AS the world commemorates World Aviation Day 2025, Guyana joins the global spotlight with a powerful tribute to the women who continue to reshape and elevate the nation’s aviation sector.
Celebrated annually on December 7, World Aviation Day honours the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1944 and recognises the critical role that aviation plays in connecting people, economies and cultures.
This year, Guyana is highlighting the remarkable contributions of Guyanese women who have earned their licences and taken their place in fields traditionally dominated by men – engineering, piloting, drone operations, quality assurance, and air traffic control.
From hinterland villages and riverine communities to the busy airstrips and control towers of Georgetown, these women’s journeys reflect courage, discipline, and a deep belief that the sky is not a limit but an open door.
Their stories, shared in celebration of World Aviation Day 2025, underline how exposure, opportunity, mentorship and unwavering resolve can transform dreams into achievements.

DARCY CHAMBERS: FROM PARUIMA VILLAGE TO QUALITY INSPECTOR
Born and raised in Paruima Village, Region Seven, Darcy Chambers grew up surrounded by nature, machinery and a culture of resourcefulness.
As the eldest child, she spent hours assisting her father, a self-taught handyman who could repair anything with an engine. Those early lessons, though informal, built the foundation of her technical confidence and nurtured a growing fascination with machines.
Opportunities in the interior were limited, but Darcy excelled academically through the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, completing eight science-subject CXCs at Christ Church Secondary.
In 2012, inspired largely by her father’s influence, she took a bold step into the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School.
With tuition often uncertain, her family’s faith and perseverance carried her through to graduation in 2015. She joined Roraima Airways in 2016 as an aircraft maintenance engineer.
Working in a male-dominated environment brought challenges, but Darcy approached each task with determination and professionalism.
“I faced no challenges that my male colleagues didn’t also face,” she often reflects—though she acknowledges moments where she was overlooked in favour of male peers. She chose to let her work define her.
After years of rigorous hands-on experience, she earned her Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s licence, passing a demanding 12-hour oral exam at the GCAA.
Today, Darcy is the Quality Inspector at Guyair Maintenance Services Inc., where her passion for precision, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance drives her work.
Her journey from a remote village to a key technical role in civil aviation stands as a testament to the power of early exposure and unwavering ambition.

NICOLE BUCHOON: A CHILDHOOD DREAM TAKES FLIGHT
Growing up in Red Lock on the Essequibo Coast, Nicole Buchoon’s childhood was filled with long days in the rice fields, gardens and open water. Swimming gave her freedom; track and field taught her discipline.
When her family moved to Georgetown, she continued nurturing both passions at St. Joseph High School, even competing at the national level.
Nicole always envisioned a career that wouldn’t confine her to an office. The idea of becoming a pilot settled quietly in her heart from an early age, long before she ever stepped into an aircraft.
Her faith guided her path, first placing her in the aviation cabin before opening the door to her flight training in the United States.
She completed her training in 2024 and returned home with renewed purpose, passing her Air Law exam and joining Jags Aviation Inc.
There, under the mentorship of experienced captains, she refined her skills. In September 2024, Nicole achieved one of her proudest milestones: promotion to Captain on the Islander aircraft.
Today, she flies into Guyana’s interior with gratitude and humility. “It’s that little girl who prayed and now can fly,” she says, a reminder that determination and faith can turn even distant dreams into reality.

FELESHA JOHNSON: RISING THROUGH SCIENCE, TRAINING AND SERVICE
At just 26, Felesha Johnson has carved out an impressive and multifaceted place in Guyana’s aviation sector. Born on April 3, 1998, she grew up academically driven, excelling at Winfer Garden Primary and later earning a place at St. Stanislaus College.
A school visit to a University of Guyana career fair introduced her to two female pilots—an encounter that ignited her passion for aviation.
After writing 13 CSEC subjects and completing a year of work study at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Felesha strengthened her academic credentials with additional courses, earning top grades.
She later received a Government of Guyana scholarship to pursue flight training at Air Services Limited in 2017.
When the school closed in 2018, she pivoted to serve her commitment at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, where she still works today.
Felesha continued to grow professionally, graduating from the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aviation School, becoming a licensed Flight Dispatcher, and later earning her Private Pilot Licence at King Sky Flight Academy in Florida in 2024.
She now serves as the Drone Operations Officer at the GCAA, supporting the safety, innovation and emerging technologies shaping Guyana’s airspace.
Her journey, marked by adaptability, perseverance and academic excellence, demonstrates how commitment to learning can propel young professionals into leadership roles in aviation’s evolving landscape.

