How I Became Ghana's Youngest Flight Dispatcher

I used to visit the airport whenever I had the opportunity. One day I met a man called Michael Ayertey who was then a Flight Dispatcher with Starbow Airlines. He had spotted me for long and asked me what I was doing at the airport. I told him about my love for aircraft and that I wanted to be a Pilot. Michael told me that becoming a pilot was very expensive and that I needed to have a lot of money, but I told him I didn't have much money. It was then that he introduced me to the Flight Dispatcher profession as an alternative.

After my encounter with Mr Michael Ayertey, I did a little research on my own and developed interest in being a Flight Dispatcher. I told my parents about it and the cost involved, but they told me they didn't have enough money for that, and secondly they wanted me to go to the University first. These were my biggest challenges. Because I had no support from my family, I had to take a bold step but I felt very lonely. Take note, you can make your life good or bad depending on the decisions you take.

I went to Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy and picked up a form and prayed over it so I could be accepted by my parents. Finally, God being so good, my parents decided to help. I submitted my form and I was called to enroll. But again, the biggest challenge was the fees payment. At a point, my parents had to meet the school management concerning my fees, and they were given a grace period. On my own, I spoke to some 'big men' who also supported me with some money. It wasn't easy, but God did it. Just believe in God.

By the grace of God, I qualified as a Flight Dispatcher on the 23rd of March, 2018. That was the happiest day of my life, and I felt like I was on top of the world. Not only did I qualify as a Flight Dispatcher, I also became the youngest Flight Dispatcher in Ghana. And for my parents, it was tears of joy.

My advice to aspiring Flight Dispatchers is to first believe that with God all things are possible. But you also have to do some extra work to achieve your dream. Aviation is expensive, but don't let the money scare you. Lastly, never think that becoming an aviation professional, is only for the rich.