First licensed female Gyrocopter pilot in Kenya
First licensed female Gyrocopter pilot in Kenya
First licensed female Gyrocopter pilot in Kenya
Betty Jerono made aviation history by being the first woman to obtain a gyrocopter
pilot’s license. A gyrocopter is a tiny aircraft that resembles a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter. It has a rotor on top that it uses for flight, but it travels ahead using an engine-driven propeller. It is mostly employed in law enforcement operations because of its quickness and lightweight.
For the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), where he is an officer, Jerono pilots the aircraft. She is the first woman pilot for KWS.KWS praised the young woman for her outstanding accomplishments in a statement.”Get to know Betty Jerono, a real trailblazer and pioneer! According to KWS’s statement, Betty is the first woman in Kenya to acquire a license to fly a gyrocopter.After completing a rigorous three-month training course at Highland Aviation in Scotland, Betty received her license in June 2023.
Highland Aviation stated on its website, “Well done to Betty who accomplished her First Solo Flight with us on June 14, 2023.That was not, however, her first flight. She began working for KWS as a trainee pilot in 2020 and has remained there ever since.Betty helps with routine wildlife monitoring, surveillance, and management using her special gyroplane.She worked as a pilot at Wilson Airport for one year and three months before joining KWS.
She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Science from Moi University in 2018.With her latest accomplishment, Betty has joined the ranks of other groundbreaking Kenyan women like Elizabeth Marami, the country’s first marine pilot.Notably, KWS is the only organization in the nation granted permission by Kenya Civil Aviation to service both public and private sector aircraft.
With approximately 40 pilots and a base at Wilson Airport, the parastatal’s airwing branch offers air support services for wildlife management around the nation.It features a fleet of more than 15 aircraft and four hangars in Meru, Nyeri, Wilson Airport, Mweiga in the Aberdares, and Kamboyo in the Tsavo West National Park.