ULYNIE OBERMULLER: A MOTHER, A PILOT AND AN EXAMPLE OF RESILIENCE
For Captain Ulynie Obermuller, who now flies the Cessna 208 and recently completed simulator training on the Beech 1900, aviation was never part of her early plans. Raised in the Lower Pomeroon River, she spent her childhood swimming, fishing and exploring the backdams.
After moving to Georgetown and attending Saint Joseph High and School of the Nations, she pursued biology at the University of Guyana, preparing for a future in medicine.
Life took a different turn. She became a young mother, married, and later experienced divorce—one of the most challenging chapters of her life.
But a spark ignited years earlier during casual flight lessons in the United States returned with purpose.
Amid personal upheaval, she made a difficult decision: leave her daughters temporarily to complete her flight training.
In 2020, she travelled to Ocean Aviation in Maryland, earning her Commercial Pilot Licence later that year. She worked with Roraima Airways before joining Trans Guyana Airways, where she currently serves as captain.
Balancing career demands and motherhood remains her greatest challenge, but Ulynie embraces both roles with strength and determination. She encourages young women to keep pushing forward: “It’s okay to stumble, even to fall, but always stand up and keep moving. You can change your dreams, but never stop dreaming.”
Her story is one of resilience, sacrifice and triumphant return, not only to the skies but to herself.

TISHA EDWARDS: GUIDING GUYANA’S SKIES FROM THE CONTROL TOWER
Tisha Edwards, an Air Traffic Controller with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, grew up in North East La Penitence and found comfort in books as an only child.
In 2010, she earned a place at Queen’s College, where she developed a deep fascination with aviation.
After CSEC, she began studying Computer Science at the University of Guyana but later shifted course, gaining technical experience as a certified pest control technician.
Her entry into aviation came when the GCAA advertised vacancies for Air Traffic Controller Assistants and Aeronautical Information Management Officers.
Shortlisted for both in 2020, Tisha began intensive training—delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic—but by 2021 she completed all requirements and soon after became an Aerodrome-rated Air Traffic Controller.
For more than two years, she has been responsible for maintaining the safe, orderly flow of air traffic within Georgetown’s airspace.
Though she once dreamed of becoming a pilot, Tisha finds deep fulfillment in her role: each day offers new challenges, new lessons and an opportunity to contribute to aviation safety.
Her family’s unwavering support remains her anchor as she works toward additional controller ratings.

GILLIAN NURSE-MCCAMMON: A CIVIL AVIATION PILLAR LEAVES A LASTING LEGACY
No celebration of Guyanese women in aviation is complete without honouring Ms. Gillian Elizabeth Nurse-McCammon, whose distinguished career has left an enduring mark on the civil aviation community.
Born in Linden, Gillian began her professional journey at the Guyana Bauxite Laboratory Office before serving as a Lance Corporal in the Guyana Defence Force.
Her transition into aviation came in 1992 when she joined the Civil Aviation Department as a Typist Clerk I—a role she elevated through decades of commitment, professionalism and unmatched institutional knowledge.
Rising through the ranks while balancing work and family life, she became Secretary in 2002 and later earned her degree in Public Management.
In 2015, she achieved a historic milestone as Guyana’s first female Assistant Licensing Officer, trained as a Government Safety Inspector in Personnel Licensing at the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.
Gillian’s most celebrated accomplishment is building the Personnel Licensing Department’s comprehensive record-keeping system, recognised during an ICAO ICVM assessment for its structure and reliability.
Known affectionately as “Mother PEL,” she remains admired for her warmth, humility and unwavering dedication to serving pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers across the country.
Her legacy, marked by excellence, compassion and service, continues to strengthen the foundation of the GCAA.
World Aviation Day 2025 offers Guyana an opportunity not only to celebrate global achievements in flight but to recognise the exceptional women shaping its aviation future.
The stories of Darcy, Nicole, Felesha, Ulynie, Tisha and Gillian stand as powerful reminders that the sector thrives when diverse voices, skills and perspectives take flight.
From engineers and drone specialists to pilots, inspectors and air traffic controllers, these women are charting new paths and inspiring the next generation to follow their own sky-bound dreams.
Their message to young women across Guyana is clear: there is space for you in aviation, and the sky is wide open.
The information and interviews presented are a product of the work of Simone Dowding, Founder and Chief Director of Purple Arts Productions, who consistently acknowledged the vital role of Guyanese women in the aviation sector.