Outgoing Air Seychelles captain calls on President Ramkalawan |30 August 2023

Captain Jackson called on President Ramkalawan yesterday at State House (Photo: Louis Toussaint)

 Retired Air Seychelles Captain, François Jackson paid a courtesy call on President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House yesterday morning prior to his official retirement.

During the meeting, he engaged in discussions with the President Ramkalawan and other delegates, primarily focusing on his career and related subjects.

Mr Jackson disclosed that his father aspired to join the aviation industry in 1973 but had to discontinue his aviation aspirations after failing a medical examination owing to colour blindness.

In the years 1974-1975, Captain Jackson was approached by his father regarding his own interest in becoming a pilot. That was when he decided to explore piloting and commenced his training in 1975.

Following this, he completed his A-Levels in 1977 and proceeded to undertake formal training as a commercial pilot in the United States of America.

Captain Jackson elaborated on the challenges that he encountered throughout his journey to become a pilot. One notable challenge was the stringent medical requirements that had to be maintained. He highlighted the demanding nature of the training process and the discipline it demanded.

He also mentioned the strain on family life due to extended periods away from home – around six months on average – missing out on important occasions.

Among his notable accomplishments during his career was the absence of any aircraft accidents or incidents; a fact he humorously remarked upon. In a more serious context, he expressed pride in his contribution to the national airline’s growth and stability.

Captain Jackson held the position of operations director for several years, responsible for critical decisions, recruitment, and training. A significant achievement was his role in training Seychellois individuals in the early 1980s. “Quite a few of the pilots flying for the local airline or overseas went through my training,” he stated proudly.

Sunny Esparon