The Ghanaian term, ‘Sankofa’, has a few meanings – one of its most inspiring versions being: ‘To know your past is to know your future.’ These words are there to inspire and encourage us all, especially upcoming generations – and for Maya Appiagyei-Yousuf, a 16-year-old student, these words of wisdom are definitely helping her to reach high for her dreams and aspirations.
From a very young age, Maya has had a real passion for planes and flying. She recalls at the age of 12 watching Red Tails, a film about the brave Tuskegee Airmen who were the first African-American airforce pilots to fight in the war; their courageous efforts helped secure victory for the British and Americans in World War II.
Maya was fascinated by their story and decided that she would love to learn how to fly and set about researching how. She looked at joining a local flying school but quickly realised that the lessons were extremely expensive but undeterred she continued to look for away to fly. At 13, discovered the Air Cadets: a national youth programme run by the Royal Air Force which enables youngsters aged between 12-18 years to participate in a huge range of exciting activities, two evenings a week. Armed with some leaflets she asked her mother Catherine to attend a recruitment evening with her.
Maya, ready to fly
Maya’s mum Catherine said, ‘After attending the parents evening with Maya, I was extremely impressed by what was available at our local 97th Squadron in Croydon. Not only would the children have the opportunity to learn a range of sports, military drills, adventure weekends away and of course flying lessons, they would also be exposed to new experiences. They have the opportunity to develop team building and leadership skills, which will be invaluable to them as they get older – all for just £10 per month subscription fee!’
So with her mother’s agreement, Maya joined the Air Cadets with great enthusiasm and it was not long before she became a 1st Class Cadet and within a year was promoted to Corporal. During her time at Cadets she was given the opportunity to have flying lessons in a Grob Tutor two-seater aircraft. Maya explained: ‘I could not believe the sheer speed and how quickly we were airborne the sense of total freedom and peace I felt in the air was absolutely incredible. I will never forget my first lesson. I knew at that moment that I definitely wanted to because a pilot.’
Maya, who is a pupil at Croydon High School for girls, was asked to find work experience at age 15. Encouraged by her mother, she applied to British Airways’ highly competitive Flight Operations Work Experience Programme, for which over 1000 pupils applied to take part. On the selection process, Maya recalls: ‘The selection process was like a real interview a group interview and a one to one interview; I was so proud when I heard I had been selected.’
Maya – up, up and away
In July 2018, Maya spent a week at British Airways, being immersed into the world of a trainee commercial pilot – and to her, it was life-changing. ‘I gained a realistic insight into what it takes to be a pilot for one of the worlds leading airlines,’ she says. ‘The two most memorable moments of my week were the Airbus 380 simulator training and the day we went gliding which was fantastic. I was also so encouraged because British Airways has the most female pilots in the UK – in an industry mainly dominated by men. I would really encourage other young people, especially girls, who have a passion for flying to consider work experience at British Airways as it truly opens your eyes to a world of possibilities.’
Now 16, Maya is studying hard for her A-levels and it is her ambition to get her Private Pilots Licence by the time she is 18: ‘I worked hard all summer and have saved enough for my first 10 hours of flying lessons but need a total of 55-60 hours to pass the test. Costing £150 an hour it is a high mountain but I will do it.’
So now we come full circle – back to ‘Sankofa’, and why it important to share our history with the next generation, so they can use it as a catalyst to fly higher than their current circumstances and aim for greatness like their forefathers and mothers before them. Black history is not just important during one month in the year but a badge of pride to be worn every day, so that young people like Maya can be inspired by greats like the Tuskegee Airmen.
