Sodhan Benjamin ASL is a ‘Special Person’
From Craftsman to Senior Aircraft Engineer…
Not Rehanna Ramsay
Senior Aircraft Engineer, Sodhan Benjamin.
Kaieteur News – When Sodhan Benjamin was just a teenager, he would visit the airstrip at Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and gaze longingly at the planes as they pulled from the runway to the outdoor.
Completely captivated by the vehicles that defy gravity, the youngster would stand in the nearby grassy fields and watch as the plane disappeared beyond the clouds and the sound of their engines could not be heard no longer rusting.
He never imagined that he would one day have a career in engineering and maintenance for these fascinating air carriers.
Today, Mr. Benjamin is a Senior Aeronautical Engineer attached to Air Services Limited (ASL) with nearly 40 years experience in the field.
This week’s ‘Special Person’ has traveled from a lower-tier airport worker at Eugene F. Correia International Airport (formerly Ogle Airport) to well-respected and loved senior staff at ASL, one of the country’s leading domestic aviation service providers .
He told Kaieteur News that he started out just under three decades ago as an ordinary loader (handyman), fetching bags and other items and loading them onto planes in Ogle.
However, determined to improve his skill and knowledge of the aircraft, Benjamin
worked his way up the ladder from craftsman to maintenance worker and later went into aeronautical engineering, obtaining several certificates and licenses to operate under the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
In the early stages of his career, although there was not much to talk about a loader recognition package, Benjamin found satisfaction in working close to the aircraft.
As one would imagine he was later driven to train extensively in the mechanical aspects of the aircraft. His commitment to the job is what caught the eye of ASL management and the company arranged a full scholarship for him to study aeronautical engineering.
Since then, Benjamin has been a qualified aeronautical engineer with ASL for nearly 20 years and has been an employee of the company for much longer. His dedication to his work has never faded from the day he started.
Benjamin told Kaieteur News that his objective is always to put out his best work. A relentless effort has won the admiration of those closest to him.
In fact, this week’s ‘Special Person’ has a son who has chosen to follow in his footsteps. Mr Benjamin was delighted when he spoke about his son, Navendra Benjamin.
“He is also training as an aeronautical engineer with ASL. He started at a young age, right out of St. High School Rose. So I’m happy for him because he will have room to grow and take advantage of the opportunities within the industry, ”Benjamin said of his son.
The senior aircraft engineer also has a daughter, Vimla, with his wife, Priya, of whom she is equally proud. “My daughter is currently studying business management; I’m really proud of her too, ”added the doting father.
Mr Benjamin is pictured with his wife, Priya, and two worshipers, Navendra and Vimla.
THE SIMPLE LIFE
The Benjamin clan lead a simple life as residents of Chateau Margot, ECD. When Benjamin is not down in the airline working on the planes, he is probably at home relaxing with his wife and dog Maxx.
Outside of that, he enjoys spending his spare time in his kitchen garden or watching a good game of cricket.
The simplicity of living in the countryside is nothing new for Benjamin, who told this publication that the village of Industry, ECD, a few villages away from his present home, is where he spent most of his youth.
He linked up as part of an 11 sibling household with his parents, Patrick and Ivy Benjamin. They lived modestly.
“My father worked as a ‘land man’ for the community center in Ogle and my mother was a housewife. My parents were simple people. They had 11 children; eight girls and three boys, ”he said, adding that although they were considered poor, his parents did their utmost to ensure that he and his siblings had a reasonable life.
“We got the basics; food, clothes, shelter and we would go to school as long as they could afford to send us, ”said Benjamin. He noted that, as a small boy, he rejoiced in what constitutes life in rural Guyana. “I played a lot of cricket and followed the cows out in the pasture to graze,” said the engineer about his childhood.
Those years, the young Benjamin attended kindergarten and primary school at Cummings Lodge. However, he was only able to attend school until he was 14, due to his family’s financial constraints.
As a result, a teenager Benjamin spent most of his days blasting in the streets and pastures of East Coast villages playing sports and climbing fruit trees.
