tambo International Airport and the school has long had a focus on aviation and related skills.

“The aircraft will be an invaluable teaching aid for our Grade 11 and 12 learners taking aviation classes as their eighth matric subject,” affirmed Rhodesfield Engineering SOS acting principal Caroline Ngxanga. “This year we have 45 learners (13 girls and 32 boys) across both grades that are enrolled. Most of them are from [the previously-disadvantaged suburb of] Tembisa.”

The aircraft concerned was a 37-seat Embraer ERJ135ER, which was delivered new to Airlink in 2013 and amassed 32 080 flying hours on more than 30 100 flights, before being taken out of service. It has two Rolls-Royce AE 3007/A3 turbofan engines, has a length of 26.3 m, a wingspan of 20.04 m and a height of 6.76 m. Some components have been removed from the aircraft, to support the airline’s operational fleet, but the company has pledged to donate further aircraft parts to the school, in due course.

“Airlink’s donation forms part of our broader strategic investment in focussed aviation education,” highlighted Airlink CEO De Villiers Engelbrecht. “By placing a real aircraft in learners’ hands and providing qualified engineers as trainers, we can help bridge the gap between theory and practical experience. Students will now get their hands on authentic aircraft systems, components and structures and see how they are integrated and used – an experience that is typically inaccessible to many youngsters who aspire to have aviation careers.”

The instructors being provided by Airlink, to train the learners, are two young black women who currently worked in the airline’s aircraft maintenance centre at OR Tambo International Airport. They both served their apprenticeships with Airlink, and volunteered to participate in this educational project.

“The aircraft, generously donated by Airlink, will provide Rhodesfield Engineering SOS learners with invaluable, hands-on experience to complement their classroom learning,” pointed out Gauteng Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Matome Chiloane. “It will be incorporated into specialised programmes, including search-and-rescue training and multi-certification courses, equipping students with the skills needed to pursue a wide range of high-demand careers in the aviation sector. Beyond Rhodesfield SOS, the aircraft will also benefit other schools across Gauteng, as learners from these institutions will have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning.”