Pilot - Heita Nkandi

Heita Nkandi

Heita Nkandi says he is glad to be a part of something as noble as exposing young minds to the possibilities that lie before them and which also reinforces that they have more control over their destiny than they think. Nkandi is a pilot and he is duties primarily flight management and passenger comfort.

“I oversee all the planning which goes into the making of a successful flight; from the fuel we need, to the altitude we’re going to climb to, flying speeds, time management and parking the aircraft after the flight is complete,” he said.

Nkandi added that he is also responsibile to ensure that all these tasks are carried out as accurately as possible while factoring in the elements that we don’t have control over.

Additionally, keeping passengers informed about departure times, flight progress and possible onward delays and telling them to anticipate turbulence helps to keep them calm and informs their confidence and in turn, their comfort and flight experience is added to his tasks.

Nkandi’s interest in aviation started when he was in primary school and always had a strong curiosity for aircrafts, especially because of the sophistication of the flight deck.

“As the years went on, I identified a lifestyle that I wanted to attain, when I was grown up and had to see if being a pilot would offer me this lifestyle… Lucky for me, it did. The career has a great earning potential and a lot of practical advantages and all this while doing something you would do for free.”

To bevome qualified at his job, Nkandi had the following subjects in high school, Physical science, Mathematics and Geography help him grasp aviation concepts more easily, however he said not having these subjects does not limit you.

Flying school in Keetmanshoop and later Windhoek at the local airport, Namibia Aviation Training Academy. This was the foundation of his qualification and it taught him his basics by marrying his childhood fascination with knowledge and invaluable experience.

“As you get immersed in the industry, your employer provides further training opportunities provided that you show competence and proficiency in your existing tasks. It is up to you to develop yourself and add value to your resume,” he said.

Nkandi expressed that aviation is no different from other professional disciplines and the usual is always true, self-discipline and appetite for more knowledge keeps one well poised for a successful career trajectory.

“But for aviation specifically, the ability not to become complacent while consistently being repetitive in your routine goes a long way.”

His careers highlight thus far includes travelling the world and walking through airports with our magic pull bag, experiencing cultures, people, food and all as part of his job.

“My favourite, the fascination on peoples face when you talk about flying and being a pilot. The uniform is pretty dope too and the applause of passengers when you stick a smooth landing after a great flight,” he said.

Nkandi believes his superpower is his ability to absorb information and arrange it mentally so that his hand-eye coordination can make the soft landing out of it.