The Snr. Aeronautical Engineer (front row, fourth from left) standing with members of the ASL engineering crew.
Benjamin standing with a plane.
Benjamin in work mode on the hangar floor at Ogle airport.
AIR FASHION
He distinctly recalled that during that time, he would visit Ogle’s airway whenever he went to the nearby pasture to watch over his father’s cows.
He said that it was during this time that he developed an interest in the aircraft. “I loved watching as the planes took off and landed on the air route. So I’d go over there a lot, ”he said.
As a result of his frequent visits to the airport, Benjamin became acquainted with some of the staffers, whom he would chat with and find out about the jobs, which were available.
“One day I visited and one of the guys said they needed loaders so I applied and got the job … I think I’m about 19,” said Benjamin about joining the airport’s supply of staff.
His job as a handyman / loader gave him access to the planes.
“I was basically a handyman; We will help load the planes with whatever cargo passengers had to carry on board, ”he said.
After a few years loading cargo, Benjamin worked his way up to join the ASL maintenance crew.
As part of the maintenance crew, he spent years learning the intricacies of aircraft mechanics and engineering. Some of his learning included regular oil draining, plug plugs cleaning, and other minor repairs in addition to the ground preparations.
“I started to show an interest in the work, which the crew was doing on the hangar floor and eventually joined them as an assistant maintenance operator,” he said.
Although not officially trained in the field, Benjamin was as good as any of the men in his department.
“I had basically learned by doing. I didn’t go to school for it but I knew the job (before studying). So much work goes into maintaining the aircraft before it is safe to use, ”he said, noting that he spent long hours working on all aircraft to ensure they were in flight condition when he arrived. the time.
That commitment to servicing the aircraft must have caught the attention of his employers because soon after, Benjamin was offered a full scholarship to study aeronautical engineering by ASL.
“I was working one day when management called me for a meeting. They offered me the scholarship and I took it, ”he said, explaining that at the time, to study aeronautical engineering, he needed at least $ 2M.
“I couldn’t afford to pay to study at the time. I was married and the kids were small. So when the company offered to pay for my studies, I was very happy about it, ”he said.
According to Benjamin, sacrifice was necessary in the years of study. He noted that, given that his children were young, his wife did some catering to help add to the family costs.
“The company also made it flexible for me to complete my courses. I would only work shifts that allowed me to work and study, ”he added.
As part of his training, Mr Benjamin had to complete his studies in the six-module course, which included aircraft regulation, piton engines, propellers, and modules three and four.
After obtaining the necessary qualification, Benjamin was later licensed by the GCAA.
LEGISLATION
These days, as a Senior Aeronautical Engineer, he is a mentor to many of the upcoming engineers, many of whom he refers to as “Uncle Benjie”.
As well as overseeing the young team, Benjamin has the privilege of signing on any aircraft that has undergone maintenance. Its approval is essential for the aircraft to have clearance to go into the air for a set number of hours.
On any given shift, he and his crew are tasked with maintaining and repairing the engine and structure of the different aircraft types under ASL’s domestic fleet.
“These include the Cessna 206, 208, 172, and Britten’s Norman Island,” he said, noting that the company has about two dozen aircraft in its fleet.
And while he still does some of the maintenance, his efforts are more focused on training the junior engineers.
He told Kaieteur News that although he is “getting older,” he wants to leave as much as he can with the younger men.
His son, in particular, will benefit from the experience and knowledge. The younger Benjamin, already certified in his field, told this newspaper that his father was the inspiration behind joining ASL as an aeronautical engineer.
“I always used to visit the airport and the hangar floor with him when I was younger and said I wanted to be a pilot but when I left school and started my work study at ASL, I started to realize the importance of what he did . There is so much that goes on behind the scenes with the maintenance of the aircraft that makes it safe for people like us to travel, ”said the proud son.
Much like his father, Navendra is looking to progress in his career in the coming years.
“My aim is to one day work in a management role in the aviation sector, hopefully, to help promote the way we do things locally,” he said.