AEROPLANE pilots from the Brazilian Smoke Squadron will stage air shows over Georgetown on March 24 next.

The flights and displays are all  part of a two-week long programme to mark the 100th anniversary of the first aircraft flight in Guyana.
Other aspects include a re-enactment of the inaugural flight on March 24, 1913; the opening of Wings Aviation Ltd hangar at Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI); aerial display by local pilots in honour of their colleagues who died in aircraft accidents; remote controlled flights of toy aircraft by children; symposia on aviation and the planned  commissioning of the expansion project of the OAI.
The disclosures were made during a media briefing on Thursday, by Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Mr. Robeson Benn and Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Mr. Zulfikar Mohamed, at the latter Headquarters, Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown.
In his remarks, Benn said, in terms of 100 years of aviation, Guyana has much to celebrate.
He said links to the hinterland and the outside world are led mainly by aviation and, over the past 100 years, the industry has transformed transportation not only worldwide but in Guyana, too.
“Aviation enabled medical outreaches and malaria campaigns to the hinterland, provided support for the  development and growth of mining and forestry and also assured Guyanese of the sovereignty of Guyana in a more rapid way instead of by our soldiers paddling up the rivers with balahoos and corials.
“We were able to do all this with aircraft; so, from those early days to now, I think we have much to celebrate after 100 years,” Benn maintained.
Lead agency
Mohamed said, from as early as last year September, the GCAA had taken on the role of the lead agency in planning for the event and the preparations, since then, have seen participation and cooperation from all of the stakeholders, including those at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and OAI and all of the operators both at Ogle and Timehri, even the handling agencies there.
Mohamed said the week of celebrations will last from March 23 to 30 but, prior to that, the GCAA will go out to all of the different Administrative Regions and do talks to stimulate interest in aviation careers.
The programme starts on Monday, March 18 and includes sports activities up to March 22.
Saturday, March 23 will see the turning of the sod for a new headquarters of GCAA at Ogle, the opening of an aviation exhibition there and an informal social gathering in honour of women in the industry.
There will be a ceremonial start to the programme for the anniversary day, March 24.
Other activities to be further publicised are an aviation symposium at the International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, on Tuesday, March 26.